Where Is My Mind?: The Leftovers ‘I Live Here Now’ (Recap)
“If this is the last hour we spend watching The Leftovers, then “I Live Here Now” is certainly a historic one that successfully doubles as both a season finale and a series finale.”
His Blazing Automatics: For Your Year-End List Consideration – John Maclean’s ‘Slow West’
“Simply put, Slow West is unlike anything out there this year and deserves to be recognized as one of the most unique works of 2015, as it only grows and develops with each viewing.”
Of Love and Other Demons: The Toxic Masculinity of Michael Cimino’s ‘Year of the Dragon’
A Weekly Column on Love and Erotica in Cinema by Justine A. Smith
Review: Tom Browne’s ‘Radiator’
“Radiator never actually “deals” with any of the lofty existentialisms it digs up, firmly positing that they should remain the unknowable, unthinkable aspects of life.”
Do You Actualize?: Fargo ‘Loplop’ (Recap)
“Will Ed and Peggy get what they deserve? What do they deserve, exactly?”
Short but Sweet: The UK Film Festival
“With its diverse range of attendees and entries, as well as the festival’s strong showing at the 64th and 65th Berlinale, The UK Film Festival seems to have a very strong future in the heart of London.”
Review: Alanté Kavaïté’s ‘The Summer of Sangaile’
“Not without its flaws, The Summer of Sangaile is a piece of breezy, sumptuous Sunday-afternoon enjoyment for those that don’t mind taking the time to watch the scenery and allow the story of gentle teenage love to wash over.”
White Lines: The Leftovers ‘Ten Thirteen’ (Recap)
“One of the bright spots about Season Two is how The Leftovers has given each cast member their own episode to shine.”
We Failed This Film: Andrew Dominik’s ‘Killing Them Softly’
A Column by Dylan Moses Griffin
#Noirvember: Joseph H. Lewis’ ‘Gun Crazy’ and the Erotic Allure of Firearms
A Weekly Column on Love and Erotica in Cinema by Justine A. Smith
A Tragic Turn: Fargo ‘Did You Do This? No, You Did It!’ (Recap)
“Throughout Season Two, Fargo has maintained an impeccable balance between comedy and tragedy.”
Two Blistering Performances Help ‘James White’ Achieve Greatness
“In a way, James White is like a dark riff on the man-child formula, but it also works as a devastating exploration of death and decay.”
The Black Lodge: The Leftovers ‘International Assassin’ (Recap)
“The otherworldly has always existed on the peripheries in The Leftovers, but in “International Assassin,” the physical world and the surreal world truly collide.”
Review: Francis Lawrence’s ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2’
“A triumphant end for a series often mocked by critics for its narrative simplicity and “Young Adult” classification, Mockingjay – Part 2 is the finale that fans deserve. “
His Blazing Automatics: Jeff Nichols’ ‘Midnight Special’ and the Middle-Class Studio Film
“If Midnight Special does well in March, the film will undoubtedly encourage an environment in which middle-class studio releases aren’t such a rarity, because the film world needs more working class heroes like Jeff Nichols.”
#Noirvember: Howard Hawks’ ‘The Big Sleep’ (1946) Neuters Marlowe’s Hatred
A Weekly Column on Love and Erotica in Cinema by Justine A. Smith
Review: Rick Alverson’s ‘Entertainment’
“Not merely a story about the loneliness of a career on the road, Entertainment is the struggle of a man singularly steadfast in his pursuit of his chosen art.”
RIDM 2015: ‘Red Hollywood’ (1996) – Another Masterwork From Thom Andersen
“Currently being honoured with a retrospective at the RIDM, Andersen’s cool and measured voice emerges as a through-line in his career.”
RIDM 2015: ‘My Love, Don’t Cross That River’ (Jin Mo-young, 2015)
“My Love, Don’t Cross That River, a documentary about a Korean couple who have been together for 75 years, achieves cinema’s full potential as a medium of poetry.”
Tension Mounts: Fargo ‘Rhinoceros’ (Recap)
“One of the most impressive aspects of Fargo this season has been the show’s ability to digress without ever losing focus.”