To Dance Without Warning: Reliving The Last Days of Chez Nous
You can go home again The Last Days of Chez Nous is the best film so far of Gillian Armstrong’s (no relation), and one of the most underrated Australian films[…]
Category: Reviews
Night of the Living Dead: Reappraising an Undead Classic
Romero’s canonical work remains timely decades later Introduction There has been a veritable outbreak of zombie films in the last few years, from Hollywood blockbusters Resident Evil (Anderson, 2002) and[…]
The Barkleys of Broadway: Fred & Ginger’s Last Dance: Ten Pounds Shy of a Gem?
“You’d be hard to replace”? Damn near impossible! How hard is it to lose those last ten pounds, eh? Well, pretty damn hard, but if Ginger Rogers had been able[…]
Activist & Political · Reviews
The Nixon of Our Dreams? On Robert Altman’s Secret Honor
We loved him, we loved him not Of all the Presidents the United States has had to endure over the last couple of centuries, this country’s relationship with Richard Nixon[…]
Everyday Freaks and Fantasy Wars: The 2005 San Francisco International Film Festival
It was the best of times . . . Running parallel to the 48th San Francisco International Film Festival were a surprisingly large number of other celebrations of film, including[…]
Activist & Political · Festivals & Awards · Reviews
Capturing Chaos: On the 2005 Human Rights Watch Film Festival
These docs and features show a world of upheaval – and, occasionally, hope The films portray images and tell stories that most of us would rather not see or hear.[…]
Quickies: Random Short Reviews from Bobby Abate to The Whale Rider
“It’s a spring break party 24/7 365 days a year!” Bobby Abate In his online bio, queer avant-garde filmmaker Bobby Abate compares himself to Britney Spears. Like her, he says,[…]
Activist & Political · Essays · Reviews
Distribute This! Privilege (Peter Watkins, 1967, Great Britain)
Watkins’ savaging of commodified culture remains disturbingly relevant After retailing Scotland’s Jacobite rebellion of 1746 to almost universal acclaim in Culloden (1964) and, in less than a year, establishing an[…]
Activist & Political · Directors · Documentaries · Reviews
Rebel Girls: Six Documentaries by Kim Longinotto
On Dream Girls, The Day I Will Never Forget, Divorce Iranian Style, Shinjuku Boys, Gaea Girls, and Runaway The combination of reality TV and George W. Bush’s ascendancy (one wants[…]
Two by Jacques Becker: Casque d’or and Touchez pas au grisbi on DVD
Criterion resurrects a French master “Beckeresque” is not a word but maybe it should be. Embedded in its definition would be French director Jacques Becker (1906-1960) at his best: subtle,[…]
Documentaries · LGBT & Queer · Reviews
The Rage from Nowhere? Arthur Dong’s Licensed to Kill Interviews Murderers of Gay Men
“I’m bad, but I’m locked up.” When we think about how society reinforces its laws, we usually think of law enforcement agencies doing what they’re contracted to do in protecting[…]
After Kieślowski: Six Recent Polish Films on DVD
Of Pornography and beyond The recurring release of Krzysztof Kieslowski’s films in various collections attests to more than English speakers’ enduring love of the work of the late master: it[…]
The Disturbance of the Real: Arnaud Desplechin’s Kings and Queen
How real is the director’s much-vaunted “multilayered depiction of reality”? The question is, does it frighten you more that your congenial neighbor – the one whose house has the hummingbird[…]
Thinking (and Talking) It Through: Arnaud Desplechin and Kings and Queen
“Is there anything more dazzling than the possible?” Sophisticated, high-spirited, and unpredictable, Arnaud Desplechin might be likened to a raffish, Gallic Woody Allen – the comedic aspects and neurotic energy[…]
War of the Worlds: You Win Some, You Lose Some
Steven Spielberg meets Tom Cruise (again), and things get boring (again) Leave it to Steven Spielberg to screw up an alien invasion. El Stevo’s remake of the 1953 George Pal[…]
The Dark Side Inside: Thoughts on Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Anger leads to fear, fear leads to hate, hate leads to suffering … Episode III is here and it’s deep, dark and delightful. It clears up many things that were[…]
Animation · LGBT & Queer · Reviews · TV & Streaming
Bikini Bottom Babylon: The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie
He’s fun-damental, not fundamentalist! He’s a Candide for the 21st century, facing the everyday predicaments of the human condition with a sunny optimism and unreasonable zest that seem borderline manic,[…]
The Cross and the Ukelele: Seijun Suzuki’s Princess Raccoon
Suzuki blows morning glories “No man should love a raccoon.” Wise words indeed, even if they address a problem few will encounter, but that’s one lesson taught in Seijun Suzuki’s[…]
Documentaries · Music & Musicals · Reviews
Ready to Rumba? Dance Fever Doc Mad Hot Ballroom Busts a Groove
“You start having to wash two times a day and grow hair in weird places.” “I like moving my hips, a lot!” That’s one preteen girl enthusing about the pleasures[…]
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