Friday, February 10 2012
Spanish Surrealist, Meet Mickey Rooney: ‘Treasure Train’
A child's garden of crazy grown-ups, lost locomotives, talented ducks, war orphans and innocent incest.
Mod Film Noir: ‘Brighton Rock’
Rowan Joffe sets this adaptation in 1964, amidst the mods and the rockers. A mods-versus-rockers riot serves as chaotic cover for one of the film’s acts of murder.
Thursday, February 9 2012
Seijun Suzuki’s Classic New-Wave Gangster Films: ‘Tokyo Drifter’ and ‘Branded to Kill’
Fans of classic yakuza films and Japanese new-wave cinema have reason to celebrate today with Criterion’s release of Seijun Suzuki’s 1966 Tokyo Drifter, and his…
‘United Red Army’: Revolutionaries Lost Without a Map
This ambitious three-hour-plus examination of Japan's notorious radical left-wing militant group loses its way in the narrative fog.
Wednesday, February 8 2012
Robert Altman Before and After ‘M*A*S*H’: ‘Countdown’ & ‘Brewster McCloud’
These two early curiosities from Robert Altman's career are available on-demand.
As Theo Van Gogh Knew, Hell Really is Other People: ‘3 by Theo’
Of his nearly 30 films, these three by Theo Van Gogh each focuses on verbal wrestling between a man and a woman.
Tuesday, February 7 2012
D.W. Griffith’s Morality Tale, ‘Way Down East’, has One of the Greatest Movie Finalés, Ever
Lillian Gish shines as the martyred heroine of D.W. Griffith's most popular melodrama.
Vincent Gallo Is a Taliban Insurgent on the Run in ‘Essential Killing’
Following a insurgent on the run in the mountains of Poland, this art house thriller has less to it than meets the eye.
Monday, February 6 2012
‘My Fair Lady’: Let’s Revisit This Loverly Classic in HD
This musical gets criticized because of its outdated sense of romance, when in reality it's a subversive feminist piece.
Friday, February 3 2012
Grave Robbing, Murder and a Few Laughs: ‘Burke and Hare’
I wish I could say this was the triumphal return of a great director rather than just a decent rental.
‘Happy, Happy’: Is a Happy Tragedy
The Norwegian movie and a favorite last year at Sundance, Happy, Happy founders on lukewarm emotional appeal and a shockingly racist subplot.
Thursday, February 2 2012
‘The Violent Zone’: In the Twilight
Considering the emotional complexity of the first two films in director Victor Nunez’s Floridian trilogy, this third and final installment is a letdown.
‘America In Primetime’: Episodes on Archetypes
America in Primetime is a celebration of television but without empty platitudes and praise; rather, it achieves its goal through thoughtful analysis and intelligent conversation.
Wednesday, February 1 2012
‘Apollo 18’: Little Variation on a Thoroughly Explored Theme
A trio of astronauts return to the moon on a secret mission. Things go wrong. This is the footage.
The Magnificent ‘Coast’
Coast is a celebration of the British Isles, its neighbors, its peoples, their connections, and their relationships to the land and sea that shapes them.
Tuesday, January 31 2012
‘The Love We Make’ Is One for the Vaults
You gotta know when to roll 'em, know when to cut 'em, and know when to let it be.
‘Scorpion King 3: Battle for Redemption’: Sit Back and Bask in the Ninjaness of It All
A down on his luck former king goes on a quest for redemption, finds ninjas.
‘Texas Killing Fields’ Is Murder!
When you feel sorry for the bad guys in a serial killer flick, you know there's something wrong.
Monday, January 30 2012
‘Queen: Days of Our Lives’ Is the Definitive Queen Documentary—for Now
Loud guitar, astrophysics, little people, S&M clubs, positive thinking, and nude women on bicycles are all part of the Queen saga, darling.
Thanks to ‘Paranormal Activity 3’: I Can’t Even Look at an Oscillating Fan, Anymore
For a franchise that prides itself on slowly building to a fright-filled finalé, Paranormal Activity 3 comes up short -- but it does leave lasting impressions.
