2015 in Review: Noah Baumbach’s ‘Mistress America’
“Mistress America revels in the romance of being young before carefully setting its characters back down into the real world.”
Of Love and Other Demons: ‘Dead Ringers’ (David Cronenberg, 1988)
A Weekly Column on Love and Erotica in Cinema by Justine A. Smith
Conspiracy Theories: Eli Roth’s ‘Knock Knock’ and Chilewood
Jaime Grijalba, a Chilean writer, comments on the exploitation of his country’s cinematic landscape.
Like Its Characters’ Christmas Plans, ‘Krampus’ Is More Fun in Concept Than Execution
“As it is, it’s like a stocking crammed with too many little bits and bobs that came to mind for the stocking-stuffer, ultimately pleasing no one like one or two well-considered big gifts would have.”
Lust, Caution: Barbara Hammer’s ‘Nitrate Kisses’
Lust, Caution is a bi-monthly series of essays that examines films within the label of “queer cinema.”
His Blazing Automatics: For Your Year-End List Consideration – John Maclean’s ‘Slow West’
“Simply put, Slow West is unlike anything out there this year and deserves to be recognized as one of the most unique works of 2015, as it only grows and develops with each viewing.”
Of Love and Other Demons: The Toxic Masculinity of Michael Cimino’s ‘Year of the Dragon’
A Weekly Column on Love and Erotica in Cinema by Justine A. Smith
Short but Sweet: The UK Film Festival
“With its diverse range of attendees and entries, as well as the festival’s strong showing at the 64th and 65th Berlinale, The UK Film Festival seems to have a very strong future in the heart of London.”
We Failed This Film: Andrew Dominik’s ‘Killing Them Softly’
A Column by Dylan Moses Griffin
#Noirvember: Joseph H. Lewis’ ‘Gun Crazy’ and the Erotic Allure of Firearms
A Weekly Column on Love and Erotica in Cinema by Justine A. Smith
Two Blistering Performances Help ‘James White’ Achieve Greatness
“In a way, James White is like a dark riff on the man-child formula, but it also works as a devastating exploration of death and decay.”
His Blazing Automatics: Jeff Nichols’ ‘Midnight Special’ and the Middle-Class Studio Film
“If Midnight Special does well in March, the film will undoubtedly encourage an environment in which middle-class studio releases aren’t such a rarity, because the film world needs more working class heroes like Jeff Nichols.”
#Noirvember: Howard Hawks’ ‘The Big Sleep’ (1946) Neuters Marlowe’s Hatred
A Weekly Column on Love and Erotica in Cinema by Justine A. Smith
RIDM 2015: ‘Red Hollywood’ (1996) – Another Masterwork From Thom Andersen
“Currently being honoured with a retrospective at the RIDM, Andersen’s cool and measured voice emerges as a through-line in his career.”
With ‘Carol,’ Todd Haynes Conveys Love Like Few Other Filmmakers
“As premature as it might be to say in a review for an initial theatrical run, Carol more than earns the right of comparison to Brief Encounter in terms of quality. Frankly, it’s one of the new great romantic films.”
Tragic Simplicity: Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘The Wrong Man’
“The Wrong Man is, perhaps, Hitchcock’s most authentic film.”
We Failed This Film: Sean Byrne’s ‘The Loved Ones’
A Column by Dylan Moses Griffin
#Noirvember: ‘The Dark Mirror’ and the Paranoid Double (Robert Siodmak, 1946)
A Weekly Column on Love and Erotica in Cinema by Justine A. Smith
Justin Kurzel’s ‘Macbeth’ Is a Solid Enough Take on ‘The Scottish Play’
“Like its eponymous character, Justin Kurzel’s adaptation of Macbeth is a film pulled in myriad directions for a sense of purpose.”
Of Love and Other Demons: ‘Gilda’ (Charles Vidor, 1946)
“‘Gilda’ is one of the great examples of onscreen masochism.”