Vague Visages Short Stories: The Housatonic Revenge by Mike Ashcroft
Vague Visages Short Stories #4: The Housatonic Revenge by Mike Ashcroft (Kendal, UK)
Album Review: The Flaming Lips ‘Oczy Mlody’
“Ultimately, ‘Oczy Mlody’ is a hangover from one too many Cyrus-thrown bashes.”
In ‘Moonlight,’ Black Is the Warmest Color
“Not only does it feel true to its origins, but it also speaks to viewers from different parts of the world.”
Sparkling Romances and Sweet Facades: Damien Chazelle’s ‘La La Land’
“Might I put it out into the ether that a ‘weak link’ doesn’t exist in ‘La La Land’.”
Made Like Welles: Denzel Washington’s ‘Fences’
“In my mind, ‘Fences’ and Denzel’s work is comparable to the best of Orson Welles.”
Kiss Me Deadly: Sex and Gender in ‘Liquid Sky’
“‘Liquid Sky’ seems more relevant than ever.”
Redemptive Criminality in David Mackenzie’s ‘Hell or High Water’
“The grey hue of ‘Hell or High Water’ becomes more distinguishable when juxtaposed to films with plots that are more clearly black or white.”
Review: Ester Gould and Reijer Zwaan’s ‘Strike a Pose’
“Recollecting lessons learned is not the same as actual learning.”
EP Review: Of Montreal ‘Rune Husk’
“This is the closest anyone has come to the Head-era Monkees.”
Casting a Spell for Peace: On ‘Arrival,’ Max Richter and Our Unending Need for Violence
“It’s in Louise’s absolute refusal to allow our barbaric side to win that ‘Arrival’ shows its moral core.”
Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: Jeremy Carr on Mike Leigh’s ‘Happy-Go-Lucky’
Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: A Column Devoted to the Streaming Platform FilmStruck
The Tribal Landscapes of Andrea Arnold
“Andrea Arnold’s work encapsulates the liminal stage of feminine adolescence.”
What’s Normal Anyway?: Searching for Balance in ‘Captain Fantastic’
“‘Captain Fantastic’ doesn’t provide definitive answers to the lingering questions of normalcy and grief, but instead it encourages viewers to find the necessary balance to live life on their own terms.”
Album Review: Jay Som ‘Turn Into’
“‘Turn Into’ is a throwback to the “guitar record”; this is a hook-driven, lushly layered experience; guitar tone as mood enhancer.”
In Defense Of: Pascal Laugier’s ‘The Tall Man’ (2012)
“By refusing to provide facile answers, ‘The Tall Man’ is, in many ways, just as much of a challenging film as ‘Martyrs.'”
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door: Analyzing Martin Scorsese’s ‘Silence’ as a Remake of His 1967 Debut
“Scorsese’s latest film channels the same intellectual curiosity and spiritual fervor of his directorial debut, with the addition of nearly 50 years of experience in technical skill and storytelling precision.”
Losses Made in Heaven: Martin Scorsese’s ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ and ‘Casino’
“In Scorsese’s inversion of the downfall, paradise isn’t the origin and its loss doesn’t mean moral decrepitude, only mediocrity.”
Review: Martin Scorsese’s ‘Silence’
“For all its violence and grandiosity, it stands as an impressively filmed indictment against religious persecution.”
Heartstrings: The Musical Presence of Martin Scorsese’s Films
“More than any of Scorsese’s own cameos, his music accompanies viewers as they watch, as if he were watching along with everybody else.”
What I Learned from Martin Scorsese’s ‘Life Lessons’
“Martin Scorsese’s ‘Life Lessons’ benefits more from analysis as a self-standing artistic expression than as a counterpoint to the other installments of ‘New York Stories.'”