Category: Features
Extended Thoughts on ‘The Avengers’
I vividly remember a conversation I had with a family friend back in November of 2005. It was Thanksgiving weekend, and my soon-to-be-wife and I had just come from a screening of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. For … [Read the Rest]
Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 45: ‘The Avengers’
Head-to-head battles, a massive cast, snappy wit. Yes, this episode of Mousterpiece Cinema has it all. And what better way to discuss Marvel’s The Avengers, one of the biggest, most popular films of the year? This week, it’s a packed, … [Read the Rest]
Friday Noir: The legendary Kubrick impressed early in his film career with ‘The Killing’
The Killing Directed by Stanley Kubrick Written by Stanley Kubrick and Jim Thompson U.S.A., 1956 Stanley Kubrick, now there is a name evocative of so many immediate thoughts and emotions for movie buffs everywhere. Infuriating, coldly mechanical in his depiction … [Read the Rest]
TJFF 2012: ‘Let My People Go!’ is a cheerfully fun film that’s sadly unfunny
Let My People Go! Directed by Mikael Buch Written by Mikael Buch and Christophe Honoré France, 2011 While confiding with his Rabbi, Ruben (Nicolas Maury) begins checking off his laundry list of foibles. From his precarious relationship with a schoolteacher … [Read the Rest]
Hot Docs 2012: ‘Meet the Fokkens’ offers a charming, unusual personal narrative
Meet the Fokkens Written by Gabrielle Provaas and Rob Schröder Directed by Gabrielle Provaas Netherlands, 2011 There is a long tradition in documentary film of personalizing unusual individuals. In fact the entire genre of first-person narrative documentary has largely revolved … [Read the Rest]
Hot Docs 2012: ‘The Ambassador’ a brave, darkly funny exposé
The Ambassador Written by Mads Brügger and Maja Jul Larsen Directed by Mads Brügger Denmark, 2011 As strange as it might sound to some people, documentary filmmakers are often exceptionally brave individuals. They are people who are at least willing … [Read the Rest]
David Cronenberg’s Most Unforgettable Scenes – ‘Shivers’ Pool Orgy
(Throughout the month of May, I will be posting Cronenberg’s best movie moments.) Shivers (They Came from Within) (The Parasite Murders) Directed by David Cronenberg Screenplay by David Cronenberg Canada, 1975 Originally released in the United States under the title … [Read the Rest]
TJFF 2012: ‘Something Wild’ is an exhausting, glib, and outdated look at sexual assault
Something Wild Directed by Jack Garfein Written by Jack Garfein and Alex Karmel USA, 1961 For an era as socially untactful as the 1960’s, Jack Garfein’s Something Wild, a story about a young rape victim struggling with the aftermath of … [Read the Rest]
‘Innocence’: An Education In Gender Norms
*This Post Contains Spoilers* Her first and only feature, Lucile Hadzihalilovic’s 2004 film Innocence, adapting the German novella Mine-Haha, is one of the most elegant explorations of the social construction of female gender ever committed to film. Contrasting sharply with … [Read the Rest]
This Week in Soundtracks – May 1, 2012
A big week in soundtracks, with five new film soundtracks and two new television soundtracks released. Avengers Assemble[Soundtrack] by Various Artists One would think by looking at the track list for this soundtrack that The Avengers came out ten years … [Read the Rest]
Shaws Brothers Saturdays: ‘Vengeance is a Golden Blade’ puts good storytelling at the forefront
Vengeance is a Golden Blade Directed by Ho Meng-Hua Written by Ho Meng-Hua and Yun Chich Tu Hong Kong, 1969 Ah, the McGuffin, the prized object that each and every character in a film is influenced by, seeks out but … [Read the Rest]
Mousterpiece Cinema, Episode 44: ‘Chimpanzee’
Grunt grunt grunt! Grunt–*cough, cough*–excuse me, I had a piece of hacky old shtick in my throat. Now, where was I? Ah yes, it’s time for a new Mousterpiece Cinema! This week, Josh and Michael go to the jungles of … [Read the Rest]
Extended Thoughts on ‘Chimpanzee’
Chimpanzee Directed by Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield Written by Alastair Fothergill, Mark Linfield, and Don Hahn Narrated by Tim Allen If you’ve been listening to Mousterpiece Cinema long enough, you probably know that I’m a cat person. I’ve mentioned, … [Read the Rest]
‘The Treasure of Sierra Madre’ shows how greed can make a great film
The Treasure of Sierra Madre Directed John Huston Written by John Huston U.S.A., 1948 Gordon Gekko, the central figure of Oliver Stone’s famous Wall Street, once uttered the phrase ‘Greed is good.’ That same individual was, understandably, also that film’s … [Read the Rest]
‘Miss Judy’ is a remarkable story in an unremarkable film
Miss Judy Directed by Eyal Tavor Israel, 2011 Judy Feld Carr, third from the right, with her family Judy Feld Carr is a Toronto housewife, mother of six. She is a musicologist and a president at her local synagogue. But … [Read the Rest]
