Politics is never an easy conversation to have, and it’s even a more difficult topic to bring up in film as people try to attend fictionalized narrative stories to escape the reality of every day. That is not to say… Read More ›
Altered Innocence
Crime drama “Eat the Night” seeks to explore real versus digital existance.
The real world is a mess. Just about everywhere you look there’s something to be despondent about, whether it’s the state of the global climate, the power grab by nationalist parties within global governments, or the general vibe of “get… Read More ›
Parental thriller “Endless Summer Syndrome” seeks deep philosophical examination yet undercuts itself with a telegraphed conclusion.
Wherever we are in our lives, all of it — our successes, our failures — begins at home. Someone born into a home with extensive resources can achieve absolutely nothing of their own while someone with scant resources can achieve… Read More ›
Bertrand Mandico’s “She Is Conann” questions whether or not crushing your enemies is truly what’s best in life.
Photosensitivity Warning: There are multiple scenes in which either a character is using a camera with flash or a strobe is used (often at length). Proceed with absolute caution. In the realm of action fantasy, John Milius’s 1982 sword and… Read More ›
“The People’s Joker:” And the Emancipation of One Vera Drew.
Yellow Smiley offers me X Like he’s drinking 7-Up I would rather drink six razor blades Razor blades from a paper cup He can’t understand, I say too tough It’s just that I’ve seen the future and boy it’s rough… Read More ›
See Gaspar Noé’s “Irreversible (Irréversible)” restored in 2K and recut in chronological order in the brand-new “Straight Cut (Inversion Intégrale).”
Content warning: Irreversible contains extreme depictions of violence, rape, racism, homophobia, transphobia, misogyny, strobe effects, disorienting cinematography and soundtrack, and whatever else you can think of. If you could be negatively affected by something, it’s most likely on full display… Read More ›
Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson’s “Beautiful Beings (Berdreymi)” explores lost childhood amid adolescent change.
**Content Warning: Beautiful Beings contains material involving sexual abuse of minors, inferences of abuse, and other subject material that may trigger SA survivors.** Writer/director Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson (Heartstone) followed up his first feature film with a story that’s at once… Read More ›
Altered Innocence’s 4K restoration of Spanish horror “Arrebato (Rapture)” highlights how its DNA is strewn across all genres, all nations, to a multitude of filmmakers.
Inspiration is found everywhere. Even the best filmmakers have inspirations that they imbue into their own work, using the work that made them into the filmmakers they are today in smart, reverential ways. Sure, occasionally things can get heavy-handed and… Read More ›
If you can get on its frequency, Bertrand Mandico’s fantasy western “After Blue (Dirty Paradise)” is a surreal ride. [Fantastic Fest]
Thanks to the recent release of James Wan’s Malignant (2021), there’s been a lot of talk within certain circles about the desire to see big swings in cinema that create vigorous division over something good but safe. Having not seen… Read More ›