The world of physical media is constantly changing and evolving, impacting the way collectors gather movies. Criterion is occasionally regarded as the benchmark of the crème of the crop for collectors, however, with them continuing to dip their toes into… Read More ›
Italy
“The Voice of Hind Rajab” masterfully utilizes subtle dramatization to portray the real experiences of those who try to save lives in Gaza.
When the world first stopped to hear the voice of Hind Rajab, the little girl from Gaza hiding from bullets in her family’s car, Kaouther Ben Hania was standing frozen in the airport. Now, she’s delivered a masterpiece that asks… Read More ›
A Conversation with “The Voice of Hind Rajab” director Kaouther Ben Hania.
EoM Contributor Andrew J. Eisenman recently spoke with filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania about her latest film, The Voice of Hind Rajab. They discuss where Kaouther was when she first heard about Hind Rajab, making a film about helplessness, how to… Read More ›
Vittorio De Sica’s first masterpiece “Shoeshine,” a devastating tale of innocence lost in postwar Italy, comes home in excellent restoration, courtesy of The Criterion Collection.
Before he directed one of the greatest films of all time, 1948’s Bicycle Thieves, Vittorio De Sica became the face of Italian Neorealism in 1946 with his first masterpiece Shoeshine. Italian Neorealism was a post-World War II film movement which… Read More ›
Get ready to throw down in “The Forbidden City.” [Fantasia]
Since Cain slew Abel, it’s believed that humanity has continued to find ways to betray itself, regardless of the cost. As such, stories have found ways to exploit this element of the human condition as a means for narrative catalyst,… Read More ›
Documentary “Sonaggios” shows us the modern day struggles of an artisanal tradition. [SFFILM]
Sonaggios is an incredibly moving and visually captivating documentary that takes viewers into the heart of Tonara, a small village in the mountainous region of Sardinia, Italy. For nearly 150 years, Tonara has been home to a unique artisanal tradition… Read More ›
Experience the slow and steady madness of Daniele Campea’s “Mother Nocturna.”
Written and directed by Daniele Campea, Mother Nocturna (Madre Notturna) is a psychological drama about isolation, female rage, and a handful of Freudian family issues. Bathed in moonlight and steeped in folkloric imagery, the film takes viewers to a dark… Read More ›
Apocalyptic musical “The End” is both chaotic and balanced to mixed results. [TIFF]
Musicals about the apocalypse or the end of the world are certainly not new territory, but they all succeed to various mileage. While there is no world where a Mad Max-type movie is going to put to song, Joshua Oppenheimer’s… Read More ›
A redefinition of “cool” comes home with Criterion’s 4K restoration of Jean‑Pierre Melville’s influential classic “Le samouraï.”
Jean-Pierre Melville’s 1967 French classic Le samouraï (The Samurai) is a testament to why people love cinema. And if it’s not considered as such, then it damn well should be. Its mere existence is a miracle of the hybrid hitman/samurai… Read More ›
Filmmaker Tom Nesher beckons audiences to lean in in her semi-autobiographical dramedy “Come Closer.” [Tribeca Film Festival]
**Photosensitivity Warning: A club sequence includes a prolonged sequence of flashing lights that may prove triggering for sensitive viewers.** Shared joy is double joy; Shared sorrow is half a sorrow. – Swedish proverb Just about everywhere one looks, there’s a… Read More ›
Sex comedy “Frivolous Lola” is the second Tinto Brass 4K UHD restoration home release by Cult Epics.
In April 2024, physical media boutique Cult Epics released a first-time world premiere 4K UHD of filmmaker Tinto Brass’s erotic dramedy All Ladies Do It (1992). This would be the first of several restorations the boutique would release in the… Read More ›
Cult Epics offers a world premiere 4K UHD restoration of Tinto Brass’s erotic dramedy “All Ladies Do It.”
Despite the push in the United States to regulate it in order to promote a very specific agenda tied to faith, sex is not a bad thing. It can be awkward, messy, and silly, but when it’s between consenting adults,… Read More ›
Radiance Films brings a forgotten “Great” back with “Allonsanfàn” on Blu-ray.
If you’ve never heard of the Italian Napoleonic drama Allonsanfàn before today, don’t worry, almost no one has. I had not heard of it until Radiance Films announced this Blu-ray release, and one of Vulture’s film critics Bilge Ebiri quote… Read More ›
Radiance Films welcome a new Damiano Damiani-directed film to their collection, the spy thriller “Goodbye & Amen.”
During the debut year for physical media boutique Radiance Films, a distributor interested in lesser-available/known international cinema, they released a wonderful three-film collection of director Damiano Damiani’s film dubbed “Cosa Nostra: Franco Nero in three Mafia Tales by Damiano Damiani.”… Read More ›
Dynamic ensemble shines as director Guiseppe Fiorello sets a romantic mood in LGBTQ+ drama “Fireworks.”
Italian actor, writer, and producer Giuseppe Fiorello (The Talented Mr. Ripley, Terraferma) makes his feature directorial debut with Fireworks (Stranizza d’amuri), an aspirational LGBTQ+ romance that successfully imitates its predecessors in mood and visual style. Set in Sicily in the… Read More ›
On home video now, Emanuele Crialese’s “L’immensità” is a pure and genuine family love story.
Movies are designed to teach audiences about themselves and each other. In certain cases, that could be about something as simple as common interests. For others, it could be something more interpersonal, like relationships, or being able to find your… Read More ›
The Criterion Collection adds Nicolas Roeg’s “Don’t Look Now,” an affecting, spooky, and atmospheric meditation on grief.
The horror genre has had an interesting trajectory over the course of cinema. The 1970s was one of its most interesting periods. Films like Halloween (1978), The Wicker Man (1973), and The Exorcist (1973) helped define the genre. There was… Read More ›
“Suburra” Blu-ray Giveaway
Last month, Unearthed Films released both a Blu-ray and DVD edition of Stefano Sollima’s 2015 crime drama Suburra. Now, thanks to MVD Entertainment Group, EoM is delighted to give away one (1) Blu-ray edition of Suburra to one lucky individual. Full details… Read More ›
Synapse Film’s “Tenebrae” 4K remaster comes with a few issues and lots of worthwhile special features.
As someone who enjoys Dario Argento’s work typically (the work I’ve seen at least), it’s always exciting to see a new restoration of some of his work, especially those of the Giallo genre-type films. As someone who believes I’ve seen… Read More ›
Cauldron Films offers a 2K restoration of Mario Caiano’s “Shanghai Joe.”
“Hey kid, it ain’t that kind of movie. If people are looking at your hair, we’re all in big trouble.” – Harrison Ford to Mark Hamill on the set of Star Wars (1977), as recalled by Hamill Released in 1973,… Read More ›