As a silent film director, Micheaux was at his strongest: His literary style (he wrote seven novels in total) imbued his intertitles with moral messages that at once developed his film’s characters while furthering his deep thematic desires. The revealing editing of “Within Our Gates,” “The Symbol of the Unconquered,” and “Body and Soul” further … Read more
While children factor into many of the director’s works, two sets of films from each movement in his career stand out. From his time at Shochiku are the films “Children in the Wind,” “Four Seasons of Children: Spring/Summer,” and “Four Seasons of Children: Autumn/Winter,” which relay two years in the life of brothers Zenta (Masao … 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
Sembène was a great activist, a man of extraordinary contradiction who brooked no dissent in his ferocious drive to speak truth to power on behalf of, yes, his people but also, I think, the shame of his colonial indoctrination as a child. His work has the sense of a man spending his life redressing his … Read more
The author of the Friday the 13th Part 2 retrospective Sackhead is now writing a Friday the 13th Part III retrospective called Jason 3D Earlier this year, author R. G. Henning sent the book Sackhead: The Definitive Retrospective on Friday the 13th Part 2 – a 277 page book entirely dedicated to 1981’s Friday the 13th … Read more
While the 1960s saw a rise in Japanese noir, many of these films—like the popular Nikkatsu noir and Yakuza films—centered on the criminal underworld as it adapted to modern times. Masumura, however, used the genre to expose the crime embedded in what was considered just regular business tactics and found ways to bring these noir … Read more