Of Love and Other Demons: ‘Baby Doll’ Celebrates Its 60th Anniversary
A Column on Love and Erotica in Cinema by Justine A. Smith
James Benning’s ‘Stemple Pass’: Minimalist Horror for Trump’s America
“Played in 2016, it’s eerily prophetic.”
Vaguebande: Changing Horizons
“It reminds me of Ingmar Bergman films and the inspirational depression that I love.”
Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: Stanley Kubrick’s ‘Fear and Desire’
“‘Fear and Desire’ is more than just a curio for the Kubrick completist. It is indeed a genuinely revealing work.”
The Subversive Power of ‘Elle’
“‘Elle’ is a demented Rorschach test of the highest degree.”
Album Review: Childish Gambino ‘Awaken, My Love!’
“AML is giant leap forward, as the juvenile raps/punchlines of previous records are replaced with deep-felt yearning.”
A Portraiture of Grief in ‘Manchester by the Sea’ and ‘Personal Shopper’
“Whereas Lonergan interrogates the realities of grief with sober restraint, ‘Personal Shopper’ director Olivier Assayas plunges viewers right into his protagonist’s bereaved headspace.”
Streamless – Off the Subscription Grid: ‘The Star Wars Holiday Special’
Mike Postalakis on the 1978 Fiasco ‘The Star Wars Holiday Special’
Why Criticism: Adam Nayman’s ‘Ben Wheatley: Confusion and Carnage’
A Column on Film Criticism by Justine A. Smith
Album Review: Pavo Pavo ‘Young Narrator in the Breakers’
“Ethereal with an eye roll, Bagg seems to have materialized from a Zach Braff vision board. Her voice is soothing, a tossed-off Julie Andrews.”
Genre Sampling: On Iranian Vampires, Adolescent Demons, Long Nights and Shards of Kryptonite
“Tropes and archetypes are global, fitting into different national contexts while carrying with them the memory of their international itineraries.”
James Bond and Artifice
“No longer tasked with putting the missing pieces of action, intrigue and effects together in our heads, the artifice of Bond is gone forever — and with it, any room for playful interpretation.”
Houston Cinematic Arts Festival: Interview with Cinematographer Frederick Elmes
Marshall Shaffer Interviews Iconic Indie Cinematographer Fred Elmes
No Exit: Access and Isolation in Babak Anvari’s ‘Under the Shadow’
“‘Under the Shadow’ is an admirable film, albeit not wholly original.”
Why Criticism: Understanding Film Restoration
A Column on Film Criticism by Justine A. Smith
Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: Jean-Pierre Melville’s ‘Le Samouraï’
“Jean-Pierre Melville’s ‘Le Samourai’ is the definition of cinematic precision. Each shot, each cut, each movement is a slice of redolent, provocative and sometimes even banal accuracy.”
As American as Apple Pie: The Contemporary Applicability of Jacques Tourneur’s ‘Cat People’
“In regards to modern day politics, ‘Cat People’ captures the anti-immigration fervor of the 2016 American presidential campaign and election.”
Christopher Nolan’s ‘Interstellar’ and the Need for Humane Media
“Love can be what survives if we show up to do the work.”
A Mother’s Twisted Love: Lucile Hadzihalilovic’s ‘Evolution’
“Elliptical and predominantly visual, ‘Evolution’ will frustrate any viewer unwilling to let go of common sense.”
Streamless – Off the Subscription Grid: ‘Heavy Metal Parking Lot’
“This is L-I-V-I-N in the moment at its best.”