NYFF: Assault on Precinct 13’s Message Is Trite in Our Times
The ’70s were politically charged when Assault on Precinct 13 was released. Our perception of the film’s message is the only thing that has changed since.
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Marvel’s ‘WandaVision’ Echos Our Lasting Pandemic Grief
Addressing pandemic-induced topics such as loss, grief, and mental illness, Marvel’s ‘WandaVision’ serves as a metaphor for life in the time of COVID.
Mohammad Rasoulof’s Brave and Brilliant ‘There Is No Evil’
The Iranian government does its best to support the ruling metaphor in Mohammad Rasoulof’s body of work: his country as a prison.
Jan de Bont’s ‘Twister’ Wreaks Havoc for 25 Years
In the 25 years since Jan de Bont released Twister, it has not stopped tearing through my life. This is my devastating love story.
WandaVision’s Grief Is America’s Grief
To cope with her grief WandaVision‘s Wanda reverts to a comforting but false alternate reality set in idealized 1950s America. Sound familiar?
King Hu’s ‘Raining in the Mountain’ Is Rich with Gorgeous Atmosphere
The quiet, extended scenes in King Hu's Raining in the Mountain are full of beauty as well as tension and anticipation.
Sundance 2021: Sion Sono’s Gonzo ‘Prisoners of the Ghostland’
Prisoners of the Ghostland, starring a whacked-out Nicholas Cage, is exciting, wild, bold, and joyfully ridiculous -- pretty much what you expect from a Sion Sono film.
The Mandalorian’s Political Allegory: Diversity Is the Way
When the president of Lucasfilm Kathleen Kennedy announced there will be more than 10 Star Wars shows and films coming out, she declared that popular culture is a space of diversity. All stories can and should be told simultaneously and adjacently.
The Risky and Limited Life of Burt Reynolds’ Macho ‘Hooper’
Burt Reynolds' Sonny Hooper is a carefree and lovable guy whose reckless stunt pro lifestyle symbolizes the self-troubles and limitations toxic masculinity creates.
Forest Whitaker Film ‘Ghost Dog’ Is a Sampler’s Paradise
Jarmusch's 1999 classic Ghost Dog, now in a Criterion edition, freely mixes and matches Bushido philosophy, Mafia and samurai flicks, Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, and lo-fi hip-hop into a sly and dreamy comedy about role-playing.
‘Captain America: Civil War’ Mirrors Another Kind of American Civil War
In the Russo Brothers' Captain America: Civil War, friend turns on friend, and no easy resolution is reached. It's rather like the toxic online fan culture that followed the film's release.