A Rheumatoid Descent into Villainy
From 19th-century fairy tale illustrations to Disney’s global empire, rheumatoid arthritis has evolved into a visual shorthand for evil—a medical condition transmuted into moral metaphor that resonates today.
Film
Features, reviews, interviews, and lists about film, covering the latest as well historical topics.
Mick Jagger and James Fox’s Disorienting Fever Dream
Performance, starring Mick Jagger and James Fox, thrives on disorientations, making this time-capsule movie a timeless puzzle that resonates.
‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’ at 25 and the Power of Perception
While The Talented Mr. Ripley acknowledges that 1950s-era gay men lived in hiding, Ripley uses his perceived status as a privileged male shrewdly.
In New Directors/New Films Ideas Bubble from the Cultural Magma
New Directors/New Films presents a cross-section of ideas and styles bubbling from today’s cultural magma, and elements and themes resonate from film to film. It’s our zeitgeist, baby.
The 11 Best Films of Stanley Kubrick
Each aesthetic leap along Stanley Kubrick’s way leads to one inevitable conclusion; as an oeuvre, few are more impressive. As a craftsman, none can match him.
6 Deep Sea Monster Movies to Give You the Creeps
These six deep sea monster movies will give you creeps from the ocean depths and make you sob, snicker, scrutinize, and shudder.
Eco-Horror ‘Orca: The Killer Whale’ Takes the Whale’s POV
Michael Anderson’s ’70s-era ecological horror Orca: The Killer Whale takes the whale’s POV and we won’t like what it sees.
Gothic Horror ‘The Mask of Satan’ Gets Deliriously Freaky
Lamberto Bava’s gothic horror The Mask of Satan is a loose framework for ideas to showcase a delirious camera and the freaky makeup effects of Sergio Stivaletti.
‘Sunfish’ Is a Near-Perfect Anthology Film
Sierra Falconer’s anthology film Sunfish (& Other Stories on Green Lake), is quietly impressive, workmanlike storytelling.
Berlinale Part 3: The Best Films You Usually Don’t See Coming
After 10 days of fanfare and celebrity mayhem, the 75th edition of the Berlinale closes with some poignant, idiosyncratic releases from directors Richard Linklater and Radu Jude.
Ellen McIlwaine Was a Goddess Ahead of Her Time
Director Alfonso Maiorana talks about music pioneer Ellen McIlwaine, who raised the power and profile of female musicians, and how she achieved her hard-earned “goddess” status.
Iranian Filmmaker Ali Asgari Embraces Imagination as a Tool of Resistance
Iranian filmmaker Ali Asgari’s genre-bending documentary Higher Than Acidic Clouds embraces the power of imagination as a tool of resistance.