John Boorman’s magnificent follow-up to Point Blank centers on two unnamed WWII soldiers (Lee Marvin and Toshiro Mifune) stranded on a remote Pacific island who must put aside their nationalistic ideologies to survive. Continue reading “Hell in the Pacific (1968)”
Céline and Julie Go Boating (1974)
Jacques Rivette’s tribute to Frank Tashlin, Hollywood musicals, and Alfred Hitchcock, Céline and Julie Go Boating is a plethora of comic raucousness, a surreal, uproarious three-hour farce that celebrates exuberance and the human spirit. Continue reading “Céline and Julie Go Boating (1974)”
Phenomena (1985)
I’ve often struggled with the films of Dario Argento; like Brian De Palma, Argento is a technically proficient director with a knack for Hitchcockian visuals and self-conscious camp often at the expense of character nuance and depth, downplaying story in favor of sheer and empty spectacle Continue reading “Phenomena (1985)”
Auto Focus (2002)
Paul Schrader has often cited his strict Calvinist upbringing as the key influence of his film career, going as far as to base George C. Scott’s evangelical crusader in Hardcore off of his own father. Continue reading “Auto Focus (2002)”
A Brief Word on Max von Sydow (1929 – 2020)
It’s difficult to overstate how significant of an actor Max von Sydow was, not solely to the European arthouse scene of the late 50s and 60s but to international cinema in general Continue reading “A Brief Word on Max von Sydow (1929 – 2020)”
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009)
Werner Herzog is rather frenetic and instinctive in his approach toward filmmaking. He uses the camera in the same fashion Jackson Pollock uses a paint can, relying upon impulse and coincidence rather than deliberation. Continue reading “Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009)”
Chinese Roulette (1976)
This drama by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, featuring the late Anna Karina, centers on a wealthy Munich husband and wife who simultaneously discover that their partner is having an affair. Initially somewhat farcical before transitioning into a psychological thriller, Chinese Roulette is one of Fassbinder’s most stylish features; his camera frequently zooms and glides past his ensemble of tortured souls and his fascination with mirrors, doorways, and staircases is taken to its logical conclusion. Continue reading “Chinese Roulette (1976)”
Guns of the Trees (1961)
This was seen on a new 35mm restored by the Anthology Film Archives and the Film Foundation through funding from the George Lucas Family Foundation, commemorating the one-year anniversary of Jonas Mekas’ death (on January 23rd, 2019). Continue reading “Guns of the Trees (1961)”
Spite Marriage (1929)
This largely forgettable Buster Keaton vehicle was the second feature he produced for MGM and his final silent film (although produced with a synchronized soundtrack). Centering on a hapless dry cleaner (Keaton) who weds the girl of his dreams, not realizing their marriage was a sham conducted to vex his spouse’s ex-boyfriend, Spite Marriage is one of Buster’s weakest and limpest efforts. Continue reading “Spite Marriage (1929)”
Wagon Master (1950)
Perhaps the most optimistic film made by John Ford, Wagon Master is a celebration of the American dream through the backdrop of the western frontier. Continue reading “Wagon Master (1950)”
