Review: Laura Bispuri’s ‘Sworn Virgin’
“One problem with ‘Sworn Virgin’, particularly in its later stages, is a distinct lack of stakes.”
Vague Visages on Agnès Varda’s 88th: ‘The Gleaners & I’
“Varda’s sense of play, fun, silliness and humor comes from a collected bricolage of incident, travel and people.”
Why Criticism: Setting Up a Podcast with Francisco Peres
A Column on Film Criticism by Justine A. Smith
Vague Visages on Agnès Varda’s 88th: ‘Le Bonheur’
“Happiness for someone, then, is only achievable at the expense of someone else’s full experience?”
Vague Visages on Agnès Varda’s 88th: ‘La Pointe Courte’
“How unusual to see a woman’s perspective on love presented so plainly as Varda does in ‘La Pointe Courte.'”
More Than Shadows #1: Series Introduction
“There will be unrequited love and monstrous desires amongst these essays.”
His Blazing Automatics: The ‘District 13’ Films, ‘Brick Mansions’ and Cultural Identity in Action
A Column on Action Films by Dylan Moses Griffin
Of Love and Other Demons: ‘Too Late Blues’ (John Cassavetes, 1961)
A Weekly Column on Love and Erotica in Cinema by Justine A. Smith
Violently Tender: The Secret Humanism of Vincent Gallo’s ‘Buffalo ’66’
“Though bleak and at times brutal, ‘Buffalo ’66’ manages to evoke a world of sensitivity that’s, dare I say, rather feminine.”
Studio Ghibli Forever: An Initiation – ‘Laputa: Castle in the Sky’
“It is a film for little humans (and big humans) that places hopefulness, imagination and kindness above all else.”
Why Criticism: When Podcasts Reign and 5 Essentials
A Column on Film Criticism by Justine A. Smith
The Chicago Critics Film Festival Review: Patricia Rozema’s ‘Into the Forest’
“For a feminist attempt to show two women leaning on each other, ‘Into the Forest’ barely sketches them out.”
‘The Nice Guys’ Doesn’t Finish Last But Occasionally Stumbles
“Considering so many buddy cop movies of late treat their stories as afterthoughts, kudos to Black for actually delving into a compelling mystery with The Nice Guys… “
Cult Vault, Part Two: Deconstructing the Horror Machine in ‘Scream’ and ‘The Cabin in the Woods’
“Where ‘Scream’ comments on how to play the game, ‘Cabin’ comments on who actually gets to play.”
Of Love and Other Demons: ‘Husbands’ (John Cassavetes, 1970)
A Weekly Column on Love and Erotica in Cinema by Justine A. Smith
Studio Ghibli Forever: An Initiation and ‘Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind’
“An adventure that lives in a place outside of time, ‘Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind’ offers a haggard reflection of humanity’s dark side before proclaiming hopefulness and love the ultimate victor.”
Why Criticism: Writing Prompts and Fiction
A Column on Film Criticism by Justine A. Smith
Review: Susanna White’s ‘Our Kind of Traitor’
“A solidly constructed sophomore feature from director Susanna White, ‘Our Kind of Traitor’ is a tight thriller that, while rarely excelling to any sort of transcendent heights, never really steps a foot wrong.”
Capitolo 20: Mani in Alto / Marco Bellocchio’s ‘Fists in the Pocket’
A Series on Italian Cinema by Q.V. Hough
We Failed This Film: Bong Joon-ho’s ‘Snowpiercer’ (2013)
A Series by Dylan Moses Griffin