Tag Archives: movies

Now Showing – 2 July, 2026

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You’ve woken to find a rare day to yourself and though ‘I’m going to go to the movies. I wonder what’s on?’ Wonder no more, for here is what you’ll find on Aussie screens this week!

Animal Farm – Many will have fond (?) memories of watching the 1954 animated adaptation of the George Orwell novella in English class – which was pretty faithful so it was not necessary to read the book. This animated feature, directed by Andy Serkis (yes, that’s Gollum), should probably come with the credit “Inspired by” moreso than “based on” with some significant liberties taken and original characters inserted into the Russian-Cummunist allegory. The cast includes Seth Rogen, Glenn Close, Woody Harrelson, Kieran Culkin, Steve Buscemi and Kathleen Turner. Expect the humor to be more pronounced, far less dog mauling and an attempt at a happy ending.

100 Nights of Hero – This fairy tales for grown-ups was actually released overseas last year, but you can find it playing some of the arthouse/independent cinemas. Adapted from Isabel Greenbergs book (which is her retelling of One Thousand and One Nights) by director Julia Jackman, the plot follows Cherry (Maika Monroe of Longlegs), a young wife who has been abandoned for 100 nights by her odious husband (Nicolas Galtzine) as a test of her faithfulness. Her maid, Hero (Emma Corrin) offer comfort though the stories she tells, and the women form a transformative bond. A rumination on gender politics, this won’t appeal to everyone, but it looks gorgeous.

Heel – Another delayed release, this UK film from Polish director Jan Komasa (Warsaw 44) is a black-as-they-come comedy, about a couple who abduct and imprison a teenage delinquent in the hopes of rehabilitating him. Stephen Graham (Adolescence) and Andrea Riseborough (Mandy) bring real life and vibrancy to the screen as the unhinged couple, while Anson Boon (1917) is a hoot as the antisocial Tommy. If the film’s working, you’ll be chuckling while you’re feeling offended.

The Birthday Trip – In a similar vein, three young couples book a weekend farm stay only to wind up at each others throats in this offering from Australian filmmaker James Robert Woods. His first feature, this satire on social class is all about simmering tensions bursting out in uncomfortable hilarity as the planned birthday celebration falls apart. A lot rides on the chemistry and performances of the cast, some of whom may be familiar faces from Australian TV. Keep your eyes open as this film does the rounds in the coming year.

The Bride!

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Written and directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, starring Jessie Buckley, Christian Bale, Annette Benning, Penélope Cruz, Peter Sarsgaard

A recurring complaint in criticism is the lack of originality in cinemas. Whatever one’s overall feeling about Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride!, the uniqueness of the film is not in question.

Sold in the marketing as both adaptation of the 1818 novel Frankenstein (indeed, Gyllenhaal shares her screenwriting credit with author Mary Shelly) and remake of 1935’s Bride of Frankenstein (oft lauded as the greatest of all the “Universal Monster Movies”), in truth the film is neither. It is very much its own, unique, wild, almost indefinable monster. ‘Inspired by’ may be a more apt, if less marketable description of this: a historic, gothic-horror, crime, romance, road-trip, feminist, black dramedy musical.

Jessie Buckley stars as the title character – a woman brought back from the dead in 1936 at the behest of Christian Bale’s “Frank”, the original Frankenstein monster now pining for a companion who is like himself. This woman is also possessed (periodically) by the spirit of Mary Shelly herself, who narrates aspects of the film, and can influence others in her vicinity when the needs arises. Returned without memories of her own, this Bride sets out with Frank to build a life but must repeatedly contend with misogyny and abuse at the hands of men. As her (and Shelly’s) anger grows the couple hit the road on a Bonnie-and-Clyde type crime spree. Any effort to recap or summarise the story will, frankly, make it seem incomprehensible, and ultimately the film is less concerned with narrative than with atmosphere, attitude and vibe.

