Blood in the Snow Film Festival 2018: A Showcase for Shorts
“While not every film in this BITS shorts showcase completely hits its mark, each has something to offer. It’s refreshing to see this array of talent on display from Canadian creators.”
Album Review: WHIMM ‘A Stare Ajar’
“This is a trio dwelling on the sharp, atonal edge of post-punk”
EP Review: Ultrviolence ‘Forty Knives’
“Throughout ‘Forty Knives,’ Jespersen’s voice betrays his emotions and listening to him sing often feels like sneaking peeks at his diary.”
Vague Visages Short Stories: The Caveat by Dan Thorn
Vague Visages Short Stories #5: The Caveat by Dan Thorn (Calgary, Alberta)
Playlist Review: Drake ‘More Life’
“By taking the pressure off himself, Drake has freed himself up to produce his most spry, self-assured work yet.”
RIDM 2016 Review: Claire Simon’s ‘Le concours’
“What makes someone a great artist before they’ve made any great works of art? That becomes the central question and object of scrutiny at the heart of ‘Le concours,’ making it one of the most compelling examinations of auteur driven cinema.”
RIDM 2016 Review: Patric Chiha’s ‘Brothers of the Night’
“‘Brothers of the Night’ takes an unexpected approach and reveals hidden parts of life amongst Bulgarian male hustlers in Vienna.”
Why Criticism: Defining New Cinema at FNC 2016
“In search of new worlds and experiences, this year’s FNC has been a journey from the physical world to the metaphysical.”
Why Criticism: Queer Film Classics and ‘Forbidden Love’
A Column on Film Criticism by Justine A. Smith
At the Cinémathèque: Is ‘Kamouraska’ Better Than ‘Mon oncle Antoine’?
A Justine A. Smith Series on Montreal’s Cinémathèque Québécoise
EIFF 2016 Review: Christy Garland’s ‘Cheer Up’
“Garland’s structure with the film’s construction is part observational documentary, part techniques used more with fiction features.”
The Boundaries of Intimacy Are Explored in Porn-Based Dramas ‘After Eden’ and ‘Malgré la nuit’
“In the end, the two films are essentially stories about connections with others, with life itself and ourselves.”
Interview with Philippe Falardeau, Director of ‘Guibord s’en va-t-en guerre’
Justine A. Smith Interviews Philippe Falardeau