‘Deep Blue Sea’ Is Still the Biggest, Baddest Shark Movie Since ‘Jaws’
“Unlike its modern genre contemporaries, ‘Deep Blue Sea’ takes itself seriously, creating genuine fear and tension from the characters’ perilous situation.”
This Is Not a Book Review: On William Brown’s ‘Non-Cinema: Global Digital Film-making and the Multitude’
Yoana Pavlova on William Brown’s ‘Non-Cinema: Global Digital Film-making and the Multitude’
You Gotta Act: The Wild Innocence of Melanie Griffith
“With her beauty– but more importantly, her natural ease and irresistible girlishness — Melanie Griffith presented a form of femininity ideally suited to a specific time of the late 1980s.”
Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes: Fashioning the Love Triangle in ‘The Philadelphia Story’
“‘The Philadelphia Story’ situated itself at a turning point in 20th century history, between the destitution of the Great Depression and the destruction of World War II (along with the following boom). It’s in this moment, one of not knowing where America would end up next, that the film exists…”
Imitation of Life: The Films of Frank Mosley
“The short films of Frank Mosley are miracles of economy. Finely observed, conceptually audacious and formally assured, Mosley’s filmmaking reflects a remarkable maturity and ambition rarely exhibited in the contemporary landscape of low-budget American cinema.”
Bo Burnham’s ‘Eighth Grade’ Is an Honest and Authentic Portrayal of the Teen Experience
“The success of Bo Burnham’s ‘Eighth Grade’ proves that audiences crave the authenticity that’s been lacking for so long, and by providing it, the film ends the stereotypical portrayal of teenagers.”
Photo Essay by Andy Witchger: Superorganism at Minneapolis’ First Avenue
“While Superorganism’s sound channels psych-pop reminiscent of mid-era Flaming Lips and the youthful glee of Architecture in Helsinki, Noguchi delivers casual observations with an adolescent malaise akin to Stephen Malkmus. The results are beautiful, buoyant and occasionally baffling.”
Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: Kate Saccone on Charles Walters’ ‘Summer Stock’
“I’ve always had a soft spot for ‘Summer Stock’ — it may not be the most innovative or exciting of Kelly’s films, but it’s an unpretentious movie that delights in the pure pleasure of musical entertainment, from the outright silly to the romantically sincere.”
A Problem Without a Solution: On Alex Garland’s ‘Annihilation’
“The body and the mind, and the horror therein, may be renewed through a metamorphosis of perception, as there is hope to be found in letting it, whatever it is, grow.”
‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ Won’t Let You Down
“When it comes to sheer quantity of triple-crosses, double agents, remote control gizmo toys, one-liners, stunts and rubber mask fake outs, ‘Mission: Impossible — Fallout’ outdoes its predecessors. The big question now, however, is whether the longevity of this franchise is finally taking its toll on the overall quality.”
Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: Marianna Aloisio-Seale on Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s ‘Black Narcissus’
“No matter the fantasy and clash of culture that swirls around ‘Black Narcissus,’ it is probably best that The Archers did not revisit Orientalist ideas, and that they stuck to what they knew best — the human interest and depths of United Kingdom and European issues.”
The Experience of Death in the ‘Phantasm’ Series
“The ‘Phantasm’ films may be the best and most consistent source for on-screen existential terror, and their dream logic that allows for numerous interpretations keeps them endlessly watchable.”
VV Shudder Selects: Ciara Pitts on Harry Kümel’s ‘Daughters of Darkness’
“‘Daughters of Darkness’ invites the audience into a cold, dreamlike experience that explores the versatility of desire.”
Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: Sara Clements on Agnès Varda’s ‘Cléo from 5 to 7’
“The first word that comes to mind when describing ‘Cléo from 5 to 7’ is escapism. Not only is it an escape for the audience, with Agnès Varda’s documentary style taking viewers on a tour of one of Paris’ many districts, but it explores the title character’s need to break free.”
How the New French Extremity Is Redefining the Final Girl
“Through buckets of blood, ruined flesh and screams, the New French Extremity is creating a cultural commentary about perceptions of gender and nihilism through the adaptation, and ultimate destruction, of an established horror trope.”
You Gotta Act: The Extreme Sincerity of Meredith Hagner
“Here’s to hoping that Meredith Hagner will continue to make us laugh while taking her ludicrous characters seriously for many more years, just like Marilyn Monroe did before her.”
In the Presence of a Clown: On the Films of Rick Alverson
“Alverson takes familiar images, milieus and scenarios as a starting point, only to render them alien, jettisoning the usual tenets of narrative cinema in favour of a style that’s far more challenging and hard to define.”
Review: Debra Granik’s ‘Leave No Trace’
“‘Leave No Trace’ finds its tension in the growing gap between father and daughter as Tom’s worldview widens while Will’s closes in.”
You Want It Darker: A MoMI Series Depicts Vladimir Putin’s Russia as Violent and Corrupt
“MoMI’s series is an unflattering depiction of Mother Russia that isn’t new, but these films in particular — and this series in general — provide narratives that illustrate the specifics of Putin’s disorderly government…”
‘Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation’ Is Genndy Tartakovsky’s Mania Gone Unproductively Mad
“For all the music that ‘Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation’ offers, it amounts to a one-note production.”