The Bride! is a melting pot of inspirations and ideas in which the connective tissue to the original sources can be found, but ultimately do not infuse the Big Ideas of the film, apart from the obvious “mad scientist brings corpse back to life through psuedo-science alchemy”. Gyllenhaal very clearly comments on the cultural landscape regarding abuse of women, and has found in Shelly’s work a launching pad for something of a cinematic primal scream. While these ideas and the attitude of the film along with some pretty great production design (the title character looks perfect in her ‘imperfections’) are all definitely interesting, they never really coalesce into a clear narrative. Put more simply, the movie certainly feels as though Gyllenhaal wants to “say something”, but any message gets lost in the chaos.

That chaos can be a great deal of fun. Buckley unhinges herself in the best possible way and is a magnetic presence on screen. Bale may once again be the MVP, committing completely and utterly to the pitiful and simultaneously monstrous…well, Monster, while continually directing his and the audiences attention to the object of his affections, The Bride. There is a gleeful sense of freedom in following the couple on their escalating crime spree which revels in crime-genre staples (the couple indulges in champagne, caviar and fur-coats) and when the musical numbers hit, once getting past the initial question “where did this come from?” they are energetic and fun.
With the exception of Benning’s absurdly/incredibly named Dr. Cornelia Euphronious who is a delight in her mad scientist role, and Jeannie Berlin as her live-in maid who has an amusingly cantakerous relationship with her employer (and perhaps partner?), none of the other characters are given room in the film to develop. While much time is given to soaking in the central pair’s “life to the full” montage, story beats that are supposed to be driving the narrative go unexplored and underexplained, leaving a sense that the film is just leaping from scene to scene. The conceit of Shelly as a possessing spirit/force and narrator/manipulator might have been intended to account for the “random” moments, but itself is poorly defined and creates confusion as to exactly who and what is driving the story and making decisions.

If this hits with an cult crowd in the years to come, more power to it. The appeal of a given film can be any number of factors, like aesthetics, music and even collections of moments that might not gel as a whole, but each make their own cumulative impact. The Bride! owes more to arthouse sensibilities than anything else, and while it might not be an enduring classic, it is insane and wonderful that a film like this came to screens in the year 2026.


On a personal note…

As I departed the cinema that night, the attendant asked me “How was it?”

After a beat to think, my answer was “…It’s my kind of weird.”

The Cinéquarium – 24 June 2026

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If you’ve woken up and your screen fell on the ground and randomly opened to this page and you’ve got some space in the day and were thinking ‘Maybe I could catch a movie’…this is what’s new this week (in Australia at least).

Supergirl – James Gunn’s Superman (2025) was a surprisingly solid hit last year, so there’s a bit riding on this – the first real follow up in the “DC Universe” franchise – from Dumb Money (2023) director Craig Gillespie. Kara Zor-El (or Supergirl, played by Milly Alcock of House of the Dragon) heads out for an intergalactic birthday bender with the scene-stealing secret weapon of the previous film: Krypto the superdog. The super-powered party-gal ends up facing off against assorted alien jerks that get on her nerves, including a rebranded Jason Momoa as perhaps DC Comics most ridiculous superhero-adjacent character, Lobo (which is not at all pejorative and is honestly perfect casting). With a screenplay by Ana Nogueira (her first major film project) and overseen by Gunn as the creative head of the franchise, expect this one to be a fairly good time for the university aged crowd.

Minions & Monsters – Hitting just before the school holidays is the next installment in the Despicable Me franchise, focusing on the titular jaundiced, gibbering, goggle-adorned, helpfully inept and ever-loyal cash-machines. Set in 1920’s Hollywood the Minions find themselves making a monster movie, only to unleash an all too real terror into the world. With voice talent including Zoey Deutch, Bobby Moynihan, Cristoph Waltz, Allison Janney, Jesse Eisenberg, Jeff Bridges, Phil LaMarr, Trey Parker in a rare non South Park role and apparently George Lucas (…!), regular series director Pierre Coffin (also the voice of the Minions) and Patrick Delage are on hand to bring this one to the box office. The kids are guaran-damn-teed to find it hilarious.

