“The Usual Suspects” scribe Christopher McQuarrie’s “The Way of the Gun” failed to catch on during its 2000 release. More than a decade later, little has changed, as the film has reached the edges of cult admiration yet remains generally unacknowledged, a work with admired elements and scenes that barely registers on the movie landscape […]
Streaming Pick: “The Way of the Gun” (2000) Read More »
Although film noir is a genre that traditionally refers to certain crime films made by Hollywood during the 1940s and ‘50s, the French, who originally coined the term and defended its artistic merits, made several examples of their own, following the German occupation. The French New Wave, in particular—that loose collective of critics-turned-filmmakers who so
Streaming Pick: “Elevator to the Gallows” (1958) Read More »
There are five new options for home viewing this week. We’ve got you covered… Coriolanus, actor Ralph Fiennes’ directorial debut, is a post-modern treatment of Shakespeare, but those hoping for the exuberance of Baz Lurhman’s Romeo + Juliet had best stay far away. Here, Fiennes and writer John Logan transplant the Bard of Avon’s dialogue–largely
Video Minefield: DVD & Blu-Ray releases for May 29 Read More »
1991’s “Slacker” captures roughly 24 hours in the lives of dozens of hipsters in the city of Austin, Texas. As one of the first movies of the so-called American independent film renaissance, Richard Linklater’s first feature remains his best — an intelligent film whose unorthodox narrative structure remains as innovative today as it was 20
Streaming Pick: “Slacker” (1991) Read More »
On tap this week: five new home viewing options. Here are our capsule reviews… Certified Copy was the cinephile’s head-scratcher of 2011, a beautiful film about the afternoon spent between a man (opera singer William Shimell) and a woman (the incomparable Juliette Binoche). What first appears to be a cerebral character piece along the lines
Video Minefield: DVD & Blu-Ray releases for May 22 Read More »
There are a lot of new home viewing options available this week, but only one of them (The Grey) is particularly good. Unless you happen to like chick-flicks, in which case Katherine Heigl’s One for the Money is also a solid bet. Here’s our full round-up… Glenn Close had reportedly been shilling Albert Nobbs around
Video Minefield: DVD & Blu-Ray releases for May 15 Read More »
This week’s new home viewing options aren’t worth watching and are even less worth writing about, but because I am your humble servant, I will begrudgingly chime in with a few quick thoughts… Underworld: Awakening is the fourth installment in the series that cares more about monochromatic shades of blue than distinct characters or narrative
Video Minefield: DVD & Blu-Ray releases for May 8 Read More »
Countless film bloggers post their lists of best films of the year “so far” at the end of June, because it’s “halftime.” While the occasion may be convenient, it’s also arbitrary — the year being halfway over coincides with nothing relevant to the film industry. Thus, I’ve decided to buck the trend and do three
Pre-Summer Top 5: The best films of the year so far Read More »
New selections available for home viewing this week: Haywire is Steven Soderbergh’s star-studded experiment in genre filmmaking, a modest action film that struggles with its own low aim. It’s a curious exercise seeing a prolific auteur approach a task that he likely thinks is beneath him, resulting in a work that’s appealing and exciting at
Video Minefield: DVD & Blu-Ray releases for May 1 Read More »
Sorry for the one day delay on this column, folks — due to unforeseen circumstances, I was without a computer on Tuesday. But damn, did Frazier hold down the news updates well or what? Make sure to thumb through all of his terrific recent posts if you haven’t already. If you’re going to pick up
Video Minefield: DVD & Blu-Ray releases for April 24 Read More »
