Visible Secret

dir. Ann Hui

SYNOPSIS: Spirits lurk everywhere in Ann Hui’s horror-comedy, Visible Secret. Instantly infatuated by enigmatic amnesiac June who has the ability to see spirits, Peter is swept into a world where he has one foot in the past, one in the present, and somehow has to figure out which is which. Beautifully shot by legendary cinematographer Arthur Wong, Visible Secret is a slick and sexy horror-comedy that reflects the region’s contemporary millennium-era moment in its vivid depiction of young people stranded in history, trying to get a handle on both the world around them and each other as they navigate life, love, identity and family. (Courtesy: Radiance Films)

1. Does the film have sex in it? Is it seen or implied? All the sex in this film is implied. There are times where June and Peter are in bed together, but how far their relationship extends sexually is not something that film is interested in any way. The conceit here - that June seems to be living two lives in the same timeline as Peter - is much more interesting than whatever these two could be doing in the sheets. For clarities sake, June is trying to center her life by understanding her past - a past that she’s forgotten.

2. Is it a ghost, a spirit, or some other undead being? June is a ghost, but she’s not the only ghost in the film. There’s a headless ghost that is looking for a head in vengeance. Every entity in the film is a ghost of some nature.

3. Is the entity good or bad? Both. Some of the ghosts possess and hurt people. Some of the ghosts are trying to help set things right. There’s an incredible scene in the film with Peter and June where they deal with a Mother and Child. The mother is possessed, and the child is dead - the child was killed by the possessed mother. And instead of the child asking for vengeance or reciprocating the pain, all the child wants is for his mother to be safe and released from her torment. In the scene, we watch Peter and June struggle with the supernatural being before finally subduing it. The ghost of the child thanks them. This incredible poignant scene explores the layers in trauma and desire. The Child maybe dead, but he still wants his mother to be safe. It’s beautiful and bittersweet.

4. What happens to our hero because of their relationship with the spirit? First, both Peter and June are heroes in this story. What happens to them is incredibly complicated. They share a tragic moment in their collective past. The ghost that’s headless, died in front of June (while she was seemingly being trafficked, a subplot that’s not followed up on and maybe something that’s clearer in cultural connotations that I don’t know) and Peter’s father accidentally pushed the pre-ghost into traffic which caused his death and beheading. That’s what happens because of their relationship. They learn how they are tied together. It’s a very everyone affects everyone else’s life sort of vibe.

5. Is the film sexy? Not really. It’s a film from the 1990s, and the styles are unbelievable. It is alluring, but not sexy.

6. Would I recommend this film? Visible Secret is a really strange and unique film. It’s not for everyone or for those who don’t have a relationship with Hong Kong Cinema. I would still recommend it, but watch Wong Kar-Wai’s Fallen Angels or Stanley Kwan’ Rouge first. Or maybe watch Ann Hui’s Boat People or Angie Chen’s Maybe it’s Love. If you like the vibe and experimentation of those films, then move on to Visible Secret.

July 20, 2026

July 16th, 2026

July 14th, 2026

July 9th, 2026

July 7th, 2026

dir. Kaneto Shindo

SYNOPSIS: In this poetic and atmospheric horror fable, set in a village in war-torn medieval Japan, a malevolent spirit has been ripping out the throats of itinerant samurai. When a military hero is sent to dispatch the unseen force, he finds that he must struggle with his own personal demons as well. (courtesy Criterion)

1. Does the film have sex in it? Is it seen or implied? Short answer is yes. In brief, two women - who are raped and murdered by a band of samurai - return from the dead to seek vengeance on any samurai who comes through their neck of the woods. They seduce and murder every samurai that they come across. While the film implies that most of the samurai who fall into our heroes trap never get to fulfill their lustful desires, the promise of sex is always around the corner. And when one newly noble samurai returns from the war, he is sent to find out and then deal with the ghosts. (He happens to be the husband of one of the dead spirits! Melodrama!) When the two are reunited, they find themselves consummating their love. There is a refreshing sense of the ordinary in the nudity in the film.

2. Is it a ghost, a spirit, or some other undead being? They are definitely vengeful spirits who have a ghostly form. This film falls into the long tradition of Japanese Ghost stories that involve a Black Cat - which is what the title literally means. I adore all of these types of films, but then again I love black cats and vengeance. So… there’s that.

