FRIDAY SCREEN TEST: Paul Martin

At Melbourne Film Blog, Paul Martin presents an objective eye toward Australian cinema, as well as beyond. Not only is Paul able to take in the wonderful programming of the Melbourne Cinematheque, but he also serves on the theater's committee -- a position that led him to the world of film criticism. Paul's inaugural review -- of his favorite movie, Lost Highway -- was distributed among the audience for a twin bill of Lost Highway and Eraserhead. Paul's Lost Highway review is a must-read for any Lynch fan, as it's a movie that often falls through the cracks when talking about the director's best. Paul also tackles a lot of Australian films (and no Adam, neither Mad Max or Picnic At Hanging Rock are among his favorites, but you had to ask, didn't you?), and some -- like Em 4 Jay (his favorite 2006 movie) -- are rarely distributed outside the country.

WE'VE MET BEFORE, HAVEN'T WE?: 'There are about fifty that would compete for second place, but only one that is a clear favourite – Lost Highway. No film has ever affected me like this one, and I don’t know if any film could ever do it again. Pure mind-bending magic!'

HOW DID YOU GET INSIDE MY HOUSE?: 'The first film to really overwhelm me with a desire to discuss it with others was Lost Highway. I pestered my significant other that night, and the following two days discovered the power of the internet by researching it online. This was also the first film that I wrote a significant review on, which was only relatively recently.'

IT'S BIG, IT'S FAT AND IT'S CHEESY!: Fat Pizza (2003), One of Paul's guilty pleasures.

I WANT IT ALL: 'I see just about every contemporary film that comes out that I want to see.'

ALL ABOUT ALMODOVAR: 'I’ve seen every Almodóvar film since All About My Mother, and none of them have particularly overwhelmed me. When I saw Volver, I started to understand what it is that I don’t like about his films. I’ve since taken up watching all his films starting with his first, Pepi, Luci, Bom (1980) and am currently up to High Heels (1990). I’ve never felt so compelled to like someone’s films that have so many things about them that I don’t like. I can’t explain it. But I still think his films are not particularly good.'

WATCH THIS: Takashi Miike's Audition -- Paul's go-to horror movie.

FILM CAFFEINE: 'It doesn’t matter how tired I am, a good film will wake me up.'

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