The Shanghai Gesture (1941) Directed by Josef von Sterberg The unabashed and almost flippant garishness of The Shanghai Gesture is what draws one in immediately. A dress isn’t just a dress, it is a lavish gown hung elegantly on the shoulders of Gene Tierney. A light bulb isn’t just a light bulb, it is one [...]
Fehérlófia Directed by Marcell Jankovics Despite having an Oscar nomination and a short film Palm D’Or to his name, it is rare to hear the name Marcell Jankovics outside of hardcore animation circles (although I understand he is well loved in his home country of Hungary). None of his work is as criminally underrated as [...]
Love is Colder Than Death (1969) Rainer Werner Fassbinder The style of this film is unlike any that came before or after. R.W. Fassbinder openly embraced his love of Noir and French New Wave to make a shadowy burst of a film that takes a bumpy boat ride full of moments of manic ferocity and [...]
The Devil (1972) Andrzej Zulawski What is that paranoia we often feel in a room full of strangers? Some of us do our best not to be noticed, some of us make our best effort to be noticed; either way, there is a steady stream of doubt circulating through our veins in that moment. Now, [...]
“Castaway On The Moon is a masterful piece of filmmaking – compelling, smart, and truly original …” Castaway On The Moon Directed by Hae-jun Lee Being as it is a deserted island picture, you would think Castaway On The Moon would seem derivative of previous work – and while picking up on some influences from [...]
Gainsbourg (Vie héroïque) Directed by Joann Sfar Joann Sfar’s Gainsbourg (Vie héroïque) could well lay claim to being one of the longest cigarette commercials in movie history. In this smoke-filled take on the life of singer, songwriter and French icon, Serge Gainsbourg, even the fish in the animated opening credits sequence are puffing away. With [...]
Our column “Gone Unseen” is dedicated to those great films that many people have overlooked and or have found trouble finding distribution across the globe. My Dear Enemy Directed by Lee Yoon-ki Furthering a developing hypothesis that South Koreans are launching a charm offensive against all hallowed Western film archetypes, the splendid My Dear Enemy, [...]
Our column “Hidden Gems” is dedicated to those great films that many people have overlooked and or have found trouble finding distribution across the globe. Must Love Death Directed by Andreas Schaap Offhand, it’s difficult to think of another film that features both a “meet cute” and a nail gun, but in his first feature, [...]
The American: Visions of damnation
A look back at “Wings Of Desire”
Abre los ojos (Open Your Eyes)
8: The Mormon Proposition
This Movie is Broken
The Last Exorcism: A surprisingly invigorating horror film
A Look Back At Spielberg’s Masterpiece “Jaws”
Fausta: The Milk of Sorrow
MIFF2010: The Illusionist
Piranha 3d
The Switch
Afterschool
Rampage
Stonewall Uprising
Toronto After Dark 2010: Doghouse (Review #1)
The Expendables
Toronto After Dark 2010: Last Lovecraft (Review #1)
