Theatre of Death (1967)

Sailor Moon Crystal wisely makes the decision to adapt Season 4's Dream Arc into an epic anime movie where the Sailor Guardians shine brightest.

As a musical fan, I enjoyed the film and encourage anyone who likes dark humour and a bit of blood to give it a watch.

“And I think to myself….what a wonderful world”. Louis Armstrong sang about this notion via his classic 1967 song, an ode to witnessing elements of our life that should be but some reminders of exactly what that concluding line of each verse indicates. Now we see our contemporary realities and, just being honest, it makes a sentiment like this seem SO overtly far away….perhaps even impossible….to accept or believe could be. It sounds harsh, but again, so much of what is occurring speaks not to beauty, but bedlam.

With The Father, writer-director Florian Zeller- who wrote and developed the play upon which the film is based- pulls no punches as he confidently makes every effort to put the audience in the mind of someone whose grip on reality has all but vanished. It’s a dazzling testament to Zeller’s abilities as a director as he makes his first transition from stage to film appear as if he’s been working behind a camera his entire career. The dialogue he fashions with co-writer Christopher Hampton, along with the work of production designers Peter Francis and Cathy Featherstone, collectively makes the downward spiral of dementia startlingly tangible, doing so in a way that can be comprehended by everyone except the person it directly affects.

He’s a nine-time Oscar host and a revered comedy legend. He’s an up-and-coming comedy star who was a voice in the biggest animated movie of all time. So what happens when these two are forced to work together?

Religion, race and generations collide in this romantic comedy starring Jonah Hill