Review: Jonas Åkerlund’s ‘Lords of Chaos’
“‘Lords of Chaos’ is a nasty little treat: involving, fascinating and often shocking.”
A Man with No Country: A Conversation with ‘Burning’ Star Steven Yeun
Iana Murray on Her London Film Festival Conversation with ‘Burning’ Star Steven Yeun
‘Finding Dory,’ Restoring Relationships and Finding a Way to View Mental Illness
“Sometimes, there’s a moment in your life when you’re experiencing something that perfectly intersects with a character on screen.”
IFFR 2019 Review: Ryûsuke Hamaguchi’s ‘Asako I & II’
“With surprising poignancy, ‘Asako I and II’ channels the humbling smallness of life’s journey, and the human tendency to resist this banal, often disappointing reality with self-delusion.”
Review: Morgan Neville’s ‘They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead’
“Its vibrating self-awareness, unwieldy traveling circus vibe and mind-bending movie-within-a-movie duality allow Welles to simultaneously mock and indulge in the critically celebrated, sexually-charged, Antonioni-style, European art film.”
Dan Gilroy’s ‘Velvet Buzzsaw’ Doesn’t Work as a Thriller or Satire
“‘Velvet Buzzsaw’ is nicer to look at than a urinal signed ‘R. Mutt,’ but like Duchamp’s ‘Fountain,’ I won’t be rushing to see it again anytime soon.”
Album Review: Boy Harsher ‘Careful’
“There’s no solace in the music of Boy Harsher, only a feeling that we are all facing the same fears and uncertainties. Yet, sometimes, that is solace enough.”
IFFR 2019 Review: Philippe Lesage’s ‘Genèse’
“Lesage has once more proven himself to be an astute chronicler of personal growth in those turbulent and anxiety-ridden years where the mind and the body are as mysterious as they are vulnerable.”
Sandi Tan’s ‘Shirkers’ Is an Indie Filmmaking Dream Deferred
“How many movies have been lost or nearly lost to circumstances before a public release can provide closure for the anxious and expectant filmmaker?”
Out Among the Stars: Warren Beatty Reflects on Revolution in ‘Reds’
“Just as Reed’s real-life contemporaries reflect on the revolutionary ideals of their era in ‘Reds,’ Beatty bears witness to his own, staring down a massive canvas of his contemporaries’ successes and failures, the romance of their innovations and the exclusionary nature of their excess.”
IFFR 2019 Review: Jane Schoenbrun’s ‘A Self-Induced Hallucination’
“A thorough, engaging thesis that bridges physical and digital gaps both affirming and sinister, ‘A Self-Induced Hallucination’ is a witty, gripping compilation of collaborative creativity and sterile self-interest.”
Fight Like a Man: The ‘Rocky’ Series and Masculinity
“The ‘Rocky’ films have given us great heroes. Their protagonists are sweet and kind, courageous and indominable. They have given us so much to cheer for. But they’ve also grown out of an idea of masculinity that is deeply, meaningfully flawed.”
Hell Hath No Fury: How Women Dominated Horror in 2018
“The future of horror isn’t female, it’s the present. And it’s about bloody time.”
Two Hearts: The Love and Loss of Pawel Pawlikowski’s ‘Cold War’
“Another stunning work of perfectly placed ellipses and calculated restraint, Pawel Pawlikowski’s ‘Cold War’ is a film filled with images as iconic and austere as its blunt title.”
Vague Visages Short Stories: iamdifid: by D.M. Palmer
Vague Visages Short Stories #13: iamdifid: by D.M. Palmer (Sheffield, UK)
We Are Our Media: ‘Assassination Nation’ and Pop Art Society
“Part of me expects something as grandiose as ‘Assassination Nation’ to happen in real life, and that’s what’s especially terrifying.”
‘Glass’ Is a Superhero Movie for People Who Like Analyzing Superhero Movies
“Where DC trades in grim realism and Marvel does the whole snarky, joke-a-minute thing, the Shyamalanverse is a flavor all its own, a world where superheroes exist, but they don’t wear capes and their lives are usually pretty awful.”
Multiple Maniacs: ‘Split’ and the Uncanny
“Despite sharing a universe with ‘Unbreakable,’ M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Split’ fits into a deeper cinematic legacy of psychosexual horror, one that speaks to our sense of the uncanny…”
Netflix’s ‘Close’ Succeeds in Crafting Authentic Female Characters
“The vibrant and explosive opening credits sequence sets the tone for an action-packed story that truly feels real and allows women to feel empowered.”
‘The Village’: A Slow Burner Fueled by Power Lies
“‘The Village’ is indeed a fantastic movie, and one that deserves more credit. That is the twist that actually matters.”