Jackass: Best and Last – It’s astonishing how endearing a group of friends that became rich and famous by repeatedly attacking one another’s testicles have become. The progenitor of pretty much all prank shows whether live, televised or streamed, Jackass was a generational touchstone when it first came to screens, then dumbfounded critics when their cinematic efforts proved to be not only profitable with juvenile audiences, but actually possessed of artistic merit (exemplified in Jackass: Forever). The boys are promising that this will be the last time they will do exceptionally stupid and dangerous stunts for entertainment, and director Jeff Tremaine has undoubtedly covered the entire ordeal in excruciating detail, but expect a touch of melancholy and rumination on the realities of growing old, and the loss of the ability to withstand a cattle prod to the rectum.

Dear You – For those of the indie/arthouse/international film crowd, this Chinese family drama comes from filmmaker Hongchun Lan (who co-wrote the screenplay) and features a cast of largely first time performers. Something of a culturally significant project, the dialogue is entirely in a regional dialect, Teochew (rather than more globally accessible Mandarin or Cantonese), as the unfolding narrative ponders how ex-patriots remain connected to the places that they may have fled. Facing financial ruin, a young man sets out to find his grandfather, who had for some time sent letters with support money for the family (Qiaopi) after fleeing to Thailand to escape military conscription. Unburdened by famous faces, these are the kind of films that can be deeply transportive experiences.

Fighting the End of the World

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We’ve reached the end of the first week in which Esoteric Fish have attempted to lighten your mood a little. It was a little rough – we’ve lost some wonderful creators in these past weeks, along with the devastation caused by our collective microbial adversary.

But as we sign off for the weekend, we leave you all with our best wishes, our prayers for health and safety, and above all, a strategy that could save us all.

At least…maybe it could have saved this franchise.

Max Von Sydow – Five Farewells: Flash Gordon

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So I’ve referenced the fact that, to me at least, Max Von Sydow was an actor who was for the longest time one of those faces that very recognisable, but just never registered in the way that Harrison Ford or Tom Cruise or Sam Jones did. Whether or not this is shared by anyone else, I long had the impression that Uncle Max was no simply a “face”, but he had always been and “old face”. I recognised him as an old man (or at least older) in the films that I remembered him from – and this is a point we’ll come back to in a later post.

The truth is, however, that he was not perpetually “70 or so” – he was once a young, strong man with a young, strong face, and the first time I realized this was when I finally saw

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Oh Son…that is the cover from a “Choose Your Own Adventure” book.

Flash Gordon

Year: 1980
Director: Mike Hodges
Writers: Lorenzo Semple, Jr. & Michael Allin
Starring: Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Ornella Muti, Timothy Dalton, Mariangela Melato, Brian Blessed, Peter Wyngarde, Topol and…Max Von Sydow.
Based on characters created by Alex Raymond.

If you are unfamiliar with the 1980 film that defines “campy schlock”, you are most certainly familiar with it’s magnificent theme song by the legendary band Queen. It’s the one that goes *bu bu bu bu bu bom bom bom bom Bom Bom BOm BOm BOM BOM BOM* FLASH…AA-AAAAAAA, Saviour of the Un-I-Verse!”

I lack the necessary words to convey just how important it is that you go out and watch this movie immediately. Whatever the stories behind the making of this beautiful mess, watching it has felt a little like watching a massive prank being pulled on one man by his college-mates, plus a few professors. So many British thespians (plus Topol!) appear in this flick, and every one of them has stepped straight out of the River of Ham, and are having a marvelous time. The only guy “playing it straight” is the films lead, Sam J. Jones as Flash Gordon. The result is hilariously entertaining, as the titular hero rockets to the planet Mongo to prevent galactic tyrant Ming the Merciless (Sydow) from destroying the earth.

Sydow effortlessly dominates this movie, establishing as magnetic presence that fixes the audience to the screen every time he shows up. I mentioned that in his great career, Sydow showed up in a fair bit of sci-fi or horror schlock, but in most roles he’s playing with sense of serious grace, raising the standard of the film he’s in. Flash Gordon is that rare occasion when he gets in on the over-the-top glory with his performance.

Flash Gordon has more than earned its place in the cult classic vault, and Max Von Sydow is a big part of that.

Oh go on then…I’ll leave you with the song.

