To paraphrase the introduction to Dan Olson’s video essay regarding watching Contagion dozens of times during the early months of the pandemic: this is not a review, it is a raw nerve. As M. Night Shyamalan’s latest film came to a close, I began to lose sight of the film itself, and I started to…
In my review for Hillbilly Elegy a few months back, I was very harsh. Fairly so, but harsh in a way I have rarely been towards even some of the worst films I have come across. It was a personal piece more than a typical review, and I am not afraid to admit that. But…
It’s always a shame when the discourse surrounding a film becomes the topic of discussion around the film rather than the merits of the film itself, not in the least because the discourse is generally founded in untruths and distortions purely created to be hateful and prove a sense of moral superiority for people who…
Read more Cuties, #CancelNetflix, and the Ongoing Culture Wars
The impending arrival of Christopher Nolan’s gigantic blockbuster, Tenet, has been met with a great deal of justified hand-wringing and concern about what message film critics send by reviewing any exclusive theatrical releases. “Is it morally justifiable to highly recommend a film that executives refuse to show outside of cinemas?”, is the question on the…
Read more Moviegoing in the Age of Coronavirus: A Survivor’s Viewpoint
One of the many deep corners of cinema that I have wandered into in the past few months has been the filmography of one Herschell Gordon Lewis. A patriarch of the video nasty era, Lewis often shares the title of “Godfather of Gore” with giallo maestro Lucio Fulci. Inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, a film…
{Written by H. R. Gibs} The role of the father in cinema, as in life, is an important one. Often depicted in unhealthy terms or through two-dimensional gormlessness, the internal motives of the father character can so often be restrained to a simplistic moral leaning of “good” or “bad”. In Richard Curtis’s 2013 film About…
[Written by Robert Salusbury] When a director is graced with labels like the “Master of Horror” and the “Master of the Thrill,” it’s fair to assume people may be going a tad over the top with their praise. When it comes to the Italian veteran filmmaker Dario Argento though, it’s fair to say he’s earned…
Read more Why The Bird with the Crystal Plumage is a Hidden Giallo Gem
The tragic passing of American filmmaker Stuart Gordon in March of 2020 led me down the winding road that is his filmography. Rarely has a filmmaker sported a catalogue so varied in content and consistent in quality. From splatter comedies like Re-Animator to grimy drama Stuck, Gordon was a multifaceted and layered creator. When watching…
[written by Tilly Long] You may be forgiven for thinking that Paul Thomas Anderson takes a very dim view of his home team. Cult leaders, lovelorn stoners, suicidal porn stars, monomaniacal frock makers, women hating gurus, and psychopathic tycoons. These aren’t the bit players added to vitalise his narratives, but the main event and bedrock of…
[written by Cole Clark] A Stone in Your Shoe How can a filmmaker make anguish engaging? It takes a certain amount of confidence, and material that’s provocative enough to ruffle some feathers. Michael Haneke and David Lynch, for example, craft stirring films from tortuous content. Haneke’s The Piano Teacher and Lynch’s Twin Peaks: The Return are…
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