More of an overpriced show-off piece for the size and scope of the Zoetrope Studios soundstages than a movie proper, Francis Ford Coppola’s quasi-musical is a meticulously mounted film lover’s cavalcade of neon lighting, stylizedContinue reading
Category: U.S. Independent Cinema
C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America (Kevin Willmott, 2005)
Kevin Willmott’s mockumentary about an alternate U.S. history following a Confederate victory in the Civil War is a clever, sometimes hilarious, and purposefully incendiary examination of race relations that expertly manipulates our experiences with televisionContinue reading
King of New York (Abel Ferrara, 1990)
Somewhat overrated, but undeniably fascinating and quite absorbing, this stylish and racially charged crime drama posits Christopher Walken as a drug lord reclaiming his territory after a long stint in jail and, in an ironic turn,Continue reading
The Fall (Tarsem Singh, 2008)
The Fall, director Tarsem Singh’s first film since his directorial debut The Cell back in 2000, is a singular personal epic, a film that truly reminds us of the splendor of cinematic imagery and theContinue reading
Youth Without Youth (Francis Ford Coppola, 2007)
Coppola marks his return to the director’s chair after a 10-year absence with this alternately confounding and enjoyably strange dive into philosophical angst and historical dreamscape. Tim Roth is quite impressive as a 70-year-old suicidal scholarContinue reading
Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (Nathan Frankowski, 2008)
I am neither a scientist nor a theologian, so I can’t comment with any authority on the validity of the claims made about intelligent design and Darwinism made in this documentary-polemic. I can say thatContinue reading
Blast of Silence (Allen Baron, 1961)
For a no-budget film shot on the sly in New York City with a nonactor in the lead role, there is a grand, existential audacity to Blast of Silence. A particularly dour film noir madeContinue reading
Funny Games (Michael Haneke, 1997; 2008)
Whether in its original 1997 Austrian version or the new, meticulous shot-for-shot English language remake, Michael Haneke’s meta-thriller is a masterful provocation. The story of a wealthy family held captive and tormented by a pairContinue reading
For All Mankind (Al Reinert, 1989)
Culled from thousands and thousands of hours of footage shot by astronauts, much of which had never been seen before, For All Mankind returns the magic and wonderment to space travel, which has become allContinue reading
Summerhood (Jacob Medjuck, 2008)
Medjuck’s feature debut is a slightly raunchy, but ultimately sweet-natured comedy about a kid with a small body and a big mind trying to navigate the choppy waters between childhood and adolescence. Set at aContinue reading