I’d love to say that Zola, the film adapted from a 148-post Twitter thread from 2015, is a work of immense genius and resourcefulness, rather than resigning to the fact that this is an enormous headache of a film. Much of what has been written about this film, which was apparently meticulously crafted from the…
Starstruck (1982)
It’s often said that for a film to become a cult classic, all it needs is some time and just one person who is endlessly passionate about it, since at some point, there will be some overlap. Surprisingly, despite being released nearly forty years ago, Starstruck remains relatively obscure, despite meeting every criterion needed for…
The Freshman (1990)
Clark Kellogg (Matthew Broderick) is a young man from Vermont who is about to embark on quite an adventure, setting off to attend film school in New York City. His arrival there is instantly troubled, particularly when he encounters Vic (Bruno Kirby), a street-smart hustler who promises the impressionable young man safe passage to his…
Dance, Girl, Dance (1940)
Somewhere in Akron, Ohio is a small dance hall, in which a small group of chorus girls entertain the locals, who in turn help support them and allow them to make a meagre living. Amongst them are Bubbles (Lucille Ball), a feisty young dancer who is the de facto star of the show, perhaps not…
Limbo (2021)
In 1983, Bill Forsyth quietly made history when he wrote and directed Local Hero, his quaint and charming comedy about an outsider being stranded on a remote Scottish island, and forced to cavort with the eccentric local residents who may not have had ill-intentions, but certainly didn’t always mean as well as they seemed to…
Bless Their Little Hearts (1983)
Charles Burnett is one of the most important artists to ever work in the medium of film, yet so many people struggle to recognize the name. Without his groundbreaking work, we’d not have developed the strong independent film industry that has allowed so many exciting young filmmakers to have their voices heard. As both a…
Summer of Soul (2021)
In the promotion for the recently unearthed footage of the Harlem Cultural Festival that took place across the summer of 1969, it’s become popular to refer to it as the “Black Woodstock”, whereby not only did it occur concurrently to the iconic festival that was taking place not too far away, but also the array…
The Cheap Detective (1978)
There is an argument to be made that The Cheap Detective is one of the funniest films of the 1970s, but one that isn’t as widely discussed as it should be. One of the lesser-known projects by the incredible and deservedly iconic Neil Simon, this film seems to have been lost to time, which is…
Butter on the Latch (2013)
By now, it’s almost undeniable public knowledge that Josephine Decker is a very gifted filmmaker. She has only made a handful of films, but each one of them is well-formed and fascinating, and works of incredible poignancy by a truly talented artist. She has recently started making her way into more high-profile circles, working with…
Lovers and Lollipops (1956)
Peggy (Cathy Dunn) is a precocious little girl who refuses to be underestimated – her small size shouldn’t fool anyone, since she is one of the most dynamic individuals one can ever hope to encounter. She passes her days visiting a variety of local New York City establishments with a photographer who is compiling a…
The Postmodern Pelican 