Stuart Gordon, Gone Beyond – 24th March, 2020

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We bid a very fond farewell this week to Stuart Gordon – visionary director; subversive social commentator; cheeky bugger. In what is proving to be a crushing week for my creative spirit, Gordon has passed away at the age of 72. While he was not a household name the likes of Spielberg or Kubrick, to fans of genre cinema – most especially horror – he stands out among his peers as being one of the most unique filmmakers of the 80’s and 90’s. Whatever else one might say about him, his voice was truly his own.

There’s something of a rite of passage for movie guys of a certain generation – it comes about when one progresses from the point of being fascinated by the VHS covers in the genre sections of their local video store (ask your parents kids), to finally watching the movies themselves. When I was a kid our family would make weekly trips to the bargain video barn, and while my brother and sister searched and made their choices, I would slip away to the horror section, and gaze upon the terrifying, but engrossing, cover art. I would never dream of actually watching one, mind – I was way too intimidated. I was fascinated at their existence though. Many of those cover images are indelibly burned into my mind,  but none moreso than-

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Stuart Gordon’s Re-Animator, based on a short story by H.P. Lovecraft, is an entry point for many into the magnificent fusion of horror and comedy. It is Gordon’s first and most widely known film, but is really indicative of his output as a whole. It is a film that combines genuine heart, biting satire, laugh-out-loud humour and gross-out horror sequences. It is bizarre, upsetting, tense, ridiculous, funny, awful, disgusting and at points in phenomenally bad taste…and I love every second of it.

While best known as a horror director, Gordon actually had a diverse output on screen and on stage, directing plays which may have been his greater passion. Gordon is responsible for bonkers sci-fi schlock Robot Jox, but also for a staple of my childhood, Honey I Shrunk The Kids.

Gordon scared me hysterical, and I loved him for it. Vale Stuart, I doubt we’ll see another like you.

We encourage you to read more of Stuart Gordon, who was a bizarre inspiration, but a great one.

Still the Greatest Man on the Internet

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It has occurred to me today that some of you may have some difficulty in remembering how to smile. I hereby turn you over to our Master and Sage.

Happy Thursday.

Max Von Sydow – Five Farewells: Citizen X

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For the longest time, Max Von Sydow was one of those perennial “faces” in film. You know, the ones who show up and make you go “Hey! That’s the guy from…” I’m speaking of my personal experience of course. As such, he was never someone that I was particularly looking for when I picked out movies at the video store, or took recommendations from one of my High School French teachers. For the life of me I can’t remember how we got into something of a contest – recommending movies to each other that had not seen theatrical release in Australia. The goal was to go obscure, but still give a hook to convince one another that the movie was actually worth watching. Continue reading →

It’s time to play some music…

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If you have stumbled across this today, seeking some sense of relief from anxiety or fear regarding the world at this moment in time,

then please, even for just a moment, allow me to share that which never fails to make me smile.

Ladies and Gentlemen…Fozzie and Rowlf.

Hope that brightened your day…even just a little.

Be blessed.

Max Von Sydow – Five Farewells: Judge Dredd

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The world has said a fond farewell this week to one of the acting professions true legends – the inimitable Max Von Sydow. At 91 years old, Sydows list of film credits is epic and impressive, having worked with no small number of master film craftsmen.

He also appeared in his fair share of schlock.

There was nothing pretentious about Max. Like his fellows who have achieve the rank of Legend (Michael Caine, Anthony Hopkins and Christopher Plummer to name a few) he was happy to lend his own brand of gravitas to ridiculously budgeted sci-fi or horror B-movies in Tentpole makeup. He was never overshadowed by these appearances, instead somehow elevating the movies to something that would not be so easily disposable. His legacy embraces the most critically acclaimed Biblical Epic ever made, what was once considered the most terrifying film of all time, and one of the hands down greatest films of all time.

I came to know him, however, because he was not too proud to appear in schlock, such as…

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Judge Dredd

Year: 1995
Director: Danny Cannon
Writers: John Wagner, Carlos Ezquerra, Michael De Luca, William Wisher, Steven E. de Souza
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Armand Assante, Diane Lane, Jurgen Prochnow, Rob Schneider who never once speaks to…Max Von Sydow
Judge Dredd created by John Wagner, Carlos Ezquerra and Pat Mills.

