By Ali Moosavi. The box office success of films such as Halloween, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Saw, etc. and their endless sequels has popularized that dreaded word “franchise” in Hollywood. These films have also defined the slasher movie genre. A common denominator in all these films is the […]
“When There Are No Good Answers”: Barbara Kopple’s Desert One (2019)
Kate Hearst
December 16, 2019
By Kate Hearst. At the New York premiere of Desert One at the DOC/NYC film festival, Barbara Kopple recounted how the History Channel provided her with a list of topics to choose for their “History 100” project. That Kopple decided to make a documentary about the unsuccessful 1980 rescue operation […]
Richard Jewell and the Damn Yankees
Christopher Sharrett
December 16, 2019
By Christopher Sharrett. I have had sympathetic interest in the work of Clint Eastwood over the years, but such interest has been hard to sustain with antics like his talking to an empty chair – as a mock of Obama – during the 2012 Republican National Convention. In retrospect, it […]
A Sense of Loss: Dónal Foreman’s The Image You Missed
James Slaymaker
December 16, 2019
By James Slaymaker. Jean-Luc Godard once explained that he pioneered his late-period, archival style after realizing that “in a striking manner, film was able to recount its own history in a way quite different from the other arts. And in montage alone, there was a story, or attempts at stories, […]
And You Thought Your Family Was Dysfunctional: Mario Bellocchio’s Fists in the Pocket (Criterion Collection)
December 16, 2019
By Rod Lott. Given how ahead of its time Fists in the Pocket is, I’m surprised Mario Bellocchio’s first feature isn’t more widely known, in the way that François Truffaut’s The 400 Blows and Ken Loach’s Kes serve as cinematic shorthand for “troubled youth.” Then again, Lord, is it ever […]
This is the End: 63 Up
Michael Sandlin
December 13, 2019
By Michael Sandlin. “Give me the child until he is seven, and I will give you the man,” is the bit of ancient philosophy that serves as the abiding impetus behind Michael Apted’s five-decades-long documentary series. The participants in this ongoing sociological experiment are both male and female, privileged and […]
Much to Remember: Chris Wade on Memories of Lindsay Anderson
Tony Williams
December 10, 2019
By Tony Williams. Leeds-born Chris Wade is one those unique talents thankfully outside the existing psychologically dysfunctional terrain of higher education. A highly creative and prolific artist, filmmaker and musician, he has distinguished himself in so many areas. His name came to my attention when reading one of my favorite […]
Real-Life Libertarian Nightmare: Luke Lorentzen’s Midnight Family
Michael Sandlin
December 7, 2019
By Michael Sandlin. From a strictly academic point of view, 26-year-old boy wonder documentarian Luke Lorentzen’s Midnight Family affecting ticks all the boxes of a classic “observational” mode of nonfiction film. No soundtrack, no incidental music, no voiceover — just simple unobtrusive camera work and a sharp eye for detail. It’s […]
Strange Metamorphosis: Jessica Hausner’s Little Joe
Thomas Puhr
December 7, 2019
By Thomas Puhr. “Who can prove the genuineness of feelings?” a scientist asks in Little Joe (2019). “Moreover, who cares?” These startling questions cut right to the heart of Jessica Hausner’s curious science-fiction film, which centers around a genetically-engineered flower that releases happiness-inducing chemicals. Are these feelings the plant elicits […]
John Waters’ Polyester: The Suburbs Arrive (Criterion Collection)
Christopher Sharrett
December 3, 2019
By Christopher Sharrett. Anyone viewing Polyester for the first time might be a little confused: hasn’t all this been done before? Satires or eviscerations of the suburbs have been standard fare for at least forty years. But if the viewer is watching this splendid new Criterion Blu-ray, s/he might turn […]