Those satisfactions are permanent.
Favorite films
Recent activity
AllRecent reviews
More-
The Amusement Park 1975
I find it strange that -- in an era of media so driven by nostalgia -- the release of a film like The Amusement Park emerges with a limited critical and commercial response. Of course, plenty of horror and Romero fans were excited for its long-overdue premiere. Yet there was a limited theatrical release (for my first viewing, I had to drive to Chicago to see this provocative, singular film at a one-time screening). I guess I just hoped for…
Translated from by -
The Long Day Closes 1992
There are so many over-praised films that reference and/or mimic past cinema, but The Long Day Closes might be the absolute finest illustration of a work of art that frequently addresses film history (Garland, Welles, etc.) without ever losing sight of what makes that past cinema so special: its impact on our daily lives.
Ultimately, I am drawn to the ways this film explores the complex intersections of performance, life, (anti)realism, and formalism. Within this complex collision, Davies is never…
Translated from by
Popular reviews
More-
From the East 1993
In From the East, Akerman demonstrates her anti-ethnographic model of filmmaking.
And this may be the film’s most obvious achievement: it is a journey through various places – explicitly titled From the East – but it never feels exploitative or condescending toward its subjects. There may be ways to trace various elements of Akerman’s style, including the pacing, compositional strategies, camera proxemics, etc., to better determine how such an inviting and un-exploitative aesthetic may be produced. However, I don’t think…
Translated from by -
Quintet 1979
"Has it occurred to you that what you are doing is disruptive? You will never understand the scheme until you're part of the scheme."
From its opening shot, hypnotically and slowly tracking across a desolate landscape of snow, Quintet commits to its much-maligned style.
As our culture becomes more eager to speak about movies as "so bad they're good," ambitious films like Quintet are lost in the shuffle. Those who do take the time to watch this universally panned film…
Translated from by
