Review: Nikole Beckwith’s ‘Together Together’
“Together Together’s rumination on difficult work, new friendships and social bonding captures a pandemic mood, and works as a welcome addition to the niche genre of surrogacy cinema.”
Review: Marilyn Agrelo’s ‘Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street’
“Don’t be surprised if ‘Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street’ leaves you wanting more — that’s often the mark of something special.”
Review: Mia Donovan’s ‘Dope Is Death’
“‘Dope Is Death’ could’ve benefitted from more cultural context and a broader examination of the Shakur family legacy, but the 78-minute film succeeds with its specific focus on holistic healing.”
Review: Chaitanya Tamhane’s ‘The Disciple’
“Without being judgmental, ‘The Disciple’ succeeds in questioning the age-old notion of sacrifice as a means to attaining higher goals.”
Interview with ‘Pagglait’ Filmmaker Umesh Bist
Dipankar Sarkar Interviews ‘Pagglait’ Filmmaker Umesh Bist
Fantasy and Reality in Ben Hozie’s ‘PVT Chat’
“Hozie nails the greener-grass metaphor in ‘PVT Chat’ with a clarity that reminded me of the last lines of James Joyce’s ‘Araby.'”
Interview with ‘1232 KMS’ Director Vinod Kapri
Dipankar Sarkar Interviews ‘1232 KMS’ Director Vinod Kapri
Review: Chris Baugh’s ‘Boys from County Hell’
“‘Boys from County Hell’ isn’t really about vampires so much as it’s about being proud of where you come from, and of the bonds forged there.”
Review: Samantha Stark’s ‘Framing Britney Spears’
“The best aspects of ‘Framing Britney Spears’ are implicit while the least effective parts are explicit. And in the absence of a direct commentary from Spears, Stark surely could have used more evenhanded and considerate interview subjects.”
Arrow Review: Justin McConnell’s ‘Clapboard Jungle: Surviving the Independent Film Business’
“‘Clapboard Jungle’ could not only benefit up-and-coming filmmakers, but also young writers who are serious about pursuing a career in film criticism. Passion isn’t enough. You need to understand the business side of it all…”
Book Review: Peter Conrad’s ‘The Mysteries of Cinema’
“‘The Mysteries of Cinema’ is not really an argument about film’s essential qualities, but a collage of similarities, preoccupations and obsessions that drive not just its filmmakers, but seem to consume the medium itself.”
Interview with ‘The Mortuary Collection’ Writer-Director Ryan Spindell
Joey Keogh Interviews ‘The Mortuary Collection’ Writer-Director Ryan Spindell
Netflix Review: Ryuichi Hiroki’s ‘Ride or Die’
“Plenty of double-themed movies have been made over the years, but ‘Ride or Die’ seems like an ideal companion piece to ‘Persona.’ Both films are sexually provocative, and both require multiple viewings to better understand the perspectives of each female protagonist.”
Interview with ‘The Mortuary Collection’ Actor Clancy Brown
Joey Keogh Interviews ‘The Mortuary Collection’ Actor Clancy Brown
Interview with ‘Jakob’s Wife’ Director Travis Stevens
Joey Keogh Interviews ‘Jakob’s Wife’ Director Travis Stevens
Interview with ‘Jakob’s Wife’ Actress Bonnie Aarons
Joey Keogh Interviews ‘Jakob’s Wife’ Actress Bonnie Aarons
Review: Travis Stevens’ ‘Jakob’s Wife’
“Aside from being a furiously feminist film, ‘Jakob’s Wife’ is mordantly funny, gruesomely gory and gloriously unpredictable.”
Netflix Review: Hoon-Jung Park’s ‘Night in Paradise’
“‘Night in Paradise’ isn’t the ideal movie for locked-down streamers, but it’s one that challenges audiences to find silver linings in dark life experiences.”
The Master’s Voice: Gregory Monro’s ‘Kubrick by Kubrick’
“‘Kubrick by Kubrick’ has the effect of placing the notoriously particular and media-shy subject in the room with the eager listener/viewer.”
Netflix Review: ‘This Is a Robbery: The World’s Greatest Art Heist’
“With ‘This Is a Robbery,’ Barnicle manages to pinpoint what probably happened at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum on St. Patty’s Day 1990 while amplifying the long-term mystery.”