I’m looking forward to seeing Emily the Criminal starring Aubrey Plaza, which should be screening everywhere by the time this is published. Keeping that in mind, I decided to revisit Matt Spicer’s Plaza-starring Ingrid Goes West, a terrific little black comedy and cautionary tale that examines social media through the lens of obsession and mental health. The film also balances some thriller-esque elements with great character work.
Read MoreSession 9 (2001) #RetroReview
I remember sitting in a rather empty theater in 2001, waiting to see Session 9. My ex was an Insulator, and that drove us to the cinema that night to see this underrated horror gem. This ambiguous film has perhaps never found the audience it should have.
Read MoreThe Gray Man (2022)
The Russo brothers have been branching out since their massive success within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Their latest, The Gray Man, debuted on Netflix this past weekend after a limited theatrical run. Based on the first novel in an ongoing series by Tom Clancy collaborator Mark Greaney concerning an ex-CIA operative, the film is intended to begin a new action franchise.
Read MoreFinal Flesh (2009) #BluRay
In 1964, US Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart famously attempted to explain what constituted pornography by saying, "I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced... but I know it when I see it ..." I take great joy in believing that he would be flummoxed by Vernon Chatman’s Final Flesh from 2009. Chatman wrote a four-part script and sent the sections off to four separate porn sites that specialize in creating custom fetish films for their customers, none of which were advised about his intentions.
Read MoreRoad to Perdition (2002) #RetroReview
When Road to Perdition was released on July 12th, 2002, it caused a mini stir. Audiences weren’t sure if they would be able to buy Tom Hanks in a morally flexible role. The film had the benefit of being director Sam Mendes’ follow-up to the massively successful American Beauty, though, and as such, had creative leeway.
Read MoreDawn Breaks Behind the Eyes (2021)
Look, Kevin Kopacka’s Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes is probably best seen without any foreknowledge about the film. That being said, I will do my damnedest to avoid any spoilers. The Austrian-Sri Lankan filmmaker evokes the aesthetics of arty and moody ‘70s Euro-horror in unexpected ways.
Read MoreMad God (2021)
Around thirty years ago, Oscar-winning effects legend Phil Tippett began work on a stop motion sci-fi/horror film, but the rise of CGI convinced him that the old school animation discipline’s days were over. However, around ten years ago, he was persuaded by colleagues to begin working on the film again. When Tippett released a sizzle real a year or so ago, effects junkies everywhere went nuts for the footage.
Read MorePoser (2021)
A young woman longs to make her mark in her local underground music scene in Ori Segov and Noah Dixon’s Poser. I was especially excited to see the film, as it was shot and set in my hometown of Columbus, Ohio. Recent years have seen more movies get made here, but it’s still rare enough to be a treat.
Read MoreThe Northman (2022)
The Northman is perhaps the most accessible work of writer/director Robert Eggers’ young career. He purportedly did not have final cut and the film does feel a half step less quirky than The VVitch and The Lighthouse, both of which I loved. Still, even with one eye sneaking peaks at mainstream concerns, The Northman exudes a distinctive creative vision.
Read MoreCrash (1996) #RetroReview
With the news breaking recently that the legendary David Cronenberg is returning to cinemas this year with Crimes of the Future, a film that reportedly will hearken back to his more transgressive genre roots, I decided to check out one of his more notorious efforts to celebrate. I had never seen his 1996 adaptation of JG Ballard’s Crash before last night. The reviews and anecdotes I’d experienced varied wildly on its quality, but I took everything with a grain of salt, as I remember the moral outrage and controversy the film had generated upon its initial release.
Read MoreDingo (2022) #DVD
After over thirty years of languishing in relative obscurity, Australian director Rolf de Heer’s Dingo from 1991 is getting a rerelease into American arthouses. I honestly may not have noticed but for the presence of legendary jazz trumpeter Miles Davis in a rare acting role. Being that I am a huge Davis fan and I had never heard of the film before, it instantly shot to the top of my must-see list.
Read MoreThe Batman (2022)
As a longtime comic book fan, I’ve been conditioned to easily accept new interpretations of established characters. New creative teams often attempt to place their own stamps on the mythoi of beloved superheroes. In some cases, they are given free range to completely reinvent a character’s entire universe.
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