“With contemporary independent filmmakers like Sanal Kumar Sasidharan and his lot who stay true to their singular vision and distinctive voice, the rising new wave of Indian cinema looks set to grow bigger and stronger in the near future.”
“‘Speak No Evil’ is a horror-comedy of manners, and the performances are solid throughout, particularly from the children, but the movie’s cynical, meaningless and utterly contrived conclusion feels like a cheat after everything that’s come before.”
“‘Neptune Frost’ challenges and frustrates, and often leaves one wishing for more clarity. But it is filled with poetry, and it understands the importance of projecting an alternative to our reality.”
“‘Loving Highsmith’ is like a carefully curated Instagram account — it tells part of the story and avoids the messy stuff.”
“Maitland’s sense of graphic design and visual organization are chief pleasures of ‘Dear Mr. Brody.'”
“‘After Blue’ isn’t completely impenetrable, and it is lovely to look at, but if there’s a strong feminist statement being made — underneath the flagrant nudity and sexual escapades — it’s buried pretty deep.”
“Directors Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler blend creative visual storytelling with keen legal and historical acumen to transform Jeffery Robinson’s potent stage lecture into one of the most vital documentaries of the year.”
“Director Philipp Reichenheim (who also uses the handle Philipp Virus) compiles a serviceable primer on the wall of sound produced by one of the seminal power trios of 1980s independent/DIY music.”
“‘Superbad’ has stood the test of time, and will continue to do so, because there are so few movies that tackle male friendships in such a brutally honest manner, with care and attention, and without falling back on sarcasm once all is said and done.”
“‘Happening’ will remind viewers of Eliza Hittman’s ‘Never Rarely Sometimes Always’ for the way in which both films present the practical challenges faced by women seeking abortion care.”
“‘Elvis’ isn’t a biopic — it’s a testament to the power of fandom, stardom and art.”
“If ‘The Angelic Conversation’ portrays a time where loving affection could be found amongst the rubble of industrialization, then ‘The Last of England’ shows how affection, love and hope are lost qualities of a paradisal past.”
“Given Araya’s small-scale origins in a country without a major film industry, it remains a fascinating testament to both the lives of the peninsula’s inhabitants and the film’s own creation.”
Raymond Rea Interview: Greg Carlson and the filmmaker/educator discuss movie collecting.
Visions of the Future from 1995: Touching with Synthetic Hands by D.M. Palmer: “These films posited that to dream in public, to build new worlds on this freshly privatized terrain, was to risk new and previously inconceivable forms of personal ruin.”
Cinema Rediscovered Essay by Fedor Tot | Women-Led Films of the 1930s | Jewel Robbery (1932) | Red-Headed Woman (1932) | Baby Face (1933)
“One of the most refreshing dimensions of ‘Nope’ resides in Peele’s willingness to trust viewers to follow him into unexpected territory.”
“‘He’s Watching’ is a practical and efficient horror film in the style of Rob Savage’s ‘Host’ (2020), but its brilliance lies in Estes’ subversive funhouse mirror approach.”
“‘Diary of a Spy’ mostly keeps viewers in the dark; it’s unclear what makes the main characters tick. Anna and Camden are Dostoevskian figures in spirit, from a different tale, who seem lost in time.”
“Hyde’s handling of the material, confirmed by her tone and the setting, should not be condemned for something it is decidedly not.”