In his 2004 review of comic book adaptation Catwoman, The Age’s Adrian Martin gave the film four stars. Martin was adamant that the undertones of feminism, mixed with pleasing aesthetics had constructed a ‘fine film’. He was particularly impressed that the film had serious feminist ideals while still being a huge Hollywood blockbuster.
The film was a critical and financial flop, even drawing ire from fans of the genre and character. It won several Razzie Awards, awards for the worst films of the year. Many have said that there is little …

Danish cinema has never been at the forefront of international film-making, through no fault of its own. Those Danes make a good film, but nothing groundbreaking that warranted worldwide attention. That is until Thomas Vineberg’s came crashing onto the scene with Fasten in 1998, setting fire to the phenomena that became Dogme95.
Although it set out to break the conventions of mainstream cinema, the Dogme95 movement began with its own set of rules. The Vow of Chastity written in 1995 by Lars Von Trier and Vineberg listed 10 commandments that any …

Singapore is for the fast and the furious. But as the rest of this country forges ahead in a rat race, local film-maker Royston Tan seeks his comfort in ‘the old days’. What you will not find in the squeaky-clean transit terminals and urbanised metropolis of Singapore, you will discover through Tan’s lens’an intimate look into the backyards of Singapore. Tan was catapulted into international spotlight for two of his films, 15 (2003) and Cut (2004), both of which rocked the censorship boat of media strict Singapore.
Tan’s latest film 4:30, …

There was a time when I looked forward to the brown paper packages sent by kind relatives from Hong Kong. They contained the badly dubbed video cassettes that provided me with an alternative source of entertainment to the white dominated screen culture of the Australian mainstream. These fragments from beyond came in the form of Canto-pop movie stars, martial arts epics set in Imperial China, and Hong Kong Triad gun battle showdowns that were usually too graphic for my sensitive nature as a child.
Since then, SBS, satellite television and DVD …

It’s a shame George Romero isn’t in town for the Festival, because Melbourne has become a city of zombies.
In a way, it’s heartening that Melburnians throw themselves into cinema spectatorship with such gusto. No casual ‘How about a fillum tonight, dear?’ for us. Oh no. We have MIFF schedules, and we plot them with the steely resolve of battle-hardened army generals.
But some people take it too far. When the only topic of conversation is what films we’re seeing, when birthdays are forgotten and dinner parties skipped, when rent cannot be …

Tackling a film festival of MIFF’s magnitude takes planning, courage and a degree of strategy that would not be out of place in a seasoned military campaign. Regardless of whether you’re a festival novice or a seasoned trouper, here are a few suggestions that might help you get the most out of your MIFF experience.
Research
Every film in the program is written up in such glowing terms that it’s hard to know which of them are actually any good. If you have limited time and money, you don’t want to waste …

James Hewison’s departure from the helm of the Melbourne International Film Festival is already being lamented, and he hasn’t even left yet. Opening night, usually reserved for speeches of anticipation and hope for the few weeks ahead, heralded rounds of applause, thanks and praise for the departing Director. In a country with the reputation of cutting down tall poppies, Hewison has impressed a whole creative community.
Rather than revelling in his position at the top of one of Australia’s favourite cultural events, Hewison seems to have enjoyed exploring communities. Rather than …