Sincere apologies to anyone who may be first hearing about this now ðŸ˜
I wrote about the enduring appeal of stop-motion animation in the booklet, with some contributions from Melbourne stop-motion extraordinaire Isabel Peppard (make sure you check out her handiwork if you’re not already familiar with her).
And if you’re new to THE PRIMEVALS, here’s the pitch:
A film 45 years in the making from the late David Allen, no monster or special-effects fan will want to miss THE PRIMEVALS. THE PRIMEVALS is a glorious tribute to classic animation, with a true sense of adventure that reminds the audience why movies are magical.
Unfinished and left on the cutting-room floor for three decades, the epic sci-fi adventure THE PRIMEVALS, from the infamous Full Moon Features, has been resurrected for the screen with TWO cuts of the film and a FULL feature-length documentary!
My viewing of new cinema was somewhat stymied by the events of 2020 so, in creating this list, I’ve gone with a heavenly Top 7 of all-killer-no-filler. Here they are in alphabetical order:
THE ASSISTANT (dir. Kitty Green) Utterly transfixing in its depiction of the mundanity of junior office positions, THE ASSISTANT is also terrifying real in its representation of systematic workplace abuse and neglect – subtle, insidious and that little bit too close to what many women have experienced ‘in real life’ (me included).
DISCLOSURE (documentary, dir. Sam Feder) In fleshing out Hollywood’s representation of transgender people, this documentary is notable for its no-frills approach of talking heads combined with clip & tell. But this approach only serves to accentuate the brilliance of its interviewees. No platitudes here – insights of the highest calibre.
HOST (dir. Rob Savage) I had to be prodded to see this one, and there’s no one more surprised than myself that one of the better horror movies of the year could be about the COVID pandemic. At a tight 57 minutes, HOST serves as an example of why horror is such an important, relevant genre. Now, no more pandemic films, please.
THE LIGHTHOUSE (dir. Robert Eggers) Simultaneously hilarious and a fever dream of the grimiest forms, Robert Eggers proves he’s one of the gnarliest wordsmiths currently in the film biz. Claustrophobic, sweaty, insane. THE LIGHTHOUSE also ticked off another item on my cinematic bucket list: to see Willem Dafoe as a grizzled seaman.
MORGANA (documentary, dirs. Josie Hess & Isabel Peppard) Remarkably intimate and delicately revealing documentary about a middle-aged, Australian woman who overcomes her stultifying suburban existence by creating pornography. A film that has you grabbing at your heart in unexpected ways.
POSSESSOR (dir. Brandon Cronenberg) If there was any wonder whether Brandon Cronenberg was his father’s son, this film definitively demonstrates that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Yet, Brandon has come up with his own stamp of ‘Cronenburgundian’ mindfuckery. For that, he must be applauded.
THE STYLIST (dir. Jill Gevargizian) This film is everything I wanted from Peter Strickland’s IN FABRIC but, sadly, was not served. A horror film steeped in style, as its name would suggest, and one that holds its form from first through to third act. It makes me excited to see what Jill Gevargizian will do next.
Emma Westwood 