3. Is the entity good or bad? I mean, depends on who you side with. I think that in this case the spirits are the heroes and the samurai that they kill are bad. But I have a feeling that most basic people are afraid of ghosts and who consider them villains without a second thought.

4. What happens to our hero because of their relationship with the spirit? Well, the wife dies again because of her love of her husband. She sacrifices her spirit so she can have one more week with her husband. This is gothic longing at its peak. I fucking love it.

5. Is the film sexy? Yes. The spirits are so alluring and powerful, you’d have to hate desire to not find this film sexy.

6. Would I recommend this film? Honestly, this is one of my favorite films ever. So, yes.

March 31st, 2026

July 2nd, 2026

A couple of years ago, we made a film. A feature film. It’s called Citywide. You can Rent or Purchase it here:

It was an incredible experience. We made the film with 3 Permanent Crew Members and a slew of willing and joyful actors. It was shot in the dead of winter right before Covid, and captures a vision of Philadelphia that has been lost to developers.

One of the things I love about film is how permanent it is. What it captures lasts, and can remind you of times good and bad, that you don’t always remember with the same clarity.

So, if you have a couple hours, rent our film. Enjoy a moment in time.

In the meantime, here is the soundtrack of the film:

June 30th, 2026

June 25th, 2026

Expanding.

June 23rd, 2026

dir. Carter Lord (1984)

SYNOPSIS: A Floridian folktale with Gothic flair, 1984’s spellbinding The Enchanted is a one-of-a-kind cinematic dreamscape from the heart of the Sunshine State. Royce, an untethered sailor, moves inland to rural Florida to settle his late father’s affairs only to fall in love with a mysterious woman (Twyla) whose family lives in the woods around his new home. With its trance-inducing soundtrack and evocative landscapes, the lines between reality and fantasy blur in stunningly beautiful fashion in The Enchanted. (Courtesy of AGFA.)

SPOILERS

1. Does the film have sex in it? Is it seen or implied? All implied. It’s all very strange. The relationship between Royce and Twyla is hard to pin down. Royce is your typical American. In fact, I imagine there’s a case to be made that the story of this film could be reduced to a ‘Florida Man’ motif and we’d all get a laugh out of it. Meanwhile, Twyla presents as an adult, but behaviorally presents closer to a tween. This complicates any conversation about the film and its sexuality - but the film is rather straight forward about their relationship. Twyla might exhibit youthful qualities, but Casey Blanton’s performance of Twyla does not in anyway suggest that her character is being exploited. It’s a really interesting take on sex and relationships between humans and spirits.

2. Is it a ghost, a spirit, or some other undead being? Twyla and her family are spirits or changelings. They seem to be quail in human form.

3. Is the entity good or bad? Not a lot of information is given about Twyla and her family. There’s an air of mystery that surrounds their wants and desires. They seem like the want to integrate themselves into the world of humans, and that they’re nervous about how that will go. It makes them sympathetic characters. What we do learn is how other people feel about them. Royce is all in favor of the free labor Twyla’s family gives to him and his farm even before he gets romantically involved with Twyla. His closest friend Booker - warns him against them. Booker is adamant that Royce doesn’t get involved with them. He’s afraid of them. It intentionally outside.

4. What happens to our hero because of their relationship with the spirit? Other spirits start to come - specifically a Wolf Spirit arrives, hunting the cattle in the area. Our ‘hero’ starts setting traps for the wolves, and eventually kills one. As our heroes violent nature comes out, Twyla and her Quail Spirits family return to their animal form. I imagine there’s a whole essay to written about the relationship between the people and spirits in this film. How people have taken themselves out of the nature order of things, and now have very few animal allies. The film ends with one of the Wolf Spirits changing to a human form. The implications of this predator being maybe more palatable to humans that the Quail Spirits - especially in their dietary similarities struck me.

5. Is the film sexy? No, but there is an alluring nature to the film that is appealing.

6. Would I recommend this film? Yes. But it’s a deep cut.

March, 19th, 2026

I spent the better part of last year listening to Nemahsis. I remember waking in Florence and putting their music on while Emilie made coffee. Puttering around the flat we were staying in, thinking about the art I was about to take in, and thinking about those lyrics. Thinking about how to protect my peace as I enter a world that wants its piece. The trouble I have with squaring those opposing views - well, I’m not sure there’s a solve - easy, good, or possible.

