A Book Review by John Duncan Talbird. Ideas, for Deleuze, do not exist above life as ideal forms but come from life as a flow of forces and desires…All of Deleuze’s concepts – including irony itself – are founded upon multiplicity in this way. –Claire Perkins, American Smart Cinema (2012) […]
The Unhappiness of Growing Up: Sami Blood
July 6, 2017
By Elias Savada. The sad fate and cruel savagery hoisted on many indigenous people have been part of an angst-filled sidebar on the world stage for centuries. Explore/invade/plunder/kill/assimilate. In the history of cinema, you’ll find dozens of films that walk and talk among native populations, whether in Australia (Ten Canoes, Walkabout, […]
Andrew Sherburne and John Richard on Saving Brinton: An AFI DOCS Interview
July 5, 2017
By Gary M. Kramer The lovingly made documentary Saving Brinton, which received its World Premiere at the recent AFI DOCS festival, introduces viewers to Michael Zahs, an Iowa man who found a treasure trove of old films exhibited by Frank and Indiana Brinton in his Washington County basement next to […]
Still More to the Story: I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang! by Scott Allen Nollen and Paul Muni by Michael B. Druxman
A Book Review Essay by Matthew Sorrento. It may be tempting to recommend Scarface (1932) or Little Caesar (1930) as a first viewing to newcomers of pre-Code. However, Mervyn LeRoy’s I Am A Fugitive from A Chain Gang! (1932) or the similarly powerful Wild Boys of the Road (William Wellman, […]
Viennale and Thessaloniki Film Festival 2016
July 3, 2017
By Yun-hua Chen. Viennale and Thessaloniki Film Festival are two of the finest film festivals in Europe. Viennale curates the best arthouse films of the year from all major film festivals and is an elegant audience festival which also provides a cosy environment for film professionals to exchange ideas and […]
Doku.Art Essaybox and Around The World in 14 Films 2016 Report
July 3, 2017
By Yun-hua Chen. Doku.Arts Essaybox and Around The World in 14 Films are embellishing Berlin’s autumn cinemascape for sure, each in its own way. The former prides itself on the curation of documentaries and an impressive guest list graced by renowned film scholars in the symposium including Sarah Cooper, Thomas […]
Master of Italian Gothic – Riccardo Freda: The Life and Works of a Born Filmmaker by Roberto Curti
A Book Review Essay by Tony Williams. Many decades ago I heard a comment made by a respected scholar, and affirmed by a graduate student whom he later hailed as England’s greatest film critic, concerning the merits of destroying all films that did not live up to any canonical cinematic […]
Film Scratches: Conjuring with Cameras – Savage Witches (2012)
July 1, 2017
Film Scratches focuses on the world of experimental and avant-garde film, especially as practiced by individual artists. It features a mixture of reviews, interviews, and essays. A Review by David Finkelstein. Savage Witches, a feature length film by Daniel Fawcett and Clara Pais (collectively known as The Underground Film Studio), is itself […]
Baby Driver: With Films Like This, Who Needs Drugs?
June 30, 2017
By Elias Savada. With an omp pa pa, everybody sing! “Music Makes the Wheels Go Round, the Wheels Go Round, the Wheels Go Round!” And when you’re finished, check out the adrenaline-boosted start-to-finish-line playlist and the fast-paced action in Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver. With an intensely supercharged soundtrack driving the frantic […]
Mutating War Traumas: Monsters in the Machine by Steffen Hantke
A Book Review by Christopher Weedman. Steffen Hantke’s welcome new book Monsters in the Machine: Science Fiction Film and the Militarization of America after World War II (University Press of Mississippi, 2016) is an articulate and well-researched socio-political examination of the cycle of science fiction films that arose to popularity […]