Archive | March 2013
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“Before Midnight” trailer!!!
Spring is here, and love is in the air! And what better way to celebrate that amour than with the release of the official movie trailer for Richard Linklater’s long-awaited, upcoming, can’t believe it’s finally almost here, “Before Midnight”! Continuing with the arbitrarily imposed nine-year cycle between features(although the characters of Jesse and Celine did […]
Flashback: on 1986’s Little Shop of Horrors-The Director’s Cut
What a history I’ve had with this morbidly, delightful work. Talk about a case of unexpected and unintentional genius. Warning—there will be spoilers throughout this piece. But really, if you don’t have any idea about the gist of this simple story of a naive young man and his talking, man-eating plant by now—just what kind of […]
Rust and Bone
It has two absolutely terrific performances, and I continue to be highly impressed by the talents of Belgium’s Matthias Schoenaerts. Unfortunately, it’s just not a very good film. There are some interesting scenarios presented that are never quite fully explored(sex with an amputee being one of them), and shameless, button-pushing manipulation throughout. It’s certainly never […]
“Skyfall”-ing into “Compliance”: a recent re-evaluation
It’s my belief that a truly fine critic should be critical of their own output. Now, I’m not claiming to be at the level of “truly fine”—that’s for others to decide. But it’s certainly what I wish to attain. Throughout my decades of being a film nut, there have been an array of classic works […]
Holy Motors
Alright, I’m still a bit lost after two rounds with this exhilarating project—but it’s getting clearer. And it’s never less than absolutely fascinating. Does any film expression of this ilk owe me 100% clarity on the first go-round? I think not. Where’s the fun in knowing exactly where everything is going all the time? Or […]
The Cronenberg Chronicle-Phase Twelve: The Dead Zone (1983)
Happy 70th birthday to David C! I made certain to rush in a fresh watch of Cronenberg’s only foray into Stephen King territory, so I could chronicle it in time for his big 7-OH! And, by chance, “The Dead Zone” represents the very first time that I ever experienced a film from my now favorite […]
Pina
Longer hiatus than expected getting to this documentary review, but exciting stuff coming in the next few days—including the first theatre review of the new season(and something I didn’t plan on attending)! Also, finally getting to a piece on the wild and exhilarating “Holy Motors” from France. And a very special birthday tribute on the […]
Undefeated
It took a full year to get released on DVD…even after winning the 2011 Best Documentary feature award. What takes them so long? Certainly it’s mostly off of people’s radar now, considering that “Searching for Sugar Man” just grabbed the 2012 Doc trophy a little over a week ago. Should you bother at this point? […]
Keep the Lights On
A touching and sensitive Sundance hit that deserved a bigger audience—perhaps it will find one now on DVD. It’s an insightful portrait of a homosexual couple, and their increasing difficulty in remaining together as one falls into the abyss of substance abuse. The film was nominated for four major Independent Spirit Awards in late 2012(Best […]
Reviewed by Mark Leonard 