Reviews

Sergei M. Eisenstein’s montage work is truly remarkable in heightening drama, contrast, and emphasis. He can rightly be called a pioneer of surrealism. However, his characters are cartoonishly polarized—capitalists always greedy and ugly, workers oppressed and destined to rise up. This strong subjective viewpoint makes the film perfect propaganda.

It feels like a retro comedy from decades past. If Jerry Seinfeld doesn’t evolve, his old-school gags alone won’t cut it with today’s audiences.

It’s pretty quirky, with Jerry Seinfeld’s comedic style still carrying a lot of juvenile vibes.

Rocky Sullivan should’ve been the typical ruthless gangster, but the film strips him of any truly evil traits—he just acts outside the accepted social norms. The character falls flat; he should’ve been ruthless and villainous, refusing the priest’s demand for the “performance.” Yet at the moment of death, he faces God’s judgment with fear and repentance.

This film features a classic and powerful structure. James Cagney stands as the most charismatic gangster actor in cinema history. Damn that Hays Code —this movie’s ending might be its most heartbreaking moment.

The 1974 masterpiece is one of the greatest films in horror history. It gave us Leatherface and set the template for future remakes and genre spin-offs.

As a pioneer of slasher films, this movie also left a deep influence on both gang and roadtrip movies. It’s no exaggeration to say that almost no slasher horror film has matched its impact. The director experiments wildly with camera angles, staging techniques, combining chilling sound effects, extreme close-ups, and rapid montages into a nonstop thrill ride that keeps your heart pounding. The opening newsreel and the final dance sequence are nothing short of iconic.

This is a deeply heartfelt work, both poignant and full of love. It captures its era through the journey of one family. The memories are bittersweet, but what truly moves me is the virtue this family represents.

A masterpiece that represents the pinnacle of classical storytelling and Old Hollywood cinema.

To me, the Friday the 13th franchise should have ended with part four—everything after that fell into a creative rut, yet I slogged through to number nine. This installment barely connects to its earlier films and somehow lets Jason Voorhees possess other bodies…

Against all odds, Jason Voorhees´ resurrection through possession is clearly inspired by Halloween. The final descent into hell is fantastically surreal, if gloriously cheesy.

The original work itself satirizes the orientalist aesthetics represented by Madama Butterfly. Westerners romanticize the submissiveness of Easterners, never realizing that obedience can also become a weapon.

This might be David Cronenberg´s least violent film, but it´s arguably his most emotionally intense. One person´s love is built on lies, the other´s on illusion—and when both lose their beloved, there´s no difference between these two kinds of love. What´s even more terrifying is that real life is often more brutal than the script.

Oshima´s signature film, drawn from the 1936 Sada Abe incident, has been labeled everything from an oppressively dark adult drama to a classic of erotic art to a metaphor-packed anti-war epic… yet none of those descriptions quite capture it. What really struck me was the stunning color palette and cinematography, the haunting shamisen score, and the emptiness and sorrow that lie just beneath the ecstasy.

Honestly, this movie almost moved me to tears. The protagonists´ pure longing blossoms into love, but their doubt about it pulls them into an endless chasm of yearning. They´re no longer chasing physical highs; they´re caught in love´s tangled web. It´s exactly because their love is so innocent that it becomes all-consuming. The film captures it with breathtaking artistry and beauty.

Louis Malle’s street interviews are fascinating and incredibly engaging; they feel just like conversations with the people around us. However, when one interviewee claims to have been born in the 18th century, it inevitably evokes a fleeting, surreal sense of disorientation.

The cinematography and editing are effortless, the characters feel vividly alive, and the film masterfully captures the unique spirit of its time and society, making it a classic that can’t be replicated.

This is the annihilation of idealism. It turns out that director Ann Hui once had such grand ambitions, but now her wild youth and hot-blooded years have come to an end simultaneously.

I believe this is Ann Hui's best film. It beautifully blends personal emotions with historical memories, creating a powerful, resonant experience.

The day love, faith, and politics part ways is the day you and I meet.