Category: Looking back

Looking back

Looking Back: The Handmaiden

In 2014, Korean director Park Chan-Wook announced that his next project, following his English-language debut Stoker, would be an adaptation of Sarah Waters novel, The Fingersmith. Transporting the action from the Victorian era to Japan-occupied Korea, Park offers his most erotic feature yet. The Handmaiden follows three characters – young pickpocket Sook-hee (Kim Tae-ri), fragile yet rich heiress Lady Hideko (Kim Min-hee) and a charming con-artist … Continue reading Looking Back: The Handmaiden

guitargalchinaLeave a comment
Looking back

Looking Back: Ruby Sparks

Everyone dreams of their perfect partner.  Romantics call them their soulmate.  Cynics call them non-existent.  So what do you do if you are lonely? Take a lesson from John Hughes’ Weird Science and create someone. Ruby Sparks is the second feature film project by husband-wife directorial team Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, six years after their successful Sundance debut Little Miss Sunshine (2006), and is the … Continue reading Looking Back: Ruby Sparks

guitargalchina1 Comment
Looking back

Looking Back: ‘Beauty of the Beast’ (1991)

We all have our favorite Disney film, but for those who belong to a certain generation, the films released during the Disney Renaissance era (1989-1999) hold a special place. This era saw the company produce some of their most commercially and critically successful films in Disney’s history, by injecting its own unique brand of magic into well-known fairy tales and stories. A key feature from … Continue reading Looking Back: ‘Beauty of the Beast’ (1991)

guitargalchinaLeave a comment
Looking back

Looking Back: The Dark Knight Rises

This was amongst one of the most highly-anticipated films of 2012.  It is following one of the most talked-about sequels in recent years and marks the end of an era for comic-book fans (in some ways). The Dark Knight Rises follows eight years after The Dark Knight and Gotham City has become a city of peace.  Having hung up the cape, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) has turned … Continue reading Looking Back: The Dark Knight Rises

guitargalchinaLeave a comment
Looking back

Art imitating life: Philip Seymour Hoffman as Lester Bangs in ‘Almost Famous’

When Philip Seymour Hoffman passed away in 2014 from combined drug intoxication, film fans remember his subtle genius in his performances.  Even though he has been celebrated for his later roles, the performance that resonates with me the most is his turn as the late rock journalist, Lester Bangs in Cameron Crowe’s semi-autobiographical film Almost Famous. But, with Bangs also being a victim of an overdose … Continue reading Art imitating life: Philip Seymour Hoffman as Lester Bangs in ‘Almost Famous’

guitargalchinaLeave a comment
Looking back

Looking Back – pre-Halloween Special: ‘Bram Stoker’s Dracula’ (1992)

There was a time where horror films were not all about torture porn, found-footage or demonic possessions – this was a time when the genre was less indulgent in killing people. Francis Ford Coppola is known for his epic productions, such as The Godfather (1972) and Apocalypse Now (1979), but after the intense criticism from The Godfather III (1990), his next project is to direct an adaptation of Bram Stoker’s classic … Continue reading Looking Back – pre-Halloween Special: ‘Bram Stoker’s Dracula’ (1992)

guitargalchinaLeave a comment
Looking back

Looking Back – Pre-Halloween Special: ‘The Woman in Black’ (1989)

My first memories of Susan Hill’s The Woman in Black were not from the long-running stage play nor the film starring Daniel Radcliffe. Instead, my first memories of the classic ghost story were through the TV spots for the UK adaptation that were so chilling, they caused many sleepless nights. First broadcast on Christmas Eve 1989, though rarely repeated since, The Woman in Black stars Adrian Rawlins as Arthur … Continue reading Looking Back – Pre-Halloween Special: ‘The Woman in Black’ (1989)

guitargalchinaLeave a comment
Looking back

Looking Back: ‘Kill Bill Vol.1’ – girl power, samurai-style

“Revenge is a dish best served cold.” A proverb whose origins date from a French-English translation from the the early 19th Century, which has appeared in all forms of popular culture, such as Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan or CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory.  However, it is its brief appearance in Quentin Tarantino’s fifth feature film that sets the tone for his endeavour to blend … Continue reading Looking Back: ‘Kill Bill Vol.1’ – girl power, samurai-style

guitargalchinaLeave a comment