Here are our latest reviews of films on DVD.
Pre-2022 Film Reviews
As Time Goes By (1997)
Panagiotis Kotzathanasis @ Asian Movie Pulse
- Excerpt: “As Time Goes By” is an excellent documentary, particularly due to the great presentation of the personal and the historical axes. At the same time, I feel that a back-to-back viewing with “Keep Rolling”, which essentially presents the same topic 13 years later, is a must watch for all fans of Ann Hui.
Beetlejuice (1988)
Sebastian Zavala @ MeGustaElCine.com [Spanish]
- Excerpt: The film still works and is just as charming and engaging as it was when I watched it as a kid. Michael Keaton is iconic, and Ryder, Baldwin, Davis and O’Hara all excel in their roles (the less said about Jeffrey Jones the better).
Birbal Trilogy Case 1: Finding Vajramuni (2019)
Panagiotis Kotzathanasis @ Asian Movie Pulse
- Excerpt: “Birbal” is definitely entertaining and will satisfy most fans of crime movies, but in the end, it emerges as a mixed bag, since the plethora of elements here are not exactly combined in harmonic fashion, resulting in a movie which frequently appears without specific direction.
The Boys in Band (2020)
Rick Aragon @ Rick’s Texan Reviews
- Excerpt: The remake of The Boys in the Band attempts to outdo the original film from fifty years earlier. In some ways better than the 1970 adaptation, in some ways weaker, will The Boys in the Band stand on its own or pale next to its counterpart?
Darling (1965)
Rick Aragon @ Rick’s Texan Reviews
- Excerpt: Darling is a tale of searching for joy and not finding it even where the beautiful people, rich in gold, reside.
Deliverance (1919)
Rick Aragon @ Rick’s Texan Reviews
- Excerpt: Long before The Miracle Worker, however, Helen Keller herself appeared in her own story in Deliverance. This silent film gives us a glimpse into Keller’s story, albeit at times still bound by the style and customs of the times it was made.
Eighteen Springs (1997)
Panagiotis Kotzathanasis @ Asian Movie Pulse
- Excerpt: Although not particularly advertised, “Eighteen Springs” is actually among the best films Hui has directed, and an overall captivating story that is rather well presented cinematically.
Freud: The Secret Passion (1962)
Rick Aragon @ Rick’s Texan Reviews
- Excerpt: While a surprisingly punishing length for some viewers, Freud has some positives that make it worth sitting through.
Gantumoote (2019)
Panagiotis Kotzathanasis @ Asian Movie Pulse
- Excerpt: Despite some shortcomings in the presentation of the story, particularly having to do with lagging and repetition, “Gantumoote” emerges as an excellent film, equally original, entertaining and contextually rich, particularly when one considers this is just a debut.
Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana (2021)
Panagiotis Kotzathanasis @ Asian Movie Pulse
- Excerpt: That being said, and despite some significant issues, “Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana” is a well-shot and quite entertaining crime drama, which is bound to satisfy all fans of the category.
Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969)
Rick Aragon @ Rick’s Texan Reviews
- Excerpt: Goodbye, Mr. Chips is a delight from start to finish (and a film) that I hope is rediscovered and reevaluated.
Hear the Wind Sing (1981)
Panagiotis Kotzathanasis @ Asian Movie Pulse
- Excerpt: “Hear the Wind Sing”, just like the book, is nothing special. At the same time though, there is neither anything particularly negative about it, and at 98 minutes, it definitely deserves a watch, if only as an early experimentation on adapting Murakami novels of the big screen.
Last Summer (2021)
Bavner Donaldo @ Cinejour [Indonesian]
Lost Love (1978)
Panagiotis Kotzathanasis @ Asian Movie Pulse
- Excerpt: Although a bit on-the-nose on occasion, “Lost Love” is, nevertheless, an excellent film, working equally as a crime drama and a critique of the system, in yet another testament to the quality of the productions that came out of the ATG
Luginsky (2020)
Panagiotis Kotzathanasis @ Asian Movie Pulse
Memories of Hapiness (2017)
Panagiotis Kotzathanasis @ Asian Movie Pulse
- Excerpt: “Memories of Happiness” is a film that aims at offering joy and entertainment through a light approach to the family drama, and in that regard, it is easy to say, it succeeds to the fullest.
No More Easy Life (1979)
Panagiotis Kotzathanasis @ Asian Movie Pulse
- Excerpt: Among the most “European” titles of ATG, “No More Easy Life” leans intensely towards the arthouse, which Higashi handles quite well. The acting, especially by Kaori Momoi and the presentation of the ‘soft underbelly’ of the era are the biggest traits here, in another film of the company that definitely deserves a watch.
Princess Fragrance (1987)
Panagiotis Kotzathanasis @ Asian Movie Pulse
- Excerpt: Although some issues with the pace do exist in “Princess Fragrance “ the drama in the movie, and the retaining of the quality of the action, elevates it a bit above its predecessor, in a film, though, that in the end, works quite well as a whole, particularly for ones who have read the novel first.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
The Romance of Book and Sword (1987)
Panagiotis Kotzathanasis @ Asian Movie Pulse
- Excerpt: “The Romance of Book and Sword” suffers particularly for the way an extensive book was shrunk to fit in a feature format, with the issues with the story and characters and the narrative in general deeming it a mediocre effort, despite the prowess in action and the audiovisuals.
The Story of Tabara (1986)
Panagiotis Kotzathanasis @ Asian Movie Pulse
- Excerpt: Apart from this minor issue, however, “The Story of Tabara” is an excellent movie, still relevant today despite its age, and of those titles that could easily be described as timeless, both contextually and cinematically.
Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum (2017)
Panagiotis Kotzathanasis @ Asian Movie Pulse
- Excerpt: Dileesh Pothan has managed something truly impressive in “Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum”, coming up a film that manages to be both nonsensical and to make perfect sense, in a testament to his prowess as director, and in aspect that I feel can only be found in Indian cinema. With rather high production values and excellent acting, the movie is definitely one to watch.