June 18th, 2026

There’s a longer version of this Music Video that we still need to finish. I can’t explain why we haven’t done so yet. I guess it’s one of life’s many mysteries - because I really like the piece. It captures a moment in time for both Emily and I, as well as the moment before Kayleigh left Philadelphia for LA.

Like the song, this music video is full of Little Ghosts. Still, it’s nice to see them. Hope you like them too.

Listening to the life affirming tones of Olivia Dean’s Lady Lady takes me right back to the distant summer. A time when cares were far and few between. A nostalgia in amber. A happiness codified.

Music can be such a treat.

June 16th, 2026

Thanks for the small trip.

June 11, 2026

I love this song. Sometimes when you’re looking for an answer, an answer finds you. This song feels like that too.

June 9, 2026

dir. Tokuzõ Tanaka (1968)

SPOILERS

Plot: Two woodcutters head into the mountains to fell an ancient tree. Caught in a snowstorm, they spend the night in a mountain lodge, where a female spirit appears and takes the life of one of the men. She spares the other man’s life on the condition that he never tell anyone what happened that night. The woodcutter goes on to marry the mysterious beauty Yuki and together they have a child. But Yuki catches the eye of a lecherous lord, whose advances force her to reveal a dark secret.

(Synopsis courtesy Radiance Films who released this beautiful film on Blu-Ray.)

1. Does the film have sex in it? Is it seen or implied? There is definitly otherworldly sex in the film, but all of the sex is implied or happens off screen. The sex between the Woodcutter and Yuki results in a human child. Or half human and half spirit, I dunno, it’s not explored and not relevant to the main story. It doesn’t matter to the story, and I don’t care either.

2. Is it a ghost, a spirit, or some other undead being? The Snow Woman is a Yõkai - which are Japanese spirits, shapeshifters, ghosts, etc. They can be helpful, mischievous, malevolent - frankly they’re like their human counterparts..

3. Is the entity good or bad? In this film, The Snow Woman is very human and thus is not specifically good or bad. We meet her in her spirit form, and she immediately kills our main character‘s master. It’s unclear if she kills him because they’re planning on cutting down an ancient tree in the forest - if this is the case, then I say she’s in the right, but I understand if the viewer has more empathy for a person than a tree. Later she kills the evil Lord who is trying to rape her - unequivocally good. For my, The Snow Woman is the most relatable character in the film. She’s the true hero of the film - so while she does kill a bunch of humans, she’s the one who my empathy lives with.

4. What happens to our hero because of their relationship with the spirit? Our ‘hero’ - the Woodcutter - becomes the artist that he was trained to become because of The Snow Woman. She provides him with the inspiration that he needs to accomplish what he is trying to accomplish. In a subtle and slightly transgressive action, the film sets us up to root for a spirit and their plight rather than a human. She is the one who takes action when trouble comes. Futhermore, she’s not a sad or specifically vengeful spirit. She doesn’t need saving. In a gender twist, she finds our ‘hero’ beautiful and spares his life. How many male driven narratives have the man saving the beautiful woman only to be distressed later by their transformation into a full being. Cinema is littered with Virgin/Whore narratives, but here even when she’s revealed her true self it’s only because our ‘hero’ betrays his promise. And her vengeance is thwarted by her own humanity. Leaving our ‘hero’ an artist, but alone.

5. Is the film sexy? Not really, at least not in a traditional male gaze sort of manner. The film is not going for sexy either. Though The Snow Woman is super confident and dominate, so depending on what your jam is regarding how women are presented, her power and confidence is sexy.

6. Would I recommend this film? Hell yeah. Fuck yeah.

March 14th, 2026

June 4, 2026

One of my favorite films that we’ve made. I remember filming the scene where one of the characters dies. We filmed it on a street that is now part of a massive development on the Delaware River. Back then it was full of drag racers and cops. Neither bothered us - though the drag racers did ask if we were actually killing the guy.

Anyway, I’m so happy that we made this. Enjoy.