1995 was a strange era. Established properties were considered gold by studios, and there were no greater hopes for a global smash hit than those hung upon comics. Comic book properties were hot commodities, thanks to the insanely profitable Batman from 1989. These were far from the days of the meticulously crafted MCU – where the Character is King (except, perhaps, for Robert Downey Jr.) – but a time when the consideration was how a well known funny book character could benefit a movie star looking to up their profile.
Judge Dredd; the most recognised character from Britain’s longest running anthology comic series, 2000 A.D.
Sylvester Stallone; at one time in the running for the Biggest Movie Star In The World, or
at least Biggest Action Star.

2000 A.D. wasn’t particularly well known beyond comic book circles, and Stallone – while still undeniably huge – had not seen stellar returns from his early 90’s efforts. He wanted a hit, and a simple, action-packed story with an iconic look for a character was a good
bet. This was not a film done on the cheap either. Sets were lavish and well designed, special effects were well-polished for the era, and someone convinced Gianni Versace to do costumes. Comedy duties would be handled by Saturday Night Live alumn Rob Schneider – part of the same lineup as Adam Sandler and Mike Myers, who had become insanely popular. With a true international cast and crew to raise the global profile, by number alone, this must have seemed a great idea.

So, we’re all clear that the movie’s trash, right?

I have never been a fan of the “Guilty Pleasure” concept. My motto for film has always been “like what you like”, and no one should ever be able to tell you what you can feel about a movie. None of that is a reflection on any concept of objective quality, so I want to be perfectly clear: Judge Dredd is not a good movie…but I enjoy it a whole lot. Part of it is just the basic cognitive enjoyment that comes from seeing something I already enjoy in one medium become visible in another. The film looks like it came out of the comic, I don’t think anyone could argue that point. Additionally, it’s just fun when to watch actors having fun on screen…and Armand Assante looks like he’s having the time of his life. Seriously, that man is the Manifest River of Ham.

And then there’s Chief Justice Fargo – Max Von Sydow.

There’s a particular type of role I’ve begun to notice, whereby an elder-statesman actor is brought in for one unenviable purpose. Exposition.
Like Patrick Stewart in X-Men and Anthony Hopkins in Thor, Max secures his place among the greats because of his capacity to explain the most ridiculous parts of the story, or the world around him, and be completely believable. The character of Fargo is tasked with providing the audience with context for the film’s environments, motivations for various characters, and back story that factors into the film very little…but it’s totally engaging storytelling because it’s Max Von Sydow. There was something about the man that conveyed a sense of experience and authority. I  buy into these worlds, these characters and this ridiculous series of events largely because he tells me to.

This is a quality that is seen in a fair few of his film and television appearances, even the brief ones such as Star Wars and Game of Thrones. He reminded me so much of a grandfather involved with whatever games the kids are playing. He’s taking it every bit as seriously as they do, and that makes the immersion all the more complete. It’s like his presence gives permission for everyone else to go all in.

It’s also important to note that every single emotional beat of the film involves his character. Every one. Understanding the horror that Judge Dredd himself has been proven guilty of a crime is sold by the expression on Fargo’s face. The drama of Dredd’s sentence is only effective because it is intercut with Fargo’s exile. We are drawn into the tale of Dredd’s birth because Fargo is telling the story, and it may be the last thing we hear from him. In contrast a later scene in which Dredd shows vulnerability to love-interest Judge Hershey is simply not believable, even though it is played as an emotional moment for both characters.

Put simply, Max Von Sydow is the only reason I care about what’s happening in Judge Dredd. That is perhaps the more lasting impact he has had on me as a fan of movies, and I suspect others would have a similar experience. It’s part of the reason why I am finding that his particular passing moves me so much. He was the reason I cared in quite a few movies. It’s like he was a bridge for people to connect with stories, and I think that may be the best legacy he could leave behind.
It’s the reason why a brief testimonial, or even a list of favourite appearances didn’t seem enough of a farewell. That’s why I introduce this new feature “Five Of…”, to celebrate Max Von Sydow through five of his feature roles that had an impact on me.

Vale Max.