‘District 9’: Xenophobic Themes Still Resonate a Decade Later
“‘District 9’ might not be a classic like ‘Alien’ or ‘The Terminator’ (not many films are), but it’s still an effective sci-fi film with depth and style.”
12 Angry Films: Sidney Lumet on Justice #2 – ’The Hill’
“‘The Hill’ charts a path forward for Lumet’s justice films, which increasingly depart from the idealism of ’12 Angry Men’ and reckon deeply with the justice system’s contradictory, irreconcilable principles.”
Hollywood Confronts Itself: Cynicism and Self-Doubt in the 50s
“A sense of restlessness began to be addressed tentatively, and was confronted with increasing boldness as the decade progressed. Battles were being waged on multiple fronts of this unacknowledged war, claims were being sought from historically neglected constituents.”
That Title Is Currently Unavailable: Chasing the Hard-to-Find Movie
“Many can relate to the time-sucking dread of endlessly scrolling through options in search of something to watch, which has become the digital-era equivalent of scouring video store shelves for some tasty new treat or previously overlooked gem.”
It’s Only a Movie: Audience Complicity in Horror and Exploitation Films
“While it might be easy to assume that films like ‘Natural Born Killers’ and ‘Funny Games’ simply demonise their audiences as wanting the thrill of violence without thinking about the consequence of it, the films instead ask questions, instead of only providing answers.”
Body Horror: Sex and Alienation in Steve McQueen’s ‘Shame’
“In an era of ever constant loneliness, where many people feel cut off from the human race, regardless of social media profiles or followers, ‘Shame’ feels as vital now as it did in 2011.”
Fight Like a Man: ‘Rocky V’ and ‘Rocky Balboa’
“Fathers make sense when we can reduce them to symbols, but the actual business of parenting is so defined by ‘feminine’ qualities — emotional openness, compassion, gentleness, patience — that we often struggle to correlate them with a father figure.”
‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ Is a Sun-Soaked Fairy Tale with Unexpected Heart
“‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ is not groundbreaking Tarantino, but it’s a fun trip back through time with real heart and likeable characters. Allow yourself to sink into its world and you’ll be rewarded with good tunes, laugh-out-loud jokes and moments of exhilaration.”
Once Upon a Time in Tarantinoland: ‘The Hateful Eight’ Is a Slog, But a Solid Thriller
“When looking at Tarantino’s filmography, ‘The Hateful Eight’ doesn’t hold a candle to works like ‘Pulp Fiction’ or ‘Kill Bill,’ but it’s an entertaining film nonetheless — if you don’t mind the runtime.”
Punching with Your Feet: Riley Stearns Gets Dark in ‘The Art of Self-Defense’
“The close proximity of sudden, shocking violence to the humor challenges viewer expectations, and despite a few notable exceptions in the movie’s later sections, Stearns successfully pulls off his tricks.”
The Voluptuous and Telling Pleasures of Obscure Gialli
Julia Bozzone on Quad Cinema’s Fresh Meat: Giallo Restorations, Part Two
Hate and War: Michael Cimino’s ‘Year of the Dragon’
“‘Year of the Dragon’ offers little comfort, and when it does, Cimino heavily suggests its victories are hollow and insincere. It is a dark-mirror exercise in genre fragmentation that shatters the vigilante cop thriller into thousands of pieces and lays its ugliest instincts frighteningly bare.”
The Western Enters the 70s – Part 4: The Iconoclast’s Dilemma
“Faced with the death of its utopian hopes, the remnants of America’s counterculture split into two tendencies: the pastoral and the criminal. Its despondency was turned inwards and outwards; one side sought to build alternative structures in line with a higher authority, while the other strove to rearrange the wreckage of the existing order.”
‘Maiden’ Doc Sails Around the World with Tracy Edwards and Her Crew
“Reflecting and refracting the ongoing conversations around everything from the salary inequity between male and female soccer players to the alleged child sex trafficking hellscape perpetuated by Jeffrey Epstein, ‘Maiden’ can be read as both time capsule and time bomb.”
A Long Time Ago, in Northern California: When David Lynch Met George Lucas
“Both Lucas and Lynch’s world views allow for the possibility of personal atonement, and for external peace emerging from inner peace.”
The “Happy” Endings of Ari Aster’s Cult Horror Duology
“If part of the horror genre’s mission is to elicit fear through the erosion of safety, then the endings of ‘Hereditary’ and ‘Midsommar’ are the ultimate expression of that mission.”
‘The Blair Witch Project’ at 20: A Found Footage Classic That Spawned a Genre
“‘The Blair Witch Project’ isn’t a horror film experience on par with ‘The Exorcist’ or ‘The Shining,’ but that’s not a fair comparison. It’s an experience all its own.”
12 Angry Films: Sidney Lumet on Justice #1 – ’12 Angry Men’
“Spaces are key to Lumet’s vision of the justice system; the ideas that bind it together must play out in physical spaces, and in them, Lumet finds the embodiment of all its flaws and virtues.”
Once Upon a Time in Tarantinoland: ‘Django Unchained’ Is Mature and Packed with Postmodern Trademarks
“‘Django Unchained’ is packed with Tarantino’s postmodern trademarks, but it also has the added value of actually addressing some serious issues.”
What’s Age Got to Do with It: Neena Gupta in ‘The Last Color’
“Gupta, with her immense treasure of emotions and movements, brings to life the dichotomies of extreme pain and extreme joy, and makes it all seem so relatable that it’s difficult to hold back tears.”