Review: Sang-ho Yeon’s ‘Train to Busan’
“‘Train to Busan’ becomes obsessed with how its characters will face the various obstacles thrown at them, but the film does not operate with a human desire for justice.
Of Love and Other Demons: ‘Auto Focus’ (Paul Schrader, 2002)
A Weekly Column on Love and Erotica in Cinema by Justine A. Smith
Fantastic Fest 2016: Cannibalism and Competition – On ‘Toni Erdmann’ and ‘Raw’
“At Fantastic Fest, that hard truth can be funny or frightening depending on which auditorium you enter.”
Why Criticism: Umberto Eco and ‘The Infinity of Lists’
A Column on Film Criticism by Justine A. Smith
Fantastic Fest 2016: A Talk with Director Ana Lily Amirpour on Inspiration and ‘The Bad Batch’
Marshall Shaffer Interviews Ana Lily Amirpour
Two Drink Minimum: ‘Cedric the Entertainer: Live from the Ville’
“For all Cedric’s struggling against modernity, I can’t help but think Harambe would’ve improved this bit.”
Binge Moviegoing: An 18 Hour Day at Fantastic Fest 2016
Marshall Shaffer on Fantastic Fest 2016
Of Love and Other Demons: ‘Patty Hearst’ (Paul Schrader, 1988)
A Weekly Column on Love and Erotica in Cinema by Justine A. Smith
The Princess’ New Clothes: Disney’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’
“The central relationship between Belle and the Beast has the unfortunate stench of Stockholm syndrome all over it.”
Why Criticism: Queer Film Classics and ‘Forbidden Love’
A Column on Film Criticism by Justine A. Smith
Two Drink Minimum: Emmys 2016 – Progress Comes Quicker with Comedy
“The 68th Primetime Emmy Awards have helped shake up the industry with its most explicitly progressive and comedic self-congratulating.”
TIFF 2016: Interview with Director María José Cuevas and Olga Breeskin (‘Beauties of the Night’)
Justine A. Smith interviews the director and star of ‘Beauties of the Night.’
At the Cinémathèque: Is ‘Kamouraska’ Better Than ‘Mon oncle Antoine’?
A Justine A. Smith Series on Montreal’s Cinémathèque Québécoise
Of Love and Other Demons: ‘Cat People’ (Paul Schrader, 1982)
A Weekly Column on Love and Erotica in Cinema by Justine A. Smith
Why Criticism: Joan Didion, John Wayne and Personal Brands
A Column on Film Criticism by Justine A. Smith
Two Drink Minimum: ‘Galaxy Quest’, ‘Star Trek’ and the Real World
“‘Galaxy Quest’ remains great as a testament to sci-fi filmmaking, television and reverence to ‘Star Trek’ as a fandom phenomenon which can only be understood and engaged with via postmodern means.”
Review: Joshua Marston’s ‘Complete Unknown’
“‘Complete Unknown’ seems to have its finger on the pulse of something characteristic of our FOMO culture.”
At the Cinémathèque: Jean-Luc Godard Finds Pleasure In Estrangement with ‘Passion’
“Centered on a made-for-television film, ‘Passion’ blends the far reaches of Western art with the birth of new mediums.”
SANFIC 12 Review: Paul Schrader’s ‘Dog Eat Dog’
“I think that Schrader is just reaching out, trying to stretch his directorial arms, trying to show everything that he’s got.”
SANFIC 12 Review: Alejandro Jodorowsky’s ‘Poesía sin fin’
“Maybe it’s his own nostalgia or the naturalistic approach, but I haven’t felt someone film my city with that much love in a long time.”