By Thomas M. Puhr. Ethan Coen’s solo debut is not great, and it doesn’t want to be. Like its protagonists, it’s fast, loose, and fun….” The Coen Brothers’ seemingly brief split – they just announced plans to reunite for a horror film; be still my heart – has yielded some […]
From the Experimental to the Mainstream – The Needle and the Lens
A Book Review by Jonathan Monovich. An astute study of notable ‘needle drops’ and the progression of the practice over the last sixty years.” While music is an integral part of film history, Nate Patrin’s study commences with the pop music of Scorpio Rising (1963). This decision is deliberate as […]
The Maestro and His Movie Majesty: Ennio (2021)
By Jeremy Carr. A reverent and vivid film about a man whose music has become inseparable from the movies he scored…” With Ennio, his 2021 documentary about legendary composer Ennio Morricone (and now in theatrical release in the U.S.), director Giuseppe Tornatore has fashioned one of the most compelling and […]
It’s Alive (and Horny)! Zelda Williams’ Lisa Frankenstein (2024)
By Thomas M. Puhr. Newton really shines and has a funny swagger about her. It’s too bad the surrounding film never quite matches this winning performance.” Lisa is lonely. Her widower father, who has promptly remarried and moved in with Lisa’s new stepmother and stepsister out in the candy-colored suburbs, […]
Youth (Spring): Wang Bing on Youth Labor
By Yun-hua Chen. The first installment of Wang Bing’s documentary triptych explores the textile industry in rural China and its young workers, aged 16 to 22, engrossed in intricate maneuvers for extended hours….” Having premiered in Cannes and subsequently showcased at major film festivals including Viennale and IDFA, Youth (Spring) […]
Illustrative but Incomplete: Dario Argento Panico
By Jeremy Carr. Ideal for Argento newcomers but ultimately lacking in fresh perspectives….” Dario Argento Panico, a new documentary about the iconic, enigmatic, and—especially during the peak of his career—astonishingly inventive director, is a well-illustrated and reasonably informative look at the life and work of the man who largely defined […]
Spies So Silly: Matthew Vaughn’s Argylle
By Elias Savada. An incredibly overproduced, over-CGI’ed Universal release.” Even before its release, rumors were frantically flying all over the internet that the only recently published “inspired by” source novel (released January 9th) for Argylle (released February 2nd), the latest film from producer-director-writer Matthew Vaughn, was written not by Elly […]
Small Town, Big Drama: DK and Hugh Welchman’s The Peasants (2023)
By Jenny Paola Ortega Castillo. DK and Hugh Welchman’s film, which recreates frames as oil paintings, is a captivating portrayal of the darker and most unsettling aspects of human nature, such as oppressive patriarchy, small-minded shared beliefs, selfishness, narcissism and jealous behavior within the constraints of a small community.” People […]
Don’t Look Away: Stephen Gerard Kelly and Garry Keane’s In the Shadow of Beirut (2023)
By Thomas M. Puhr. What emerges is a record of a people that is unwaveringly empathetic in its portrayal but incomplete in terms of either interrogating its position as a historical artifact or providing cultural context.” The poor Lebanese neighborhoods of Sabra and Shatila are the subject of Stephen Gerard […]
Tom DeLonge Wants You to Believe: Monsters of California (2023)
By Jonathan Monovich. Despite its imperfections as an introductory feature film, fans of the sci-fi, horror, and adventure genres will walk away with a smile and will want to believe.” “We all know conspiracies are dumb.” Knowing his extraterrestrial obsessions, it’s a lyric sung ironically by Blink-182’s Tom DeLonge in […]