‘Sirius’ Casts a Glittering Eye on WWII Hungary
The not-so-subtle commentary on Hungary’s German and Italian allies, disguised within a lavish, escapist, romantic fantasy, is only one of the surprising things about Sirius.
romance
‘He Who Gets Slapped’ Gets Its Slap-Happy Revenge
Lou Chaney-starring He Who Gets Slapped gives viewers a macabre melodrama with a taste of serious literature – until it ends in bloody revenge.
‘Promise Her Anything’ Leaves Us Holding the Baby
In Hollywood’s eternal battle between the puritan and the prurient, Promise Her Anything shows the puritan still holds the whip. Oh, baby.
‘Streets of Fire’ as Global Myth
Streets of Fire boldly rejects conventional genre boundaries, merging action, rock opera, MTV video, and neo-noir into an audacious and stylized urban myth that resonates globally.
Red Westerns of the Socialist East
The Red Westerns made in the socialist countries of Eastern Europe appropriated the tropes of the Western to critique America’s mythologies while advancing their own.
‘Girl With a Suitcase’ Charms With Its Magnetic Performances
Despite what appears to be a probing examination of the socioeconomics of the European class system, Girl With a Suitcase‘s pleasures are simple.
The Long Dark Reach of Cornell Woolrich’s Noir Thrillers
Cornell Woolrich’s premise that happiness is always just beyond reach grabs hold of noir thrillers Dark City, Beware, My Lovely, and No Man of Her Own.
‘Anora’, (Sex) Work, and the Fantasies of Genre
Sean Baker’s Anora illustrates how sex work – a working-class job – is a dance between creativity and commerce, art and artifice.
Berlinale Part 1: Bob Dylan, Trauma Drama, and Time-Shifting Romance
The 75th edition of Europe’s preeminent film festival, Berlinale, kicks off with politics center stage, an efficient new director, and more celebrities than ever before.
MoMA’s To Save and Project Film Restoration Fest Ranges from Classics to Avant-Garde
MoMA’s To Save and Project film restoration festival shows silents, exploitation films, avant-garde jokes, and the first Mexican film awarded at Cannes.
It Ain’t Easy Being Green in Wicked’s Hollywood
In Wicked: Part 1, “normal” citizens come in all skin colors – except green. It ain’t easy being green in Wicked’s (or America’s) Hollywood.
MoMA’s Film Restoration Fest To Save and Project Eyes Bad Behavior
MoMA’s film restoration fest To Save and Project eyes bad behavior with a Casanova, Western gunmen, pre-Code showgirls and drug addiction.