Review: Maureen Bharoocha’s ‘Golden Arm’
“Holland and Sodaro are so effortlessly good together, their characters evoking the kind of visual contrast unforgettably rendered by Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy…”
Greg Carlson
Collecting Movies with Anthony Strand
Anthony Strand Interview: A conversation about movie collecting with Vague Visages contributor Greg Carlson.
Review: Alan Taylor’s ‘The Many Saints of Newark’
“Despite a variety of shortcomings that encompass eye-rolling fan-service lollipops and unresolved narrative threads, there is much to savor in ‘The Many Saints of Newark.'”
Review: Ting Poo and Leo Scott’s ‘Val’
“Kilmer’s personal observations and insights are always engaging in ‘Val’ and occasionally yield details and particulars that allow viewers to peek behind the curtain of fame.”
Review: Soleil Moon Frye’s ‘Kid 90’
“‘Kid 90’ is a story that could have used more unguarded introspection.”
Remembering Matt Myers
Matt Myers In Memoriam: Vague Visages’ Greg Carlson remembers the Fargo native and Hollywoood film producer.
Review: Heather Ross’ ‘For Madmen Only: The Stories of Del Close’
“‘For Madmen Only’ is essential viewing for comedy and improvisation hounds, but Ross must be praised for her ability to appeal to general audiences as well as hardcore scholars.”
Review: Natalie Morales’ ‘Plan B’
“‘Plan B’ is a rare bird in that it gets better as it goes along. So many movies in the teensploitation tradition start strong and quickly run out of gas.”
Review: Jessie Barr’s ‘Sophie Jones’
“Those who have faced tremendous or even overwhelming emotional hurricanes following the death of a close friend or family member will appreciate the movement of time in ‘Sophie Jones.'”
Interview: Janet Brandau on ‘Sadie Breaks the Silents’
‘Sadie Breaks the Silents’ Interview: Greg Carlson and Janet Brandau discuss the final movie by the late Tom Brandau.
Review: Sian Heder’s ‘CODA’
“Even though the comic juxtapositions can be as broad as the side of a barn in ‘CODA,’ the familial conflicts on the flip side of the coin resonate with hard truths.”
Review: Vivian Kleiman’s ‘No Straight Lines: The Rise of Queer Comics’
“One of the most enjoyable aspects of ‘No Straight Lines: The Rise of Queer Comics’ is evident again and again in the close-knit support shared among the ‘elder statespeople.'”
Collecting Movies with Conor Holt
Greg Carlson Interviews Conor Holt About Movie Collecting
Emma Seligman’s ‘Shiva Baby’ and the Art of Comic Discomfort
“‘Shiva Baby’ is most certainly not a movie for those who get clammy and start to sweat at secondhand embarrassment.”
Review: Cate Shortland’s ‘Black Widow’
“Shortland brings her keen feature filmmaking chops to ‘Black Widow’ as a welcome addition to the talented pool of storytellers who can match the Kevin Feige house style without any significant artistic compromise.”
Janicza Bravo Takes ‘Zola’ on the Road
“‘Zola’ is a star-making opportunity that Paige owns with every raised eyebrow and skeptical look.”
Review: Questlove’s ‘Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)’
“Questlove assembles the wide range of elements with the skill of a seasoned scholar and practitioner, blending songs with memories in a master mix made especially challenging given the staggering amount of talent and the desire to tell the accompanying story.”
Review: Mariem Pérez Riera’s ‘Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It’
“With ‘Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It,’ Pérez Riera strikes the right balance of ‘then-and-now’ throughout the fast-moving, 90-minute running time.”
Review: Edgar Wright’s ‘The Sparks Brothers’
“Built to impress longtime listeners and new ears alike, Wright’s love letter to Ron and Russell Mael complements the sensibilities of the masterminds behind glories like ‘Kimono My House’ and ‘Angst in My Pants.'”
Prano Bailey-Bond Visits Britain’s Video Nasty Era in ‘Censor’
“Had ‘Censor’ managed both Enid’s personal nightmare and wrestled more deliberately with some of the moral questions posed by the title, more viewers might have been inclined to initiate conversations about the horror genre’s traditions of transgression.”
