Robert Rodriguez’s ‘Alita: Battle Angel’ Falls Short
“Rodriguez’s battle scenes and the performance capture acting of Rosa Salazar (Alita) are shining aspects of the film, but not enough to render it praiseworthy overall.”
Review: Paul Hyett’s ‘Peripheral’
“Even when too much stuff is being thrown at the screen, it’s hard not to admire ‘Peripheral’ for trying.”
NYFF 2018 Review: Claire Denis’ ‘High Life’
“Denis’ approach resembles that of Pattinson’s performance: pointedly pared down to the bare minimum without fully untethering from recognizable humanity.”
The Experience of Death in the ‘Phantasm’ Series
“The ‘Phantasm’ films may be the best and most consistent source for on-screen existential terror, and their dream logic that allows for numerous interpretations keeps them endlessly watchable.”
You Want It Darker: A MoMI Series Depicts Vladimir Putin’s Russia as Violent and Corrupt
“MoMI’s series is an unflattering depiction of Mother Russia that isn’t new, but these films in particular — and this series in general — provide narratives that illustrate the specifics of Putin’s disorderly government…”
Long Live the New Flesh: Bodies, Horrors and Desires in David Cronenberg’s ‘Crash’ and ‘Videodrome’
“In ‘Crash,’ sex feels like a traffic accident. In ‘Videodrome,’ it becomes the subject of a warped, projected fantasy.”
‘It Comes at Night’ and the Trouble with Horror Movies That Don’t Fit Into a Genre-Specific Box
“The genius of ‘It Comes at Night’ is that its monsters are, for the most part, human.”
Vague Visages Short Stories: Speaking of Ghosts by Mike Thorn
Vague Visages Short Stories #6: Speaking of Ghosts by Mike Thorn (Calgary, Alberta)
Vague Visages Short Stories: The Caveat by Dan Thorn
Vague Visages Short Stories #5: The Caveat by Dan Thorn (Calgary, Alberta)
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.”
‘Arrival’ and the Perils of Science Fiction
“What is awkward about these ‘Arrival’ reviews is how they oppose the film’s best qualities to its generic roots.”
Vague Visages Short Stories: Cherished Swan by D.M. Palmer
Vague Visages Short Stories #1: Cherished Swan by D.M. Palmer (Sheffield, UK)
Review: Francis Lawrence’s ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1’
“Lawrence is simply marvelous again and delivers a surprisingly beautiful vocal performance that demonstrates her well-rounded talent as a performer.”
Review: Chasing Kristina Buožytė’s ‘Vanishing Waves’
“‘Vanishing Waves’ boasts a touch of Andrei Tarkovsky, but I found many similarities to the psychosexual thrillers of French director Alain Robbe-Grillet, most notably ‘Eden and After’ (1970) and ‘Successive Slidings of Pleasure’ (1974).”