One of the many fascinating quirks about the film industry is that if an actor puts in enough work early in their career, and maintains a level of decency and respectability, there comes a point where they are given carte blanche to spend their time however they see fit, without any risk of being viewed…
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
While it has become something of a frustration when studios commission a sequel to a film based on the original’s success (since it plays into the perception that Hollywood lacks originality and always wants to pursue what they know as being successful), we don’t often realize the risk that can come when doing so, since…
Wendy and Lucy (2008)
Kelly Reichardt is a peculiar filmmaker, and I mean that with every iota of respect I can muster. She is a truly original storyteller, and someone who has made a profound impact on independent cinema, albeit in ways that are not actually strikingly clear on the surface. What makes her so fascinating is that her…
The Evil Dead (1981)
The trope of the “cabin in the woods” horror (which focus on a group of characters that venture into some rural, isolated part of the world and find themselves confronted with sinister forces, whether tangible or supernatural) has become so taut and overworked, it seems impossible to fully comprehend where it started, if such a…
Love Like Poison (2010)
While she has only directed three films, each one of the works constructed by Katell Quillévéré feels like complex, vibrant glimpses into the collective consciousness, a daring and provocative series of images, each one coming together to tell moving and poignant stories. She is truly one of our most fascinating young talents, and an absolutely…
Cat People (1942)
If you read any material that discusses the life and times of Val Lewton, you will come across one word that is perhaps most defining of him as an artist – “atavistic”. The word, which means that which relates to the antiquity or ancestral worlds, is something that remained one of the primary themes behind…
Swimming Pool (2003)
There are some films that don’t only allow for ambiguity, they outright encourage it, since there is nothing quite like a strong and impenetrable story to keep audiences engaged. One of the most interesting examples of this comes in the form of Swimming Pool, the remarkable and highly-questionable erotic thriller by François Ozon in his…
Dinner in America (2022)
There has been few concepts that have corrupted the social psyche more than that of suburbia. The idealistic image of charming houses situated behind white picket fences, inhabited by representatives of the perfect nuclear family based on a Norman Rockwell-esque social utopia, has never been feasible. Yet, those who dare to speak out on the…
Blazing Saddles (1974)
Here is an unimpeachable, almost gospel truth: absolutely no one makes films like Mel Brooks. Somehow, this obscure television writer and comedian born and raised on the tail-end of the peak of vaudeville flourished into one of our greatest filmmakers, someone whose work reflects nothing short of pure, unhinged artistic brilliance. He is one of…
Incredible but True (2022)
You have to give credit to Quentin Dupieux for the sheer audacity that guides his career – who else has the gall to make the films that absolutely no one asked for, but yet feel almost essential once we spend some time with them? With a directorial career that started under his musical moniker of…
The Postmodern Pelican 