7 May 2021. By Neptune I tell you, the films are coming at us like a backlog avalanche! Such a pleasure to be seated in the dark again in a real movie theater, in front of a BIG screen. And our art house cinemas – the Scalas, the Nord-Sud, the Bio, the Cinelux – have […]
FILM: THE DISSIDENT **** – shakes to the core
30 April 2021. By Neptune THE DISSIDENT **** Once in awhile a film comes along that shakes one to the core. This documentary about the highly publicized 2018 murder of the Washington Post journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, is such a one. It is both a tribute to a courageous man and a window into the outrageous […]
FILM: Cinemas open – here’s what’s showing
23 April 2021. By Neptune Oh, there is suddenly so much going on! Cinemas have opened, theatres and museums are open, some cafe terraces are opening, and it feels like a mini-revolution of liberty. People have been yearning for social contact and culture, and they are coming out in droves. And the weather has been […]
FILM – YALOM’S CURE – existential therapy presented by Swiss filmmaker
16 April 2021. By Neptune YALOM’S CURE **** An hour and 17 minutes of this documentary will leave you feeling as though you’ve been cleansed, rehabilitated and instructed by a healing guru. For free – or just the price of the movie ticket! The Swiss filmmaker Sabine Gisiger went over to California to interview Irvin […]
FILM: MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM ***1/2
9 April 2021. By Neptune In my exasperation last week, I had written, “I give up now.” I may have been exaggerating, though a kind reader took it seriously and wrote me not to give up nor lose courage and continue on into the Covid haze, finding new outlets for films and such… I shall […]
FILM: 4 picks from Netflix + 1 from RTS
2 April 2021. By Neptune Sorry, but we are still without any cinemas opening up. It is getting tiresome searching for those precious classics of yore to watch at home and picking the best films of various countries such as Russia, France, China or England, as I have been offering you during these lean months […]
FILM: 4 picks from Netflix
26 March 2021. By Neptune Sorry, but we are still without any cinemas opening up. It is getting tiresome searching for those precious classics of yore to watch at home and picking the best films of various countries such as Russia, France, China or England, as I have been offering you during these lean months […]
Swiss cinema numbers plummet during pandemic
The Covid-19 pandemic has been tough on many businesses. However, few sectors have suffered as severely as film and cinema. In 2020, Swiss cinemas saw screenings drop by a whopping 49% compared to 2019, according to the Federal Statistical Office. The number of admissions (-65%) and ticket revenue (-65%) were down by nearly two thirds. […]
FILM: ADIEU LES CONS
19 March 2021. By Neptune It’s a possibility that cinemas may be opening up from March 22nd. If so, this outstanding film, which I already reviewed back in autumn 2020, has in the meantime won most of the French Césars, and will be released after months of waiting in the Covid wards. A good film […]
FILM: WOODY ALLEN – the sequel
5 March 2021. By Neptune Last week I stood up for Woody Allen, one of cinema’s greatest creators, against a one-sided (4-part!!) documentary in the ongoing smear campaign against him. I still stand by him, no matter how they try to bury the man and his body of work. I won’t repeat all my reasons […]
