(Written by Brandon Harris.)
How do you make a Christian vampire movie? Perhaps more specifically, how does one make a film that accepts the idea that undead, bloody thirsty immortals and the all-powerful protestant God are both existent presences in the Universe that must be reckoned with? It sounds like sort of a silly idea, right? Maybe not. …click to read more
I first saw Stanley Nelson’s Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple almost exactly one year ago to the day. And while I personally make it a point to re-watch films before writing about them in a format such as this, I didn’t want to do that with this particular film. This is due to several reasons. Firstly, I wanted to preserve the memory of my initial viewing. Secondly, I felt it was unnecessary, since not a week has gone by when I haven’t thought about Nelson’s film, to the extent that it feels like I watched it more recently than I did. Thirdly, and perhaps most honestly, I simply didn’t want to watch it again. Which leads to the shameful-to-admit fourthly reason why I wanted to avoid sitting through it a second time: I was too scared. Yet, being the determined professional that I am, I swallowed my fear, grabbed my store-bought DVD off the shelf (why did I buy it if I never planned on watching it again?), turned off the lights, pressed play, and entered into the horrific, waking nightmare that was Jim Jones and the eventual Jonestown massacre of 1978. …click to read more
The final shot of Ramin Bahrani’s Chop Shop is a doozy. Fulfilling a first act set-up in which a mechanic gives the young hero Alejandro (Alejandro Planco) a handful of pigeon feed, the shot moves from the boy, scattering seeds on the concrete, to a raft of birds gliding down to the concrete, where they feast at his feet. The articulation between the camera and the pigeons has an almost preternatural grace, and the magic is sustained even as Ale’s sister Isamar (Isamar Gonzalez) steps forward, reaching out, trying to touch one of the birds. It flutters away, and on the beat of the wings Bahrani cuts to black. The film is over. …click to read more
For those of you unfortunate readers who didn’t get the chance to see Jeff Nichols’ masterfully assured debut, Shotgun Stories, at a festival last year or during its limited theatrical run this spring, fear not, as it has just been released on home video by Liberation Entertainment. Read my previously posted review right here and then go to Amazon or Netflix or elsewhere to buy it or rent it. Shotgun Stories is the exact type of movie that inspired us to start this site. Track it down right now if you know what’s good for you!
It’s Bucharest, 1987; the Ceausescu regime is entering its final days and Otilia (Anamaria Marinca) has a problem. A college student with limited resources scraping by on the black market in between classes and the attentions of her boyfriend, Otilia has been handed a whole new set of responsibilities by her roommate, Gabita (Laura Vasiliu). The plans are all in place; a reservation at a not-too-expensive hotel, the proper contacts made with certain shady characters and just the right amount of time available to ensure privacy. All that Otilia and Gabita have to do is execute their plan to the letter and maybe, just maybe, the problem will be solved and they can return to their normal lives. It’s a risk worth taking; Gabita is pregnant and wants to terminate the pregnancy, but it’s Bucharest, it’s 1987, the Ceausescu regime is entering its final days and abortion is illegal.
I mentioned in my review of Myna Joseph’s Man that the influence of the Dardenne Brothers is becoming increasingly apparent in American cinema. Moreso than that film, a perfect example of this trend is The Execution Of Solomon Harris, a grueling eight-minute short film whose intensity is almost entirely related to the way the camera attaches itself to its subject. This form of subjectivity is a trademark of the Dardennes; they maintain such a steadfast attachment to their characters that the events around them almost–almost–seem peripheral. It’s a fascinating way to get inside a character’s head without relying on anything more than a camera and that character.
(Written by Tom Hall.)
Nobody likes a tattletale. From the moment we begin to understand language, through our working and adult lives and well into our final days, the idea that one of our peers would seek to document our mistakes and make us pay some arbitrary consequence is completely exasperating, an experience that can drive us to invent wild fantasies of terrible vengeance and improvise curses whispered under our angry breath. And so, while we can somehow reconcile ourselves to great tragedy or the random destruction of a natural disaster, it is the pettiest of indignities that can cause the greatest suffering. Sitting atop the pantheon of punitive adults are those brave men and women who trade in daily ignominy by doling out parking tickets. It’s true; nobody loves a meter maid. …click to read more
(Written by Nelson Kim.)
In a 1957 essay, Norman Mailer wrote that the Holocaust “presented a mirror to the human condition which blinded anyone who looked into it,” for the Final Solution was the “collective creation” of a society more like than unlike our own, “and if society was so murderous, then who could ignore the most hideous of questions about his own nature?” …click to read more
Movies love to wallow in fate, how it sends us on journeys we never could have predicted. Whether it’s a chance encounter that sparks a deep and lasting connection, or a seemingly inconsequential decision that becomes a profound life changer, filmmakers love to grapple with this mysterious concept. What makes fate so difficult to pursue on screen is the ironic twist that the more a filmmaker remains true to life, the more unbelievable a film can seem. Screenwriters are taught to keep their stories as condensed and uncluttered as possible. Too many sidetracks and viewers will become confused and the point will be lost. But too much clarity tends to ring false in movies; what were once thin, impromptu marks in real life become broad, calculated strokes on the big screen. …click to read more
Today marks the official DVD release of Benten Films’ first foray into foreign cinema, and it’s an unforgettable one. Michael Tully’s review of Matthias Glasner’s The Free Will is forthcoming. Until then, rent or buy it for yourself to prevent this audacious film from slipping through the cracks.