Film Reviews

In the year 180, the death of emperor Marcus Aurelius throws the Roman Empire into chaos. Maximus is one of the Roman army's most capable and trusted generals and a key advisor to the emperor. As Marcus' devious son Commodus ascends to the throne, Maximus is set to be executed. He escapes, but is captured by slave traders. Renamed Spaniard and forced to become a gladiator, Maximus must battle to the death with other men for the amusement of paying audiences. His battle skills serve him well, and he becomes one of the most famous and admired men to fight in the Colosseum. Determined to avenge himself against the man who took away his freedom and laid waste to his family, Maximus believes that he can use his fame and skill in the ring to avenge the loss of his family and former glory. As the gladiator begins to challenge his rule, Commodus decides to put his own fighting mettle to the test by squaring off with Maximus in a battle to the death.

A recently outed soap opera actor crosses paths with a recently divorced gay marriage activist, forcing them to confront the price of fame and the fickle nature of celebrity within the gay community.

A second generation cameraman in Australia finds evidence that his father had filmed a nuclear test that allowed aboriginies to be exposed to and killed by radiation. He begins a search for a secret that if true, his government has already killed people to keep quiet.

When a village is besieged by giant caterpillars, a more horrifying discovery is made in their underground home...a giant flying creature that resembles the prehistoric pterodactyl. Soon after, a second Rodan appears and the two monsters begin to destroy Japan.

Nikola is a man who knows how to really enjoy life; he's even able to rouse sympathy for his sinful ways. His brother turns a blind eye to his philandering although, with a broken marriage behind him, he doesn't have a clear conscience, either. Is there anything positive to be said about infidelity, or does it simply deserve the utmost contempt, particularly when it's more premeditated than spontaneous?

Based on the humorously edgy play by Vivienne Laxdal, These Girls is the story of three teenage girls who, in turn, seduce and then attempt to share Keith, an older married man. It is a tale of innocence, jealousy and friendship told as a provocative coming-of-age story.

Sven is a twelve year old pocket-picker and works for Jens, boss of his gang in school. Teacher Vera Loewe becomes one of his victims. When she realizes that he's one of the pupils in her new class, she confronts him and wants to help, even against his will.

A criminal who runs a brothel becomes obsessed with a beautiful college student. When she rejects him he sets her up by introducing her to a loan shark and when she can't pay, she is forced into working in the brothel. But when she gets the chance to escape she realizes she cannot return to her former life.

With three days before his paper folds, a crusading editor tries to expose a vicious gangster.

A young law student, grieving for his dying mother, struggles to decide whether he should kill his unfaithful step-father.

A fairy tale and satire about a wealthy industrialist, whose son has been subdued and oppressed and totally uninterested in his father's business.

A tragic motorcycle accident leaves one brother paralyzed while the other brother is left guilt-ridden. Seeing his brother struggle with his new life of limited mobility and function, the young man finds his own life weighed down by his thoughts and feelings about the accident. Motivated by his emotions and the suffering of his brother, the young man performs an "act of love" which creates more chaos for him.

A dark comedy about brothers running a drug-dealing business out of their takeout pizzeria.

In 1918, an English family are terrorized by a vampire, until they learn how to deal with it. They think their troubles are over, but German bombs in WWII free the monster. He reclaims the soul of his wolfman ex-servant, and assuming the identity of a scientist who has just escaped from a concentration camp, he starts out on a plan to get revenge upon the family.

A fairy takes on human form and enters the life of a widowed children's book author and his daughter.