By Jonathan Monovich. An enthralling existential piece by one of cinema’s greatest talents.” Oh, Canada, Paul Schrader’s latest film, continues his ongoing exploration of the transcendental style. Schrader’s monumental book, Transcendental Style in Film: Ozu, Bresson, Dreyer, recognized that cinema and spirituality were interconnected via style, time, and movement. It’s an […]
Exploring Collective Fear, with a Solar-Powered Cellphone: Bruce Wemple’s The North Witch
By Andrew Montiveo. Imperfect and occasionally clunky, its slow-boil tension, isolation-driven horror, and cerebral elements make it a compelling watch….” Recently, witches have become conduits for exploring folklore and collective fear, as in The Blair Witch Project (1999), where ambiguity reigns, blurring the lines between reality and myth. These varied […]
The Slow Burn – The Rebirth of Suspense: Slowness and Atmosphere in Cinema
A Book Review by William Blick. A richly researched and detailed study that contributes original perspectives on an aspect of cinema that is often underrepresented….” Being a Gen-X kid, I was raised on Hollywood blockbusters of the 1980s. With a steady diet of films like Raiders of the Lost Ark, […]
Camp with a Heart: Vera Drew’s The People’s Joker (2022)
By Thomas M. Puhr. This is the kind of movie that begs to be experienced in a packed theater, preferably with the smell of marijuana wafting down the aisles. It may very well be this century’s answer to The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” Although only two years have passed since […]
Transport for Survival: Arash Rakhsha’s All the Mountains Give (DOC NYC)
By William Blick. A survivalist story and an unobtrusive, objective gaze into the bleak lives of dedicated, seemingly forgotten people….” In a time when the arts and culture are under assault from all angles, artists find a way to survive and thrive. Such is the case with Kurdish film director, […]
Meanwhile on Earth: E.T. Phone Her(e)
By Elias Savada. For Elsa, her E.T. essence in her head never offers up an origin story or a political agenda, and this ambiguousness pushes the question – is this a cosmic lifeline or an invasion?” Leave it to the French (and writer-director Jérémy Clapin) to fashion this moody, low-budget, […]
Long Live the Pope‘s Secrets!: Edward Berger’s Conclave
By Elias Savada. Berger’s take on the Catholic Church makes Conclave a thoroughly enjoyable thrill ride.” The Pope is dead; long live the Pope‘s secrets. Papal riddles abound in this most peculiar political page-turner set in the Vatican, and the hunt for answers through every nook and cranny also finds […]
Cinema without Reason: Quentin Dupieux’s Daaaaaalí!
By Jonathan Monovich. Dupieux’s Daaaaaalí! understands that to make a faithful film about Dalí it should lack convention.” Though Salvador Dalí’s paintings are far more famous than his contributions to cinema, Dalí’s peculiar signature left an indelible mark on film history as well. Dalí and Luis Buñuel’s collaboration, Un chien […]
“Old as Dirt”: Common Ground
By Jonathan Monovich. The kind of film that leaves you invigorated, full of energy, and wanting to fight the good fight.” In Joshua and Rebecca Tickell’s well-informed documentary, Kiss the Ground (2020), Woody Harrelson spoke of a solution “as old as dirt” that may help prevent humanity’s demise. The solution […]
The Grand and the Personal – King Vidor in Focus: On the Filmmaker’s Artistry and Vision
A Book Review by William Blick. Informative, erudite, and comprehensive in several ways, with exhaustively precise details of Vidor’s career.” When I opened the pages of Kevin Stoehr and Cullen Gallagher’s new book, King Vidor in Focus (McFarland, 2024), I was immediately drawn to Vidor’s “Creed and Pledge” in the […]