Review: Joe Denardo and Paul Felten’s ‘Slow Machine’
“The conspiratorial is everywhere in ‘Slow Machine’ but doesn’t come into focus.”
Smoke ‘Em: ‘The Fast and the Furious’ at 20
Joey Keogh on the 20th Anniversary of ‘The Fast and the Furious’
Review: David Charbonier and Justin Powell’s ‘The Djinn’
“The Djinn’s central performance is a demonically excellent tour de force, and the work’s inclusion of Islamic folklore is a welcome presence in the Christian-dominated sphere of demon-related American horror films.”
Insinuendos in the Hacienda: ‘Sexy Beast’ at 20
“Beautifully shot, wildly inventive and devilishly unpredictable – and with a swooning, dead-cool soundtrack to match – ‘Sexy Beast’ is well worth celebrating on its 20th anniversary.”
The Unfashionable: Thomas Bezucha’s ‘Let Him Go’
“Unlike many neo-westerns, which bandy hollow notions of ‘civilization’ that play out on the film’s surface, ‘Let Him Go’ runs a classical plot through a refined image of modern society.”
Review: Michael Chaves’ ‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It’
“‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It’ fails to meet its potential as a thoughtful thriller that explores possession on both the supernatural and human front…”
Mannhunting: Exploring Masculinity in the Films of Michael Mann – Part Three
Mannhunting #3 by Bill Bria (‘Ali,’ ‘The Insider’ and ‘Collateral’)
You Must Be THIS OLD to Ride in George A. Romero’s ‘The Amusement Park’
“Romero’s movies have a workshop feel to them, which elevates the horror to a startlingly realistic terror as if it was being documented live.”
Review: Damian Mc Carthy’s ‘Caveat’
“Deeply unsettling and profoundly frightening, ‘Caveat’ is a remarkably assured debut for Mc Carthy and a real showcase for the talents of its small cast, particularly French as the tortured protagonist.”
Review: George A. Romero’s ‘The Amusement Park’
“‘The Amusement Park’ may not be Romero’s angriest film, but it’s one of his most deliberately disturbing…”
Interview with ‘Irul’ Filmmaker Naseef Yusuf Izuddin
Dipankar Sarkar Interviews ‘Irul’ Filmmaker Naseef Yusuf Izuddin
Review: Pat Mills’ ‘The Retreat’
“While having gay leads is a refreshing inclusion in a genre that has historically excised or executed them, Mills’ movie is a toothless response to the ‘bury your gays’ trope.”
Review: Yimou Zhang’s ‘Cliff Walkers’
“Yimou Zhang’s ‘Cliff Walkers’ looks amazing but suffers from poorly-written characters and stiff performances.”
Monte Hellman: A Master of the Language of Cinema
Author Joseph B. Atkins on Filmmaker Monte Hellman’s Life and Career
Netflix Review: Ryuichi Hiroki’s ‘Ride or Die’
“Plenty of double-themed movies have been made over the years, but ‘Ride or Die’ seems like an ideal companion piece to ‘Persona.’ Both films are sexually provocative, and both require multiple viewings to better understand the perspectives of each female protagonist.”
Netflix Review: ‘The Serpent’ Suffers from an Identity Crisis
“‘The Serpent’ fashions itself as a serial killer epic, but feels more like an uninspired Jacques Audiard knockoff that shows little interest in deconstructing the psychology of its subject.”
SXSW Review: Alex Noyer’s ‘Sound of Violence’ – A Loud but Toothless Slasher
“Sound of Violence’s nonchalant depictions of violence, which occur with such obfuscation due to uncoordinated quick-cut editing and color filters, render it a fangless drama with un-engaging sequences of killing and torture.”
Glasgow Film Festival Review: Bryan Fogel’s ‘The Dissident’
“Bryan Fogel’s new documentary about the murder of Jamal Khashoggi is unsurprisingly hard-hitting, but it’s the context for macro-scale geopolitics that ‘The Dissident’ communicates so well.”
Glasgow Film Festival Review: Min-Ho Woo’s ‘The Man Standing Next’
“Both emotionally and narratively, ‘The Man Standing Next’ is an easy story to get lost in.”
Glasgow Film Festival Review: Kevin Macdonald’s ‘The Mauritanian’
“The foregrounding of Mohamedou’s experiences and perspective — and, by extension, all those subjected to Guantánamo’s purpose — is the fuel in The Mauritanian’s engine.”