“The Seventh Victim” is almost certainly the only movie that opens with an epigraph from the master metaphysical poet John Donne: “I runne to death, and death meets me as fast, and all my pleasures are like yesterday.” The screen card identifies the work as “Holy Sonnet VII,” but the words actually appear to be … Read more
The Criterion Collection is turning 40 years old, and it’s celebrating in an extremely Criterion Collection way: By releasing a 40-film box set culled from their archive of great films. Officially titled CC40, the set includes films from around the world and through history, dating back to 1940 and going all the way up to 2001. … Read more
Close on the heels of starring in a less-successful arthouse drama, Walter Salles’ big-screen adaptation of On the Road, Stewart’s turn in “Clouds of Sils Maria” demonstrated that she was a formidable actress, more than holding her own against the legendary Binoche. But there was also something appealingly meta about the performance, too. At one … Read more
The Criterion Channel has added more than a dozen Razzie nominees to a new collection honoring the worst in movies. The Criterion Collection is known for their dedication to championing classic and contemporary movies we should all be seeing, showcasing them with exquisite transfers and film school-level special features. But when it comes to their … Read more
By the end of the decade, Hollywood had also figured out a visual film grammar to go with sound. You could feel this happening during moments of the early gangster movies, but the aesthetics of “The Roaring Twenties” and the other milestones of the storied Class of ’39 (including “Gone With the Wind,” “Stagecoach,” and … Read more
The three, all now available for purchase: “No Bears” Jafar Panahi’s story of home imprisonment in Iran and his artistic output since that vile ruling is one of the most fascinating in film history. His latest not only finds another way around his restrictions but is deeply self-reflective in how it unpacks the limitations of filmmaking … Read more
These days, whenever James Woods‘ name trends on social media, it’s usually because he’s either posted something inflammatory from a right-wing, anti-government, “anti-woke” perspective, or been accused of skeezy behavior and appetites. It’s sometimes hard to recall that, unlike his fellow Twitter Troll travelers like Kevin Sorbo, Woods was consistently acclaimed as one of the … Read more
Girl, showing resourcefulness by immediately recognizing their peril and shepherding her brother to safety, takes them both deeper into the bush. She’s going to walk to Adelaide but she has no idea what direction it is nor how to survive for very long in this alien landscape. “We’re British,” she protests. What’s saved her is … Read more
My favorite of the uniformly-exceptional films in this collection is the lesser-known “Buchanan Rides Alone.” In it, Scott as Tom Buchanan is pulled into a struggle for power between members of the dysfunctional Agry family in the town that bears their name. The destructive influence of money hangs over the piece immediately as young, drunken, … Read more
“Lovers Rock” Despite its brief 68-minute runtime, “Lovers Rock” is loaded with tactile, sensuous storytelling. The cinematography by Shabier Kirchner and McQueen’s direction make the well-choreographed dance sequences into amazing mini-movies; you’ll find yourself asking, “Where the hell is the camera?” They are just as adept at conveying the connections made at the party. Though … Read more