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.”
Monte Hellman: A Master of the Language of Cinema
Author Joseph B. Atkins on Filmmaker Monte Hellman’s Life and Career
Mannhunting: Exploring Masculinity in the Films of Michael Mann – Part Two
Mannhunting #2 by Bill Bria: “In Mann’s duality of man, cop and robber are, in Stevenson’s words, ‘radically both’ one and the same.”
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
Intentionally Disposable Art: The Teen Agers Films
“What do we do with the Teen Agers movies, which were no more intended to be seen 75 years later than a dinner cooked in 1947 was intended to be eaten in 2021?”
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.”
Embracing Imperfection: ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary’ Turns 20
“‘Bridget Jones’s Diary’ is heartbreaking and life-affirming in equal measure, which is a difficult balance to pull off, particularly in a movie that frequently treats its protagonist quite harshly.”