By Elias Savada. I’ve known critic-archivist-filmmaker Gerald Peary for at least a dozen years. He sought me out in 2007 to do some copyright research, and I’ve worked for him on numerous projects (For the Love of Movies: The Story of American Film Criticism, Archie’s Betty) ever since, although I’m […]
The Poetry and Politics of Dropping Balls: J-P Valkeapää’s Dogs Don’t Wear Pants
Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
May 29, 2020
By Alexandra Heller-Nicholas. In some of its most famous forays into mainstream cinema, BDSM seems to almost instantly bestow some filmmakers with the belief they have found a one-way ticket straight to Cutting Edge Town. Instantly, with a few consensual slaps and saucily deployed feather dusters, we’re meant to believe […]
Move Over Hallmark, Here Comes The High Note
Elias Savada
May 28, 2020
By Elias Savada. In a pandemic-free world, The High Note would have been playing in movie theaters, maybe to decent business but not stellar success. The coronavirus playbook for every film these days is still questionable as we wait for the “all clear” signal from various authority figures. For now, […]
Mrs. Steve Austin: The Bionic Woman and The Woman’s Film
David Greven
May 26, 2020
By David Greven. The following is an excerpt from The Bionic Woman and Feminist Ethics: An Analysis of the 1970s Television Series © 2020 David Greven by permission of McFarland & Company, Inc., Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640. www.mcfarlandbooks.com. As I will have several occasions to note, The Bionic Woman […]
Schizophrenic “Downstairs” and “Upstairs”: Filmmaker Vaughn Stein on Inheritance
Ali Moosavi
May 23, 2020
By Ali Moosavi. British writer-director Vaughn Stein’s feature film debut was Terminal (2018), starring Margot Robbie, Simon Pegg, Mike Myers and Dexter Fletcher. Getting such a cast for your first feature may seem to be very lucky and quite unusual. However, when you delve in Vaughn Stein’s filmography, it becomes […]
Wild at Heart: Philip Barantini’s Villain
Thomas Puhr
May 22, 2020
By Thomas Puhr. The latest poster for Philip Barantini’s Villain (2020) smacks of an effort to reach as broad an audience as possible. Adorned by flames and sporting a stylish suit, star Craig Fairbrass grimaces at something, perhaps his next victim, offscreen. “FURY UNLEASHED,” the tagline announces, prepping viewers for […]
The Case of the Poorly Hidden Bunker: Vaughn Stein’s Inheritance
Thomas Puhr
May 22, 2020
By Thomas Puhr. The opening montage of Vaughn Stein’s Inheritance (2020) exposes a fundamental flaw: in a sequence that juxtaposes DA Lauren Monroe (Lily Collins) sparring in court, Congressman William Monroe (Chace Crawford) prepping for an upcoming election, and their father, Archer (Patrick Warburton, squandered in a rare dramatic role), […]
Some Grace Notes from Tarantino: Thoughts on Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Christopher Sharrett
May 18, 2020
By Christopher Sharrett. Those who know me will be shocked to read this piece, a partial valuation of Quentin Tarantino’s last film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. I have considered the filmmaker a nihilist – the word popped into my head when I saw Reservoir Dogs at its premiere (today, I […]
Uncategorized
Nailing a DIY Debut: Mark Jenkin’s Bait
Ali Moosavi
May 12, 2020
By Ali Moosavi. In the old days, in most cases the decision to whether to shoot a film in colour or black and white was determined by budget and economics. These days, it is mostly an aesthetic one, selected by the director, sometimes in consultation with the cinematographer. Black and […]
Uncategorized
On the Tribeca That Should Have Been
Gary M. Kramer.
May 7, 2020
By Gary M. Kramer. The Tribeca Film Festival sadly did not take place this year because of the global pandemic, but the festival’s shorts programs, curated by Sharon Badal and Ben Thompson were available for press. Badal, Thompson, and their team winnowed more than 6,100 entries down to 64 shorts […]