A Quest for Happiness: On Neil Jordan’s ‘Mona Lisa’
“‘Mona Lisa’ was ahead of its time, a precursor of urban fairy tales in late 90s British cinema.”
Peter Bell
Peter Bell is a recent graduate of Columbia University, School of Arts, New York, NY with a Master of Arts in Film Studies. Peter’s interests in film include film history, film theory and film criticism. Ever since watching TCM as a child, Peter has always had a passion for film and is always trying to add greater context to film for others. His favorite films include Chinatown, Blade Runner, Lawrence of Arabia, A Shot in the Dark, and Inception. Peter’s favorite director is Christopher Nolan, whom he had the pleasure of seeing speak in 2015 at the Tribecca Film Festival. Past film experience includes a documentary research internship with Pierpoline Films and volunteering for ReelAbilities Film Festival. Peter believes movie theaters are still the optimal forum for film discussion and discovering fresh perspectives on culture. Peter’s hobbies include soccer, watching “Mystery Science Theater 3000” and reading 80’s and Golden age comic books.
Netflix Review: ‘Godzilla Singular Point’ Season 1
“Previous incarnations of Godzilla worked best by implanting ideas that were tangible. However, in the world of ‘Godzilla Singular Point,’ the ideas prove to be non-existent, as do the inhabitants.”
Amazon Prime Review: ‘Invincible’ Season 1
“Comic book adaptations are by no means an easy task, but Robert Kirkman and his co-producers achieve a soaring success with the Amazon Prime series ‘Invincible.'”
Netflix Review: Joe Wright’s ‘The Woman in the Window’
“While Wright’s stylized execution is impressive, ‘The Woman in the Window’ is a yarn that never fully grabs its audience by the jugular.”
Netflix Review: ‘Dota: Dragon’s Blood’ Season 1
“‘All these books, all this magic, yeah, they have potential. But what exactly is ‘DOTA: Dragon’s Blood’ trying to say?”
Review: ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’
“In an era where Disney allows Marvel to experiment boldly with narrative structures in a show like ‘WandaVision,’ ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’ seems like a tired old horse that needs to be put out to pasture.”
Review: Ben Hozie’s ‘PVT Chat’
“In ‘PVT Chat,’ the half-baked attempts to create thematic through lines and symbolism prove to be the greatest flaws.”
The Birth of Suzuki Action and Style: ‘Youth of the Beast’
“While Suzuki’s overly-stylized and sometimes incomprehensible films ultimately led to his termination from Nikkatsu in 1968, his legacy safely lives on in modern day Japanese cinema…”
Avenging the Destruction of True Love: François Truffaut’s ‘The Bride Wore Black’
“In ‘The Bride Wore Black,’ cruel fate rips true love away from the innocent, suggesting that Truffaut believed pure happiness is only found in fairy tales.”
Review: Robert Machoian’s ‘The Killing of Two Lovers’
“How wonderful it is to watch a film in 2020 that displays style and true enthusiasm for the art of movie-making.”
Review: Christopher Nolan’s ‘Tenet’
“With ‘Tenet,’ Nolan evolves as a surrealist director, yet his writing style does not similarly advance.”
The Land of Yes: ‘Class Action Park’
“The appeal and popularity of the Action Park documentary and book, along with eager anticipation for the upcoming TV series, evidences a shared human proclivity to embellish one’s “street cred.”
Review: Aaron Schneider’s ‘Greyhound’
“Greyhound’s inability to venture further into the depths of wartime psychology leaves it susceptible to being forgotten just as quickly as it emerged.”
‘True History of the Kelly Gang’: Nothing in Life Is Free
“‘True History of the Kelly Gang’ explodes like a Molotov cocktail, one that is fueled by punk spirit and more androgynous costuming than a New York Dolls album.”
‘Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045’: Unsustainable Revival
“‘Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045’ attempts to move the series into full octane action but pushes its philosophical roots to the side.”
‘Death Race 2000’: Camp Then and Now
“Perhaps the exaggerated disregard for human life in the name of national pride, entertainment and prosperity in ‘Death Race 2000’ is a timely trigger for reassessing priorities as we await a return to normalcy.”
Review: Sam Mendes’ ‘1917’
“With a fresh, new approach, Mendes memorializes not only his grandfather, but all the brave soldiers of WWI, reminding viewers of the individual tragedies that comprise warfare.”
Review: Clint Eastwood’s ‘Richard Jewell’
“‘Richard Jewell’ is, for the most part, a captivating recreation of a man’s journey through hell and back. Its strong acting and character relationship dynamics are the main selling points, as Eastwood’s sense of direction and pacing are the best they have been in a long time.”
‘The Curse of the Cat People’: Val Lewton’s Groundbreaking Introduction of Childhood Fantasy
“Lewton’s insights into both childhood and adult inner personal conflicts are legacies which deserve recognition in the foundational history of horror, both for psychological thrillers and fantasy films.”
Threatened Individualism: On François Truffaut’s ‘Fahrenheit 451’
“Throughout both the foreground and background of ‘Fahrenheit 451,’ Truffaut emphasizes the characters’ self-absorption via a hyper-sexual form of narcissism in a society lacking real love.”