An enlightening glimpse of this little-understood land and its people.
Written by Caballero OscuroKilometre Zero bears distinction as the first Iraqi film to be chosen to compete for the prestigious Palme d’Or at Cannes. Although it didn’t win during its appearance in 2005, its new arrival on DVD brings US viewers an enlightening glimpse of this little-understood land and its people. The film is set in…

In late 18th century England, for a woman to be a writer was unusual. For a woman to try to earn a living at it?was unheard of.
During one of the more tumultuous times in world history, English novelist Jane Austen lived in the relative calm of Hampshire County. While a fledgling America was coming out of the shadow of King George III, and the French Revolution was going strong; young Miss Austen was making her way against oppression of a different sort. For a woman to be a…

Son of Frankenstein is the bridge between Universal’s more artistic 1930s classic horror and its slickly packaged monster spook shows of the 1940s.
Of English Accents, Lightning Storms, and Monsters"In the minds of many horror aficionados, [Lionel] Atwill's greatest performance came in a supporting part–as the unforgettable, wooden-armed Inspector Krogh in Son of Frankenstein. Constructed with equal parts bottled rage and gallows humor, Krogh ranks as the most completely assembled…

The newest entry into the Highlander franchise falls flat.
Some franchises never seem to go away. They may ebb and flow, but they do not disappear. Some franchises appear to be immortal.Such has been the case with Highlander, a franchise that started with a film in 1986, has had three other theatrical releases, no fewer than three television series, animated features, novels, comic books, and last fall a…

A lost Godzilla classic finally gets a proper release in the US.
A last gasp for the original Showa Godzilla series, the majority of the original team reunites for this final attempt to salvage a franchise that immeasurably went downhill. While Terror of Mechagodzilla still carries some of the carelessness Godzilla films had become known for, with only a month to complete the entire thing, director Ishiro Honda…

Love means never having to ask, “Who brought the danish?”
The eighth week of The Biggest Loser proved that families and friends can kill you with love.After 58 days at “The Ranch” each contestant was granted one week “vacation” at their home. This challenge was frightening for all of them because, as Bernie described it, this is where they gave him all that extra…

Great-looking Thai horror film is creepy but confusing.
I've seen some questionable "police" procedures in the movies, but nothing quite like what the authorities in the Thai horror film The Victim do with high-profile murder suspects. They hire actresses to play the unfortunate murder victims, bring the suspects to the scene of the alleged crimes, and get them to act out what happened in…

Posters, trailers, and stills, oh my!
Okay, last week was a bit of a monster spawned by my promise of a larger edition to make up for the one I missed. I wish I could do that every week, but unfortunately, reality has a way of butting in. Still, this week brings some nice new goodies for you to enjoy.Anyway, welcome back to the Movie Media column, featuring trailers, posters, and clips…

… the film raises some intelligent questions about the nature of violence, sexuality, and horror.
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, it’s David Cronenberg’s Rabid! This 1977 horror film was made in Montreal, Quebec, and had the support of the Canadian Film Development Corporation. Packed with Freudian imagery and a healthy dose of gore, Rabid is an intriguing film. Cronenberg is one of my favourite directors and I find his work…

Beware the meat pies and heed the razors, lyrical slaughter is afoot!
Sweeney Todd as filmed by Tim Burton plays like the demented flip side to Moulin Rouge, sharing the stylised sets, the flashy zooms, the bigger-than-life acting, and the overwhelming melodrama. This is not a bad thing. The story: A barber takes revenge on the judge who sabotaged his marriage, locked him up, and took his daughter. He hooks up with a…