No Future for You: The Cinematic Image of 70s Britain
“The 70s were a tumultuous and often bleak decade for the British film industry, and this pessimism bled into its output.”
The World Is Working: Michael Glawogger’s Trilogy on Poverty and Labor
“The real horrors of Glawogger’s films are the moments when people, having been given an opportunity to open up, are crushed by their own words.”
Review: Maximiliano Contenti’s ‘The Last Matinee’
“‘The Last Matinee’ doesn’t necessarily celebrate gore cinema, but rather the concept that moviegoers can evolve and mature by directly facing their fears.”
Review: Jane Campion’s ‘The Power of the Dog’
“It is surely a disservice to reduce Campion’s filmography to a study in gender, despite the longstanding focus of so much scholarship.”
Review: Peter Middleton and James Spinney’s ‘The Real Charlie Chaplin’
“With almost surgical precision, filmmakers Peter Middleton and James Spinney dissect the life and work of a legend in ‘The Real Charlie Chaplin,’ a worthwhile addition to the many studies of one of the most recognizable screen performers in cinema history.”
‘House of Gucci’: A Disappointing Oddity
“Right from the get-go in ‘House of Gucci,’ it’s clear that something is amiss.”
Collecting Movies with Kathleen Loock
Kathleen Loock Interview: A conversation about movie collecting with Vague Visages contributor Greg Carlson.
Interview with ‘Clerk’ Director Malcolm Ingram
Vague Visages’ Joey Keogh and filmmaker Malcolm Ingram discuss the 2021 Kevin Smith documentary ‘Clerk.’
Review: Sion Sono’s ‘Prisoners of the Ghostland’
“‘Prisoners of the Ghostland’ is like a failed yet well-made pilot episode, one that teases high drama but doesn’t have anything interesting to say about the characters.”
Review: Malcolm Ingram’s ‘Clerk’
“The biggest takeaway from ‘Clerk,’ aside from the fact that the terrific Joey Lauren Adams should’ve had a bigger career, is that nobody is more surprised by Smith’s success than the man himself.”
Embracing the New Normal: ‘The Addams Family’ Is Timeless at 30
“‘The Addams Family’ is a beacon of hope for weird kids everywhere, since Wednesday and Pugsley are never forced to change who they are to fit in, nor do they care what anyone thinks.”
Review: Casey Tebo’s ‘Black Friday’
“Tebo’s low-stakes take on holiday horror is a lot like Christmas candy; ‘Black Friday’ hits the spot, but you might be left craving something slightly more substantial soon afterwards.”
Interview with ‘Boroxun’ Filmmaker Krrishna Kt Borah
‘Boroxun’ Interview: Dipankar Sarkar discusses the 2021 movie with filmmaker Krrishna Kt Borah.
Review: Tanya Chuturkova’s ‘Chocolate Road’
“I’ll never be the same after watching ‘Chocolate Road.’ No longer will I eat a bonbon without seeing a massive cacao plant. I won’t be able to watch ‘Chocolat’ without thinking about Central American cacao plant clones. That’s a good thing…”
Review: Penny Lane’s ‘Listening to Kenny G’
“With ‘Listening to Kenny G,’ Lane affirms her status as one of the most talented nonfiction storytellers working today.”
Review: Kavery Kaul’s ‘The Bengali’
“There’s plenty of skepticism to be found in ‘The Bengali’; however, that’s just the starting point for an important conversation about first encounters, cultural education and life-changing travel experiences.”
Review: Martin Wilson’s ‘Great White’
“‘Great White’ may not be a groundbreaking or unique film, but it’s made with respect, and that deserves to be reciprocated.”
Review: Adam Ethan Crow’s ‘Lair’
“‘Lair’ succeeds with its female-led possession story but fails with the flat adjacent flat subplot.”
Review: Mia Hansen-Løve’s ‘Bergman Island’
“The Fårö setting in ‘Bergman Island’ provides Hansen-Løve with a treasure chest of opportunities to indulge and explore cinephilia, reflexivity, homage and intertext, but the potential autobiographical interpretations are equally enticing.”
Interview with ‘Sunny’ Filmmaker Ranjith Sankar
Dipankar Sarkar interviews ‘Sunny’ fIlmmaker Ranjith Sankar about the 2021 Amazon Prime movie.