Catching Fire: The Inscrutable Mayhem of Seijun Suzuki’s ‘Branded to Kill’
“‘Branded to Kill’ doesn’t flow, it staggers — it moves like a dying man, shot through the gut, bleeding out.”
I Walk Alone: Seijun Suzuki Noir
“Occupying a middle space between the classicism of Japan’s most well-known filmmakers and the politically charged avant-garde of the New Wave, Suzuki uses the trappings of noir to explore the ramifications of isolation.”
The Borders of Film Noir: Genre in Takeshi Nomura’s ‘A Colt Is My Passport’
“‘A Colt Is My Passport’ represents a supreme tension between American and Japanese Noir, and asks questions about the past and future of international cinema.”
Review: Conor Allyn’s ‘No Man’s Land’
“‘No Man’s Land,’ Conor Allyn’s earthy effort at a serious revisionist western, is a film of good intentions that goes awry when it attempts to unpack any of its ideas.”
How Seijun Suzuki’s ‘Take Aim at the Police Van’ Subverts the Vigilante Subgenre
“A blueprint for Suzuki’s later masterpieces, ‘Take Aim at the Police Van’ is a solid cinematic vehicle full of suspense and surprises.”
The Last Yakuza in Tokyo: Masahiro Shinoda’s ‘Pale Flower’
“‘Pale Flower’ finds its own rhythm and mood, superimposing frictionless cool on tireless ennui, punctuating everyday boredom with an enigmatic tremble.”
I Love These Wicked Nights: On Masahiro Shinoda’s ‘Pale Flower’
“‘Pale Flower’ is a magnificently emblematic example of the stylization, self-consciousness and independent spirit that defined the Japanese New Wave.”
Review: Roseanne Liang’s ‘Shadow in the Cloud’
“The ‘Shadow in the Cloud’ team acknowledges gremlin mythology with genuine admiration and respect.”
Review: Vincent Paronnaud’s ‘Hunted’
“An exceedingly dark and violent survival horror film, ‘Hunted’ will make sure you never again go out alone at night.”
Review: Adam Egypt Mortimer’s ‘Archenemy’
“‘Archenemy’ could easily ditch all the higher concept stuff and simply exist as a dark buddy comedy. As it stands, this is an interesting misfire for Mortimer…”
Have None, Will Travel: The Villainy of Economics in ‘Blood on the Moon’
“There’s a dark warning at the heart of ‘Blood on the Moon’ that still rings true today.”
An Interview with ‘Class of ’83’ Director Atul Sabharwal
Dipankar Sarkar Interviews ‘Class of ’83’ Director Atul Sabharwal
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.”
Tearing Down the Monument: Sean Connery’s 1970s
“In my hatred for the Bond franchise, I feel I may have done a disservice to its star. I have always had a tendency to discount Sean Connery as an exquisitely sculpted statue, capable of filling out a tuxedo very nicely but little else.”
The Disaster Area: From ‘Airport’ to ‘Airplane!’ – Part Three
Part Three of a Four-Part Disaster Movie Series by Bill Bria
Sympathy for the Devil: How ‘Batman Returns’ Complicates the Penguin
“In the end, there can be no simple feelings of joy or satisfaction in seeing Batman defeat the Penguin — in seeing the good guy defeat the bad guy — because who’s the winner here, really?”
The Disaster Area: From ‘Airport’ to ‘Airplane!’ – Part Two
Part Two of a Four-Part Disaster Movie Series by Bill Bria
‘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.”
The Disaster Area: From ‘Airport’ to ‘Airplane!’ – Part One
“It is during the 70s that the disaster film’s most pure and admirable entries were made, bookended by two significantly different stories involving air travel fiascos.”
