By Jeremy Carr. According to Ian Christie, Mikhail Kalatozov’s The Cranes Are Flying is “in many ways the most important post-war Soviet film.” Christie, who is interviewed for the Criterion Collection’s Blu-ray release of Kalatozov’s 1957 feature, regards the film as a turning point in the nation’s cinematic history, embodying […]

By Tony Williams. This short, but concise 120-page monograph belongs to a developing series initiated by Auteur Publishing: Constellations: Studies in Science Fiction Film and TV. Akin to those BFI monographs usually written by those carefully selected by the good graces of the BFI establishment, this (and other aligned) series […]

By Rod Lott. Pop quiz, hotshot: What makes a film a cult film? A. They have a quality of danger. B. It has to be the audience finding the film, rather than the film finding the audience. C. A film that is profoundly special and informative in a way that […]

By Gary M. Kramer. Writer/director Tayarisha Poe’s feature debut, Selah and the Spades, is a precisely calibrated spellbinder. Anchored by an exacting performance by Lovie Simone as the title character, a senior at the Haldwell School, the film depicts the power struggles, rivalries, and jealousies that unfold among five underground […]

By Ali Mossavi. Review Scott Teems, The Quarry’s director who, together with Andrew Brotzman, adapted Damon Galgut’s novel for the screen, hammers home one of the main themes of his film with the first images that appear. A house burning to the ground, followed by the image of a cross. […]

By Gary M. Kramer. French filmmaker Laurent Maria started his career as an actor—he appeared in several theatrical productions as well as in films such as Yves Saint Laurent (2014) for director Jalil Lespert. In 2014, he wrote, directed, and starred in his fifth short, Sunday (aka Dimanche), playing a […]

By Gary M. Kramer. Director, co-writer, and star Tyler Cornack’s Butt Boy is a one joke sci-fi comedy thriller. Discerning viewers intrigued by this title will find this low-budget, high-concept film offers some cheeky deadpan humor and one imaginative visual motif. The film has everyman Chip Gutchell (Cornack) stuck in […]

By Yun-hua Chen. After winning Canadian Best First Festure at the Toronto International Film Festival and Best Film at the Los Cabos International Film Festival, The Twentieth Century was showcased at the Forum section of the Berlinale and won the FIPRESCI Prize. In a fantastically satirical manner, the film loosely […]