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Phil Jeng Kane

Phil has written for magazines, corporate videos, online ads, and even an app. He writes with one eye on the future, one eye on the past and a third eye on the Lotto numbers. His social bits are here.  

8

Critic

West of Memphis Review

A new documentary exploring the story of the West Memphis Three, a reference to the three teens (Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley) who were convicted of murdering 8-year-old boys Stevie Branch, Michael Moore and Christopher Byers in West Memphis, Arkansas in 1993. This is the story behind the fight to bring the truth to light. What happened to the West Memphis Three is both fasci...

5

Critic

The Sweeney

Come with me to the 1970s, folks. Back to the hard justice of UK crime telly. Back to a time when The Professionals protected Britain from threats internal and external and when The Sweeney went after London’s toughest criminals.  Let us return to an era when Martin Shaw, Lewis Collins, John Thaw and Dennis Waterman played hard-bitten law enforcers who chased villains in their Ford Consuls, Granad...

6

Critic

Lincoln

In a nation divided by war and the strong winds of change, Lincoln pursues a course of action designed to end the Civil War, unite the country and abolish slavery. With the moral courage and fierce determination to succeed, his choices during this critical moment will change the fate of generations to come. LINCOLN is Steven Spielberg’s film about the final months of the 16th President of the Unit...

5

Critic

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters Review

Imagine Hansel and Gretel from Grimm’s fairytales, only they’re not children anymore but adults!  Adults with kickass weapons. No, wait, hot movie stars with kick-ass computer generated weaponry. Now picture them with streets smarts, attitude and (pretty average) one-liners. The apparent audience for this movie is television’s Supernatural. The setting is Europeanesque, the time is the Middle Ages...

6

Critic

Hitchcock

HITCHCOCK is a love story about one of the most influential filmmakers of the last century, Alfred Hitchcock and his wife and partner Alma Reville. The film takes place during the making of Hitchcock’s seminal movie PSYCHO. The nature of film direction is that it is essentially a practice, a craft or an art hidden from public view. For example, unless one is a film fan, knowing the identity of the...

6

Critic

Quartet

At a home for retired opera singers, the annual concert to celebrate Verdi’s birthday is disrupted by the arrival of Jean, an eternal diva and the former wife of one of the residents. This log line is from the International Movie Database and is 100% accurate. QUARTET is indeed about the disruption that ensues at a home for retired opera singers with the arrival of Jean the eternal diva and ...

7

Critic

Jack Reacher Review

A homicide investigator digs deeper into a case involving a trained military sniper who shot five random victims. The crime takes place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The perpetrator is easily found, but claims to be innocent. His only instruction to the police is “Get Jack Reacher” Reacher is a hard man to find. The police discover he is an ex Military Policeman and reportedly an excellent investig...

8

Critic

Samsara

Filmed over five years in twenty-five countries on five continents, SAMSARA transports us to the varied worlds of sacred grounds, disaster zones, industrial complexes, and natural wonders. Producer Mark Magidson and director Ron Fricke have carefully constructed a feature film of amazing images, wonderful sounds and beautiful music. It’s a non-narrative documentary that shows us the diverse range ...

7

Critic

Wreck-It Ralph Review

A video game villain wants to be a hero and sets out to fulfil his dream, but his quest brings havoc to the whole arcade where he lives. Wreck-It Ralph (John C.Reilly) is the bad guy in an old school 8-bit video arcade game called Fix-It Felix Junior. The premise of the game is straightforward; there is an apartment complex filled with “Nicelanders” who are terrorised whenever Ralph wrecks the bui...

6

Critic

God Bless America

On a mission to rid society of its most repellent citizens, terminally ill Frank makes an unlikely accomplice in 16-year-old Roxy. Frank (Joel Murray) is a middle-aged man who feels as if he is losing everything. He is a divorced father of one who lives alone next to noisy, inconsiderate neighbours.  He has trouble sleeping and fills in his lonely hours watching television. Everything he sees conv...

5

Critic

Liberal Arts

When 30-something Jesse returns to his alma mater for a professor’s retirement party, he falls for Zibby, a college student, and is faced with a powerful attraction that springs up between them. In Australia, we view higher education as important, but I don’t believe we see it as the life-changing experience that Americans do. Not too many Australian films spring to mind that deal with unive...

6

Critic

Skyfall Review

Bond’s loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost. Bond 23 a.k.a SKYFALL has been on Australian screens for just over a week. This review will contain mild spoilers in its main section, so you have been warned. It morphs into a fanboyish rant in the final section, which wil...