Movie reviews of Evan Popplestone

Picnic is of some interest if you can get past the dated aspects and uncomfortable casting of William Holden.

An underrated entry in Fritz Lang’s filmography and comes highly recommended to film noir fans.

True Stories was a clear labour of love for David Byrne but ends up being more of an interesting mess than a bona fide gem.

I’m going to go out on a limb and admit that I actually slightly prefer Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte to What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?. While not quite as original as its predecessor, it pushes the delirious gothic exuberance that bit further.

Climax isn’t easy viewing but it is compelling. Well worth a look if you appreciate the extremist and confrontational end of the cinematic spectrum.

R.P.M. is no Stanley Kramer classic but makes for a fascinating curiosity and snapshot of a volatile era in American politics.

While there’s something of a message about American cultural arrogance and adventurism here, it becomes lost amid the vacuum created by the lack of a comprehensible story.

A worthy movie but doesn’t come close to matching the brilliance of Francis Ford Coppola’s finest works.

This average aerial rescue tale just about flies on account of its enjoyable performances and exciting climax.

A subliminally gripping gem.

Funny, nasty, incisive and tragic. However, it definitely a film which you will need to steel yourself up for.

Wider Italian genre cinema fans will enjoy its sense of style, even if they remain underwhelmed by its predictable mystery plot.

A well-meaning entry in the series which explores the theme of racial prejudice. Sadly, good intentions don’t always translate to good movies.

The third entry in the series is somewhat campier in tone when compared with its predecessors.

As to whether Once Upon a Time in China II is quite as awe-inspiring as its predecessor is open to debate. Nonetheless, it’s still a very worthy follow-up.

You’ll be so awestruck by everything else here that the shortcomings don’t really matter.

Yet another strange, compulsive Yorgos Lanthimos classic.

A bittersweet, poignant and amusing viewing experience which works largely thanks to Reilly and Coogan’s performances.

An intelligent and funny comedy despite its somewhat dated trappings. Well worth a look.

A stunning humanist tapestry which should be seen by any self-respecting film fan.

An unashamedly rather corny and predicable affair - albeit in the finest and most heartfelt manner possible.

Fairly lightweight, disposable fun for horror buffs.

Quite a different take on WWII to that offered by most films focussing on this period in history and is well worth watching largely for that reason.

Khartoum may have its flaws but it’s worth a watch if you enjoy old epic movies with thousands of extras in each shot.