“Enter The Void explores the contours of reality and screen representation, seemingly probing the very nature of existence. Its final, transcendent moments summate a unique experience and achievement, albeit one not for the faint-hearted or easily offended.” Enter The Void Directed by Gasper Noé Ever since the notorious Irreversible prompted the dubious honor of causing …
Kick-Ass is approached with a keen sense of humor, surprising wit, and a delicate blending of virtue and filth in a way that turns the cookie cutter world of comics upside down. Kick-Ass Directed by Matthew Vaughn With the rapid succession of superhero movies to hit the theaters, distinguishing oneself from the masses is easier …
Repo Men Directed by Miguel Sapochnik Have you ever seen Repo! The Genetic Opera? It premiered at Fantasia on July 18th, 2008 to a packed house. Upon receiving mixed reviews the film obtained a limited theatrical release in North America the following winter and was finally released on DVD a few months later. Surely you …
Mother is a strange and compelling film that stretches the bounds of audience sympathy, and manages to work equally well whether or not it is maintained for its entire running length Mother Directed by Joon-Ho Bong Maternal pain is the driving force behind Korean wunderkind Joon-Ho Bong’s fourth feature, acting as the practically exclusive catalyst …
Despite its many flaws, Alice is half a triumph. Besides being able to technically bring Lewis Carroll’s world to the screen, the film is usually enjoyable. Alice in Wonderland Directed by Tim Burton Reviewing the new Tim Burton helmed Alice in Wonderland picture is somewhat of a fool’s errand. Both Burton and Alice command a devoted …
A difficult film to watch, not because it is pornographic, or even all that graphic, but because we watch the characters become increasingly desperate as they realize they are no longer suited to the world around them. The Night Porter (1974) Directed by Lilliana Cavani Italy – 118 min. Color Criterion Spine # 59 “History …
Day One As opposed to Cannes (open only to film professionnals), the Berlin Film Festival is open to everyone, and it is possible to see people lining for hours (sometimes under the snow) in order to get tickets for films from Taiwan, Latvia or Paraguay. This gives the entire city a really festive touch, with …
Despite that fact that the competition this year underwhelmed (see Shane Danielsen’s column) there were sill some pleasant surprises and curiosities that are helping 2010 become another great year in film. Two recent releases premiered over the past couple weeks. Martin Scosesse’s Shutter Island got a mixed response, which translated the same stateside. While Roman …
This heartwarming, humanist and gender-blurring pic about life imitating art imitating life could possibly be his most accomplished work. All About My Mother Directed by Pedro Almodovar With All About My Mother, Pedro Almodovar shifts away from his earlier, more kinky and offbeat views of sex and relationships. Here, he is more concerned about conventional …
Fish Tank Directed by Andrea Arnold – “less politically inclined than Ken Loach or theatrically mannered than Mike Leigh – the film operates in a realm well-trod in UK cinema and serves as a welcome antidote to the adrenaline-fueled demands of the summer season.” – The UK has a proud tradition of social realist cinema, pioneered by …
Revanche is a tough slow, depressing film, but incredibly well-acted, consistently believable, and an always entertaining, modest, satisfying arty crime story. – Revanche (2008) Directed by Gotz Spielmann Australia – 122 mi. Color Criterion Spine #502 “If you plan revenge, dig two graves,” the saying goes… A prostitute trying to escape her desperate existence, her …
Shutter Island does not measure up to Scorsese’s acknowledged directorial capacity. His flair for innovation and the uniqueness of his storytelling are better directed toward a simpler design, not the blockbuster horror epic with its altogether fatuous termination. Shutter Island Directed by Martin Scorsese Shutter Island, Scorsese’s fourth film featuring Leonardo DiCaprio, recounts the unnerving …
Shutter Island definitely begs a second viewing, and while it might not rank up there with earlier Scorsese classics, it remains a masterpiece in my eyes, and a production that has set the new standard for all future psychological thrillers. Shutter Island Directed by Martin Scorsese Before seeing Shutter Island, all I knew about the …
#10- Werewolves On Wheels (1971) Directed by Michael Levesque Werewolves on Wheels was produced by Paul Lewis, a frequent collaborator with Dennis Hopper who had only two years before directed the quintessential biker road movie Easy Rider. Werewolves is the directorial debut of Michel Levesque, who would go on to work as Art Director on …
When comparing these critical scenes to their counterparts in such classics as An American Werewolf in London or The Howling, they are simply not in the same league. The Wolfman Directed by Joe Johnston Joe Johnston walks into a bar and says: “Bartender, I’ve directed Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Jurassic Park III and Hidalgo. …
Repulsion (1965) Dir. Roman Polanski United Kingdom – 105 minutes, B&W Criterion Spine # 483 Warning: Here be spoilers. Like flies to the gooping carcass of a skinned rabbit, Repulsion invites a lot of intellectual psychobabbling that usually amounts to the same things being said by different people. We can all pretty much agree what …
“A film that’s fun but ultimately looks like more fun to make than to watch” Meat Weed America Directed by Aiden Dillard I’m all for tits & ass in fact it was my nickname throughout kindergarten until I found out what it was and took further protection to not get the cooties. Blood and guts, …
Andy Baio of waxy.org has been tracking the online distribution of Oscar screeners since 2003, only to discover that every year, the piracy scene manages to release nearly every film by nomination day. Last year, all but three films were leaked in DVD quality by nomination day. According to Andy, fewer Oscar screeners leaked online …
“the violence makes the film seem like a throwback to action movies of the 1990’s, the decade in which Mel Gibson’s star was at its brightest.” Edge of Darkness Directed by Martin Campbell Martin Campbell is best known for rebooting the dated James Bond franchise with the excellent Casino Royale. In that film the director …
Un Prophète is a grueling experience that will keep you utterly gripped throughout its epic 155-minute runtime. Un Prophete Directed by Jacques Audiard Director Jacques Audiard is carving quite a career as one of the most searingly talented French auteurs working today. Cresting on the wave of a number of well-received, robust Parisian thrillers including Read …
Crazy Heart is at its absolute best when watching Bridges run wild with his cantankerous old country legend. Crazy Heart Directed by Scott Cooper If you are of the opinion that Jeff Bridges is one of our most precious natural resources and that contemporary country music is a creative wasteland, Crazy Heart may just be …
bills itself as a low-budget film bent on entertaining audiences… Daybreakers Directed by Michael and Peter Spierig Over the years several pairs of brothers have directed high-grossing, successful Hollywood films. Notable duos include the Cohen’s, the Wachowski’s, the Hughes’ and the Farrelly’s. However, the Spierig brothers from Australia will never, ever be on that list. …
There’s no Al Gore-style proselytizing here, just two 30-something Brits who are determined to become the first carbon neutral, vegetarian, organic team to reach the North Pole “unsupported”. Beyond The Pole Directed by David L Williams “Don’t be impotent. Be important!” Tackling climate change might not seem like an obvious subject for a comedy – …