Thinking Film Since 1973
By Gary M. Kramer, I feel my whole life has been one big gamble from the moment I chose to
By Ali Moosavi. After only two feature films and a documentary, Massoud Bakhshi has come to the forefront of the
By Zoe Kurland. Uncle Frank takes many leaps of faith to peddle a strong message of self-love, yet leaves us with a forced reconciliation, tying a sloppy bow around a
By Elias Savada. They Reach offers slow build up and small jump scares. Too much music, not enough imagination, although the direction is adequate." They Reach starts like a low-budget
American Splendor (Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, 2003) A Book Review by Thomas Puhr. The collection’s 19 contributors deftly sidestep the 'Are superhero movies cinema?' debate – which usually
By Elias Savada. All hail the group's second silly caper that will undoubtedly engross some of you. It does have a certain intoxicating charm to it." Recently I've been listening
By Elias Savada. Horrific footage of the inferno casts an eerie light as Nanau's film begins, and, with a surgeon's precision, he peels away the scab hiding an immoral national
By Zoe Kurland. The film is redeemed by its overall heart, precious bouts of whimsy, and, above all, the care given to moments of quiet when the battle recedes into
By Rod Lott. If only it could be less silly.... Is there an app for that?" While the invention of the cellphone has forced filmmakers to get more creative in
Directing Scarlett Johansson (an Allen defender) on the set of Match Point (2005) By Ali Moosavi. Apropos of Nothing is an immensely entertaining, funny, often touching, openly confessional memoir.... It
By Zoe Kurland. Uncle Frank takes many leaps of faith to peddle a strong message of self-love, yet leaves us with a forced reconciliation, tying a sloppy bow around a very unwieldy, amber-tinged package.” Alan Ball’s latest film, Uncle Frank, opens in the midst of a South Carolina summer. A […]
By Elias Savada. They Reach offers slow build up and small jump scares. Too much music, not enough imagination, although the direction is adequate.” They Reach starts like a low-budget road trip reboot of the sadly departed Supernatural tv series (well, two guys in a station wagon, with a gun […]
American Splendor (Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, 2003) A Book Review by Thomas Puhr. The collection’s 19 contributors deftly sidestep the ‘Are superhero movies cinema?’ debate – which usually leads to pointless semantic hair-splitting – and instead focus on diverse examples (from American Splendor, to Modesty Blaise and Scott Pilgrim) to illustrate the […]
Film Scratches is a blog by David Finkelstein focusing on the world of experimental and avant-garde film, especially as practiced by individual artists. It features a mixture of reviews, interviews, and essays. Apocalypse With a Silver Lining: Letter from the Gone World (2017) In Lydia Moyer’s powerful 18 minute essay film, Letter from […]
By Gary M. Kramer, I feel my whole life has been one big gamble from the moment I chose to become an actor. I feel the buzz of getting a job is the same as winning the jackpot.” Getting to Know You, available on demand November 24, is a poignant, […]
Fixed Bayonets! (1951) By Tony Williams. Viewers should gain plenty from seeing Fuller’s majestic visual style and hearing his inimitable dialogue in this special collection.” Eureka’s distinctive series has made a very worthy addition to their acclaimed series with five films by the great Samuel Fuller whose significance appears on […]
By Elias Savada. All hail the group’s second silly caper that will undoubtedly engross some of you. It does have a certain intoxicating charm to it.” Recently I’ve been listening to a lot of Jerry Jeff Walker, the American country music troubadour who died last month. His rendition of Gary […]
By Elias Savada. Horrific footage of the inferno casts an eerie light as Nanau’s film begins, and, with a surgeon’s precision, he peels away the scab hiding an immoral national health-care system at home, one that had been secretly festering for a decade.” It took a Romanian sports journalist to […]
By Zoe Kurland. The film is redeemed by its overall heart, precious bouts of whimsy, and, above all, the care given to moments of quiet when the battle recedes into the background.” The year is 1995, and a group of Irish soldiers (the 57th battalion, to be exact) has just […]
Fritz Kortner and Louise Brooks in Pandora’s Box (G.W. Pabst, 1929) By Thomas Gladysz. Louise Brooks has been described as a “cult actress”…. But as both the Melbourne and Zurich retrospectives show, there is a good deal more to this singular performer.” Last October, the Melbourne Cinémathèque in Melbourne, Australia […]