Of Love and Other Demons: ‘Tabu’ (Miguel Gomes, 2012)
“The strength of ‘Tabu’ lies in how powerfully sex is captured, offering aural and visual textures that inspire sensorial memories.”
Review: Bill Condon’s ‘Mr. Holmes’
“The tender performance of McKellen, as might be expected, is a reliable anchor keeping things afloat; the actor seemingly relishing a major turn free of mutants and wizardry — a fantasy icon on fine form as a man not fond of the fantastic.”
A Vague Visages Colloquy: True Detective ‘Down Will Come’
A Conversation Between Q.V. Hough, Dylan Moses Griffin and Max Bledstein
Transformation, Resurrection and Close-Ups: Hannibal ‘Dolce’ (Recap)
“Perhaps the water from the beginning of the episode points more towards resurrection than forgiveness, and if the rest of the season is as strong as “Dolce,” one can only hope Hannibal’s fate will point in the same way.”
The Dueling Cavalier: ‘Magic Mike XXL’ is the Most Progressive Hollywood Movie in Ages (and It’s a Total Blast!)
A Column by Max Bledstein
The Early Novels of Patrick Modiano: ‘Villa Triste’ (Sad Villa)
The Fifth Installment of Jaime Grijalba’s Series on Patrick Modiano
Review: Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin’s ‘What We Did on Our Holiday’
“A BBC Films production from the minds of Outnumbered, What We Did on Our Holiday often looks and feels like an extended sitcom episode rather than a film.”
Understanding the Reveal: True Detective ‘Maybe Tomorrow’ (Recap)
“Don’t allow yourself to be fooled by the “reveals” of True Detective.”
Laughter in the Dark: John Cassavetes’ Comedies
Part 4 of “Tightrope Cinema: John Cassavetes’ Highwire World” by Phuong Le
Recap: Hannibal ‘Contorno’
“As the plot of Hannibal continues to move forward, it also won’t stop looking back.”
VOD Review: Patrick Brice’s ‘Creep’
“An interesting, indie-minded horror, Creep’s simplicity adds to its effectiveness as a taught, jarring film.”
We Failed This Film: David Fincher’s ‘Zodiac’
Part Two of a Series by Dylan Moses Griffin
Review: Charlie Manton’s ‘Beneath Water’ (Short Film)
“Charlie Manton (The Imitation Game) shows incredible promise as a filmmaker with Beneath Water, as the visual techniques and character staging project someone in command of their own personal style.”
The Readiness Is All: True Detective ‘Night Finds You’ (Recap)
“As a creative whole, the second episode of True Detective was darker than its predecessor, and Nic Pizzolatto’s blatant dialogue ensured that casual viewers would get the hint.”
Review: Josh Lawson’s ‘The Little Death’
“Billed as a comedy about sex, Josh Lawson’s The Little Death only manages to explore a small margin of the current sexual landscape.”
Review: Kenny Riches’ ‘The Strongest Man’
“A subdued comedy with some truly inventive gags, The Strongest Man is the culmination of an original voice on the rise more than the triumph of a writer-director already on top.”
Recap: Hannibal ‘Aperitivo’
“This week’s hour was the first of the season not directed by Vincenzo Natali, and his aesthetic sensibility/attention to detail feels missing throughout the episode.”
How Louis Feuillade’s ‘Judex’ and Georges Franju’s Remake Created the Cinematic Language of the Caped Crusader
An Essay by Dylan Moses Griffin
Guns and Dreams in John Cassavetes’ Noirs
An Essay by Phuong Le
Intimate Observations: True Detective ‘The Western Book of the Dead’ (Recap)
“This is Los Angeles pulp fiction — not a mystical world of sky monsters and poetic speeches.”