“‘Galaxy Quest’ remains great as a testament to sci-fi filmmaking, television and reverence to ‘Star Trek’ as a fandom phenomenon which can only be understood and engaged with via postmodern means.”
“‘Complete Unknown’ seems to have its finger on the pulse of something characteristic of our FOMO culture.”
“Centered on a made-for-television film, ‘Passion’ blends the far reaches of Western art with the birth of new mediums.”
“I think that Schrader is just reaching out, trying to stretch his directorial arms, trying to show everything that he’s got.”
“‘American Gigolo’ doesn’t necessarily work as a neo-noir, but it still has enough romance and intrigue to be well worth watching.”
“Maybe it’s his own nostalgia or the naturalistic approach, but I haven’t felt someone film my city with that much love in a long time.”
A Column on Film Criticism by Justine A. Smith
“Similar to the audience polarization of other onenote comics (like Ricky Gervais), Cross’ locked, angry views overwhelm his substantial wit.”
“In the forbidden, Oshima reveals the fear of our own meaninglessness and our inability to face death as a certainty.”
A Weekly Column on Love and Erotica in Cinema by Justine A. Smith
“Much of Au hasard Balthazar’s transcendental value derives from its explicit openness to theological interpretation, particularly given Bresson’s oft-commented upon Catholicism and some of the film’s more overt symbolism.”
“The film identifies the dark heart of summer, the humid stagnation and sense of dread that is the season’s essence.”
“It is Herzog’s simultaneous exhibition of curiosity, awe, and irreverence in the face of the digitally connected world that makes ‘Lo and Behold’ a unique treatment of its subject that is not to be missed.”
“‘The Childhood of a Leader’ may not behold a traditional narrative, yet Corbet’s auterist style creates a memorable visceral effect.”
A Column on Film Criticism by Justine A. Smith
Jacob Oller on ‘The Tick,’ ‘I Love Dick’ and ‘Jean-Claude Van Johnson’
“For supposed ‘prestige TV,’ ‘The Night Of’ is simply lazy.”
“A deeply affecting and personal vision, it’s an essential entry in the history of eroticism in Canadian cinema.”
A Weekly Column on Love and Erotica in Cinema by Justine A. Smith
A Weekly Column on Film Criticism by Justine A. Smith