Author Archives
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“The Iron Prefect” finally gets the spotlight thanks to Radiance Films.
“Filmmaking is also nation making.” – Pasquale Squitieri, via Domenico Monetti The Iron Prefect (1977) is a nearly perfect limited edition out from Radiance Films. Previously screened in the United States and released on DVD as I am the Law,… Read More ›
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“Biosphere” is fertile ground for a good time.
It’s always strange when a film, its release date set months or years in advance, syncs up with current events. Of course, a writer’s job is often to synthesize their experiences and see how they will evolve down the road,… Read More ›
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“Scarlet” soars on red romantic wings.
The hope found in love is the only hope we have, or at least, that’s what Pietro Marcello‘s Scarlet (2023) seems to be saying. This French period piece is firmly rooted in the cynical positivity of the meta-modernist era. Everything… Read More ›
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“Lynch/Oz” pulls back the curtain on America through film.
Moviegoers and Cinephiles today are privileged to receive insights into their favorite films through any number of Vanity Fair scene breakdowns, WTF Pod confessionals, and, despite studios’ best efforts, the Blu-ray special feature. Maybe this is why David Lynch, an… Read More ›
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“Warm Water Under a Red Bridge” is a hidden treasure no more.
Shoni Imamura’s final film, Warm Water Under a Red Bridge (2001) has finally come to Blu-ray. The last work of this Japanese New-Wave master, Warm Water Under a Red Bridge finds office worker Yosuke Sasano, played by Koji Yakusho (Cure,… Read More ›
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“Giving Birth to a Butterfly” brings surreal performance to the front of house.
“Gah, everyone’s in their own fucking cage” – Owen Cambell as Andrew. There’s a fine line between a bad performance and a surreal one, and Giving Birth to a Butterfly runs that tightrope effortlessly. Wearing its Lynchian influences on its… Read More ›
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“Assassin Club” forgets to turn the safety off.
Wabbit season, duck season, James Bond casting season. In 2004, Daniel Craig proved he could sex it up and shoot it up in Matthew Vaughn’s Layer Cake (2004), leading to his 14-year run as James Bond. In 2023, the assassin… Read More ›
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“Hypnotic” spirals a tad too much.
“…a thrill ride in the Hitchcock sense..” – Director Robert Rodriquez. Remaking Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo (1958) is an unofficial right-of-passage for many auteur directors, and after 21 years of trying, Robert Rodriquez has finally made his. Hypnotic seems to view… Read More ›
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“Fool’s Paradise” is fool’s gold.
“Do nothing, works for tons of actors.” – Ray Liotta as The Producer. Fool’s Paradise is the directorial debut of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005-present)’s Charlie Day. It’s a comedy about the absurdity and tragedy of the business of… Read More ›
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“A Touch of Zen,” a pinch of cinematic magic. [Old School Kung Fu Fest]
From the titular King of Wuxia, King Hu’s A Touch of Zen is what wuxia cinema is all about. In this groundbreaking entry in the genre, a poor scholar named Gu (Shih Chun) paints the portrait of a mysterious stranger… Read More ›
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“The Swordsman of All Swordsmen” promises a great time. [Old School Kung Fu Fest]
The Swordsman of All Swordsmen has filed his amicus brief on debt forgiveness, and he wrote it in blood. Kung Fu Legend Joseph Kuo’s early wuxia film is back and digitally restored for your viewing pleasure, and it is a… Read More ›
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“The King of Wuxia:” Fall in love with the Twilight Samurai. [Old School Kung Fu Fest]
“He was a pure artist. The kind you meet once or twice in a lifetime.” King Hu, the subject of documentary The King of Wuxia, was once named among the five greatest filmmakers on Earth. Kicking off Metrograph’s 10th Old… Read More ›
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“How To Blow Up A Pipeline”: The Teen Hero Reborn.
“You’re an orphan now, that’s like, origin story shit.” From the first shot of a hooded hero, you’re all in on Daniel Goldhaber and Ariela Barer’s How to Blow Up a Pipeline. Co-written by both, directed by one, and starring… Read More ›