‘Les diaboliques’ and the Beginnings of the Erotic Thriller
“One of the most compelling things about ‘Les Diaboliques’ and its cinematic offspring is that viewers are always left with the sense that there are secrets untold, questions unanswered.”
Growing Pains: Asian Cinema and the Coming-of-Age Film
“The success of ‘The Crossing’ and ‘The Third Wife’ should speak to the unique ability of female filmmakers and female characters in filling in the narrative gaps in Vietnamese and Chinese cinema, in which male directors wield dominant creative control.”
Cinemania Film Festival Review: Pawel Pawlikowski’s ‘Cold War’
“As in ‘Ida,’ Pawlikowski offers little exposition, which leaves the audience to gather any and all clues.”
Jonah Hill Looks Back at the ‘Mid90s’
“‘Mid90s’ has drawn some comparisons to Harmony Korine (who makes a cameo in Hill’s film) and Larry Clark’s ‘Kids,’ but Hill’s worldview is far less toxic and dangerous than the grimmest territory explored in the 1995 movie.”
Hommes Fatales: Fritz Lang’s ‘The Blue Gardenia’
“‘The Blue Gardenia’ occupies a curious space inside noir. In many ways, it acts as an indirect response to many of the films that preceded it, with their icy femmes fatales…”
Seeing Double: Richard Quine’s ‘Pushover’
“As a largely disregarded noir B-side, ‘Pushover’ deliberately recalls its more famous predecessor, playing upon audience expectations of MacMurray’s screen persona to create an experience of déjà vu.”
Sex or the Saw: Impotency and Masculine Posturing in ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2’
“By filtering male anxieties through Stretch’s perspective, Hooper is able to posit an astute observation on the nature of male aggression when they just cannot get it up.”
Survivor’s Guilt: The Continuity of ‘Halloween H20: 20 Years Later’
“Regardless of how one chooses to view it, H20’s legacy will always have Laurie/Keri’s character and Curtis’ performance in its favor.”
Lights, Dance, Death: Body Movements and Color in Dario Argento’s ‘Suspiria’
“Dario Argento’s ‘Suspiria’ contorts the abjection of horror through a kaleidoscope of popping color.”
Pod Nation: The Endurance of ‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers’
“Ultimately, the endurance of Finney’s story and the concept of ‘pod people’ can be attributed to the fact that it’s not a metaphor for any one fear, but rather dozens.”