Streamless – Off the Subscription Grid: ‘The Star Wars Holiday Special’
Mike Postalakis on the 1978 Fiasco ‘The Star Wars Holiday Special’
Why Criticism: Adam Nayman’s ‘Ben Wheatley: Confusion and Carnage’
A Column on Film Criticism by Justine A. Smith
Genre Sampling: On Iranian Vampires, Adolescent Demons, Long Nights and Shards of Kryptonite
“Tropes and archetypes are global, fitting into different national contexts while carrying with them the memory of their international itineraries.”
James Bond and Artifice
“No longer tasked with putting the missing pieces of action, intrigue and effects together in our heads, the artifice of Bond is gone forever — and with it, any room for playful interpretation.”
No Exit: Access and Isolation in Babak Anvari’s ‘Under the Shadow’
“‘Under the Shadow’ is an admirable film, albeit not wholly original.”
Why Criticism: Understanding Film Restoration
A Column on Film Criticism by Justine A. Smith
Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: Jean-Pierre Melville’s ‘Le Samouraï’
“Jean-Pierre Melville’s ‘Le Samourai’ is the definition of cinematic precision. Each shot, each cut, each movement is a slice of redolent, provocative and sometimes even banal accuracy.”
As American as Apple Pie: The Contemporary Applicability of Jacques Tourneur’s ‘Cat People’
“In regards to modern day politics, ‘Cat People’ captures the anti-immigration fervor of the 2016 American presidential campaign and election.”
Christopher Nolan’s ‘Interstellar’ and the Need for Humane Media
“Love can be what survives if we show up to do the work.”
A Mother’s Twisted Love: Lucile Hadzihalilovic’s ‘Evolution’
“Elliptical and predominantly visual, ‘Evolution’ will frustrate any viewer unwilling to let go of common sense.”
Streamless – Off the Subscription Grid: ‘Heavy Metal Parking Lot’
“This is L-I-V-I-N in the moment at its best.”
‘RoboCop’ in the Age of Trump
“It only took three decades for ‘RoboCop’ to go from a sci-fi thought experiment to prescient documentary. What do the next few hold?”
RIDM 2016 Review: Atsushi Funahashi’s ‘Raise Your Arms and Twist – Documentary of NMB48’
“Focusing on a group from Osaka rather than Tokyo unveils a more nuanced reality of the industry, offering a look from the outside.”
RIDM 2016 Review: Nele Wohlatz’s ‘El futuro perfecto’
“As we take for granted the ease of our own native tongue, we are perhaps ignoring its full potential.”
Los Cabos IFF Review: Kenneth Lonergan’s ‘Manchester by the Sea’
“‘Manchester by the Sea’ will make your dad cry by showing him how he deals with emotions and the instructional framework through which he learned how to deal with emotions.”
Los Cabos IFF Review: Pablo Larraín’s ‘Jackie’
“Portman’s vivid portrayal is the film’s greatest strength, coasting through woebegone New England accents and the script’s on-the-nose airing of themes in the final act.”
RIDM 2016 Review: Mehrdad Oskouei’s ‘Starless Dreams’
“In some ways, Oskouei’s involvement can be construed as invasive, but it feels integral.”
RIDM 2016 Review: Claire Simon’s ‘Le concours’
“What makes someone a great artist before they’ve made any great works of art? That becomes the central question and object of scrutiny at the heart of ‘Le concours,’ making it one of the most compelling examinations of auteur driven cinema.”
RIDM 2016 Review: Patric Chiha’s ‘Brothers of the Night’
“‘Brothers of the Night’ takes an unexpected approach and reveals hidden parts of life amongst Bulgarian male hustlers in Vienna.”
Of Love and Other Demons: ‘House by the River’
“While Lang never fully embraced socialist principles over the course of his career, he always seemed to have a violent distaste for the men who stood on the shoulders of those who were less fortunate, knowing full well that social class does not correlate a strong moral conscious.”