Recent

Lee Chang-dong's Mysterious 'Burning' Simmers with an Inquisitive Tension

Burning is more interested in exploring ennui and desperation in the abstract than offering distinct answers about its characters, and it's all the more riveting because of it.

Film

Mirroring Humans through Westworld’s Othered Artificial Intelligence

In the fantasy world of AI-populated Westworld, unchecked humankind regresses into violence toward the "Other" -- just as we do in the chaotic real world. Is that the essence of human nature, to always reject its' self as seen in the visage of the Other?

Television

At the Crossroads of Pity and Revolt: Intensity and Time in Lino Brocka's 'Manila in the Claws of Light'

Lino Brocka's Manila in the Claws of Light seethes with rage against colonial oppression without ever becoming overt agitprop.

Film

The Outer Limits of Spookery: Resurrecting 'The Ghost of Sierra de Cobre'

The Ghost of Sierra de Cobre feels like an unknown episode of The Outer Limits dropped in from an alternate dimension.

Film

'Apostle' Director Gareth Evans on Filmmaking, Narcissism, and Intent

Director Gareth Evans reflects on wanting to once again flex the muscle of making a horror film after his unintentional hiatus from making a film.

Film

'Bad Times at the El Royale' Strives to Be More than the Usual Crime Film

Over the course of one wild and violent day, several travelers check in, bringing more baggage than just the luggage they carry.

Film

'Braid': A Discombobulated, Euphoric, and Unstable Riddle

Writer-director Peirone brings a questioning gaze to the concept of reality.

Film

'Impulse' Stylishly Avoids Restraint

In Graham Baker's horror/ suspense/ sci-fi film, now on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, impulses originate from within the human animal rather than from an outside force.

Film

The Craziest Sh*t Happens in the Suburbs: Interview with 'Summer of 84' Filmmaking Collective, RKSS

Now screening at Arrow Video FrightFest 2018, François Simard, Yoann-Karl Whissell and Anouk Whissell of Summer of 84 discuss with PopMatters something far more scary than the suburbs: the audience.

Film

On Epistemological Anxieties and Irony in 'Who's Who When Everyone Is Someone Else'

C.D. Rose's novel is as striking for its achievements as it is for its failures, but ultimately the whole exercise feels rather inessential.

Books

Ned Beauman's Crazed Colonial Adventure, 'Madness Is Better Than Defeat', Gets Lost in the Weeds

Like Pynchon, Beauman wrings paranoia and gags from a dark confluence of American state and corporate power, yet unlike Pynchon, Beauman only seems interested in mining the material for superficial laughs.

Books

The Paradox We All Must Live with: del Árbol's 'A Million Drops'

Víctor del Árbol's A Million Drops is a mystery-thriller in the best tradition of the genre, one which offers an intricately-researched historical tale while also trying to say something appreciably profound about human nature.

Books

Power and Misogyny in 'Red Sparrow'

Red Sparrow isn't a great spy thriller, but it's a fascinating take on women fighting for control over their own bodies.

Film

That Boy Ain't Right: 'The Reincarnation of Peter Proud'

There's something about The Reincarnation of Peter Proud that keeps it lodged in the memory like a nasty splinter.

Film

Sound and Silence in FX's 'The Americans'

Quiet on the set! Nathan Barr's Emmy-nominated theme song -- and his at times chilling soundtrack for this tale of Russian spies in America during the Cold War -- is now available on CD.

Television

Crouching Scholar, Hidden Demon, 'Legend of the Mountain'

Kino Lorber's 4k restoration of King Hu's work brings the undeniable accolades "spellbinding" and "enchanted" to the fore.

Film

Pop Ten

The 70 Best Albums of 2018

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The Best Shoegaze and Dream Pop of 2018

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The 25 Best Electronic Albums of 2018

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