Over the past decade, we have watched RuPaul’s Drag Race develop from a small show designed to exhibit the art of drag to a small core group of supporters, to an absolute cultural phenomenon, a worldwide sensation and a landmark of contemporary queer culture, enjoyed by a group far larger than the initial core audience….
To Be or Not to Be (1942)
The distinction between good satire and revolutionary satire is extremely narrow, and can’t always be predicted at the time, since artists can rarely predict how relevant their work will be in later years, and the extent to which future generations may engage with their ideas. However, the best satires are those that take a bold…
Inside (2023)
While we normally tend to gravitate towards films that follow a familiar structure (granted they are not predictable to the point of being tedious), there are some occasions when a more subversive work catches our attention, whether either in terms of narrative or execution, there is something quite different about a work that piques our…
Kidnapping, Caucasian Style (1967)
Over time, one of the greatest joys of my journey into the world of cinema was realizing how Russia is responsible for some of the greatest films of all time – and we aren’t even discussing the likes of Eisenstein and Tarkovsky, who have been universally canonized as tremendous filmmakers. Instead, I’m referring to the…
My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
For nearly four decades, Studio Ghibli has been regarded as the gold standard for animation, perhaps even more so than Disney and Pixar (which have unsurprisingly collaborated with the Japanese animation studio on a few occasions in recent years), and the reasons are extremely obvious. Few studios have been as committed to capturing quality over…
Life Stinks (1991)
By the time you have mastered a particular genre, to the point where you are considered one of the most influential figures to have ever worked within it, you can afford to take a few risks on occasion. Mel Brooks is inarguably one of the greatest comedic filmmakers to have ever worked in the medium,…
Air (2023)
When it comes to a film like Air, the supposed passion project for director Ben Affleck and his close friend and longtime collaborator (despite there being virtually no premeditated plans prior to the film’s announcement), it is important to know what to expect, not because there is any sense of unpredictability to this film, but…
Insiang (1976)
If you choose any country, and spend enough time venturing off the beaten path, you are likely going to find that there are a wealth of stories hidden from view, but which are just as captivating and enduring as those which are more traditionally popular. There is a certain level of heroism that comes when…
The Animal Kingdom (1932)
If there was ever an era in which filmmakers in Hollywood were active in their efforts to take risks, it would be during the brief period known as the Pre-Code era, which may not have been as driven by the “anything goes” mentality with which some seem to assume defined this period, but still had…
Deconstructing Harry (1997)
While is a director that has never avoided experimenting with style, although outside of a few radical diversions into very different genres, his films generally maintain a similar quality of being either outrageously funny comedies (particularly in his earlier career) or more self-reflective, complex existential films that blur the boundary between comedy and drama in…
The Postmodern Pelican 