Tales From Earthsea Directed by Goro Miyazaki The logo for Studio Ghibli depicts a Totoro, the affable guide spirit from Hayao Miyazaki’s 1988 classic. But more than just reminding us of a one-time merchandising juggernaut, this larger-than-life creature could also be considered a stand-in for Miyazaki himself: being the head honcho mega-genius behind most of …
With Grindhouse, directors Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino made a movie in the grand tradition of Umberto Lenzi and John Carpenter. Masquerading as a double bill, the homage of ’60s- and ’70s-era drive-in flicks stitched into one shambling feature also included four goofball “Coming Attractions” for nonexistent B-movies. This Frankenstein monster runs just over the …
10) The Social Network To tell you the truth I was not looking forward to the David Fincher / Aaron Sorkin dramatization of the Facebook saga until the iconic trailer was released. Not only was it visually stunning (as all Fincher’s films are) but its brilliant use of a course singing Radiohead’s outsider anthem Creep. …
30) Rubber Yes its the killer tire movie. I don’t think I have to say any more! 29) Rabbit Hole John Cameron Mitchell is one of my heroes. His 2001 glam-rock musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch is my favorite film of the past decade, and his sophomore experiment Shortbus featured real sex and was …
With a mostly disappointing summer season (and that includes you Cannes Film Festival) its time to quit complaining and start looking forward. There is a multitude of new directors to watch our for and some surprisingly daring studio fare. Many of the films on the list are just being speculated to be released by the end of …
If you are a cinema lover and you live in Chicago you need to pay a visit to the 46th annual Chicago International Film Festival (CIFF). CIFF, from October 7th to the 21st, is one of the best film festivals in the US, offering plenty of different options for all film buffs. They just announced …
Salesman (1968) Directed by: Albert and David Maysles Like many great films, Salesman seems to have only improved with age, but what has allowed it to age in a particularly interesting way is how it plays along with the inevitable evolution of society. An era passes, only to give rise to the next. One can’t …
Mesrine Part 1: Killer Instinct Mesrine Part 2: Public Enemy #1 Directed by Jean-Francois Richet France does (bad) Hollywood in its portrayal of infamous French gangster, Jacques Mesrine, in a two part bio-pic. Mesrine’s life seems tailor made for the screen; his life of crime spanned three continents, he broke out of maximum security prison …
Waiting for Armageddon Dir. Kate Davis (2010, USA, 74 mins.) Rapture, tribulation, millennialism, Armageddon – Director Kate Davis has her work cut out. Waiting for Armageddon attempts to shine light onto one of the most nebulous and convoluted social movements of recent history: Armageddon theology as prescribed by American Christian fundamentalists. Davis achieves this by …
Our readers and listeners out in Saskatoon may be interested in knowing that Canada is adding yet another genre film festival. Saskatoon’s first annual Dark Bridges Film Festival will take place this coming September 24 – 26. John Allison, one of the bloggers of Row Three is programming the festival and has a great line …
“Catfish feels like the most relevant examination of humanity and love in the Internet age…” Catfish Directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman When a poster for a film includes nothing but its title and the disclaimer “Don’t let anyone tell you what it is,” that film will likely be a headache to review. Though …
Fall is now upon us. With Labor Day upon us, that means it’s time to get the rake out and pass on those trick or treats. Football has replaced Baseball, although with the pennant race in full gear, important baseball is still to be played. I am glad I mentioned the word important because that …
Though primarily a literary figure, Stephen King has enjoyed one of the most successful symbioses between publishing and Hollywood of any popular author, if not in box office and critical respect (those trophies would most likely have to go to Harry Potter creator J. K. Rowling) certainly in terms of sheer quantity. King’s first novel, …
/film dropped an interesting article on the upcoming Marvel superhero film Captain America. In interview with CBR, director Joe Johnston spoke about how Captain America: The First Avenger would tie into the other Marvel films. “There are links between all the Marvel films, mostly ones that only the fans will pick up on. We have …
Cult Cinema: Volume 8 At their best, horror films hold society up to a funhouse mirror, providing a grotesque yet revealing reflection of cultural concerns, values, and above all, fears. And then there’s torture porn, in which the only insights are gained from peering deep into the vivisected ruins of a woman’s genitals. The term …
“The Lovely Ones, with its Kathy-Bates-in-Misery surrogate may have birthed this year’s greatest screen villain.” The Loved Ones Directed by Sean Byrne If in a parallel dimension a young John Waters had been born in Australia and decided to remake the eighties rom-com Pretty In Pink then it would resemble Sean Byrne’s teenage love satire …
What is most impressive about The Dead is its languid, acrid texture, it is a very atmospheric tale of the re-animated dead which harkens back to the early days of Fulci and Romero,
The American Directed by Anton Corbijn Action fans and George Clooney enthusiasts might well be ill-prepared for The American, which, despite its marketing as a slam-bang thriller, is actually closer in spirit to Euro arthouse fare, and features Clooney in full-on “emptied out” mode. (It’s best described as a brooding drama slightly peppered with violence.) …
“Wings is a rare cinematic achievement – a poetic, literary script turned into pure cinematic expression…” Wings Of Desire Directed by Wim Wenders Every so often, a filmmaker will turn to a smaller project while he’s impatiently waiting to get a bigger one financed, and often that small independent film will turn out to be …
“Intelligent, audacious and complex filmmaking…” Open Your Eyes Directed by Alejandro Amenábar The 1998 Sundance Film Fest hit Open Your Eyes announced Alejandro Amenábar as one of the top directors working today. His sophomore feature is a labyrinth, thick in mystery, with intricate plot twists and a riddle that will keep you guessing to the …
‘From the Saul Bass inspired, cascading titles it’s evident that the master of suspense would be proud; one can quite clearly imagine an intrigued Hitchcock mining Buried’s foundations for all their anxious credentials.’
“It’s invigorating and brilliant and deserves to become a minor classic.” Buried Directed by Rodrigo Cortés When A Serbian Film was dropped from the line-up during the first day of the festival, Frightfesters were up in arms about the loss of one of the weekend’s most anticipated movies and a bit of a frenzy ensued …
“A well made pulpy-genre piece that entertains as well as provoking some genuine emotion thanks to its earnest final showdown…” Red Hill Directed by Patrick Hughes Red Hill is a slightly oddball yet very sincere modern-day Australian cowboy movie. Its setup is simple: city cop moves to backwards middle-of-nowhere town with his pregnant wife to …