By 1995, Abel Ferrara was on a run of high quality work that rivals any of his New York contemporaries’ best. Starting with King of New York in 1990, Ferrara had built up a body of work that plunged into the very depths of city life, disappearing down the dark […]
Reviews
The Man from Majorca (1984) Buddy Cops, Scandi Style
Coming to Blu-ray this week, Radiance follows up last year’s release of Bo Widerberg’s 1976 cult classic Man on the Roof with another masculine-sounding policier from the director: 1984’s The Man from Majorca. Like the previous effort, it’s a distinctly Scandinavian take on gritty New Hollywood cop movies, such as […]
The Secret of NIMH (1982) – Don Bluth Gives Animation The Respect It Deserves
Don Bluth is one of those filmmakers who fascinates me, despite the fact that I had never seen one of his films until now. People talk about his animated efforts with even more reverence than we normally reserve for the best Disney and Pixar films. If you’re like me and […]
Horrible History: Four Films by Chang Cheh (1972-76)
It’s impossible to talk about Hong Kong cinema without mentioning Chang Cheh. From his prolific output to his genre-defining works, Chang’s films may have lacked the nuance of some of his peers—but when those peers are the legendary King Hu and the artistically refined Lau Kar Leung, it’s little wonder. […]
Godzilla Minus One (2023) Community, Camaraderie, and Godzilla at his most Terrifying
In 1954, a giant creature entered the frame of a Japanese monster movie. A name (with two forms) echoed around the world like a deafening ‘Skreeonk,’ and this name has continued to echo for 70 years. Gojira/Godzilla is one of the most iconic and recognisable figures in popular culture, perpetuated […]
The Good, The Bad, The Weird (2008) – A sweeping epic so slickly directed
In regards to Korean filmmakers, Western audiences often sing the praises of Park Chan-wook and Bong Joon-ho (especially after the latter’s Oscar wins), yet Kim Jee-woon can feel left out of the conversation. With a filmography that includes I Saw The Devil, A Tale of Two Sisters, and A Bittersweet […]
Sujo (2024) Mexico’s Oscar Submission is a Generic Affair
Mexican creative duo Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez write and direct this low-key Mexican crime drama, one that’s disinterested in the macho conventions of the gangster film and instead focuses on the long-lasting consequences organized crime has on women, children, and the boys who grow up in this environment. Sujo […]
Lost Highway (1997) A Mind-Bending Rollercoaster Ride with some Hefty Caveats
In many ways Lost Highway is quintessential David Lynch. There are strobe lights, doppelgangers, and twisted symbols of Americana. Yet, unlike his dreamier films, Lost Highway has a heavy metal intensity. The music is aggressive, miles away from Angelo Badalamenti’s iconic Twin Peaks score, and Lynch’s approach to sex and […]
Fugitive Images (2013-2019) Selected Works by Andrea Luka Zimmerman – The Evergreen Importance of Community and Erasure
Second Run have been spoiling me over the last few weeks. Hot off the heels of their incredible release of Days and Afternoon: Two Films by Tsing Ming-Liang, they’ve released Fugitive Images – Selected works by Andrea Luka Zimmerman. They’ve upgraded their previous DVD release, which Mark Cunliffe eloquently covered […]
The Fisher King (1991): Robin Williams’s best role in Terry Gilliam’s most accessible film
Even now, at a point when the image of the buccaneering, risk-taking, out-on-a-limb male genius auteur is at a fairly low ebb, it feels taboo to say you like one of those artists’ more commercial works. Terry Gilliam, a man more buccaneering, risk-taking etc. etc. than most, made The Fisher […]