Film
Forgotten Film Reel: Broken Heart, Broken English
Red wine, champagne, cigarettes, love—director Zoe Cassavetes’s “Broken English” (2007) is a story of broken hearts and one woman’s history of one-too-many failed romances. Nora Wilder (Parker Posey), a 35-year-old New Yorker, suffers from severe anxiety and always seems to be drinking alcohol or taking a pill to calm her nerves. Nora has already given [...]
Coming Soon to a Theater Near You
Wuthering Heights Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights” is a love story full of tragedy, betrayal, and dark, brooding passion, set against a backdrop of a moody Yorkshire moor. Director Andrea Arnold brings to us the newest adaptation of the novel, giving intensity to the story with raw cinematography and an edgy cast—Kaya Scodelario, of “Skins” fame, [...]
Cultzilla: A Beginner’s Guide to Japanese Film
You think you’ve seen it all. All those weird, creative films like “Inception” and “Avatar” which are “totally like nothing else.” Maybe you’ve gotten really adventurous, and you’ve watched “Donnie Darko” or “Fight Club” and gained braggers’ rights to tell your friends about how you’ve seen so many cool movies. Those films are nothing. Just Hollywood’s [...]
Summer Hits You Might Have Missed
The Amazing Spider-Man by Carmen Yeung In a summer dominated by superhero adaptations with high budgets and even higher expectations, few had more hype than “The Amazing Spider-Man.” Though the previous cast’s “Spider-Man 3” was revealed only five years earlier, this reboot had high expectations. And this blockbuster falls slightly short. The web-spinning hero’s tale [...]
Forgotten Film Reel: Movies to (Re)Watch This Summer
Put away your pencils and textbooks. With the school year winding down, you’re going to find yourself with a bit more time. For the movie buff in you, here are some recommendations that range from happy-go-lucky summer films to number-related sci-fi and to even some cult classics. Clueless (1995) Loosely based on Jane Austen’s “Emma,” [...]
“The Dictator” Reigns Supreme
“All of the good dictators are gone: Saddam, Kim-Jung, Gadhafi, Cheney. You are the last of the great dictators!” the head of Wadiya’s nuclear weapons program Nadal (Jason Mantzoukas) declares to Admiral General Aladeen (Sacha Baron Cohen) in Baron Cohen’s new movie, “The Dictator,” which was released Wednesday, May 16. While Baron Cohen is best [...]
Free Samples
The best way to cure a hangover at nine in the morning is with some good old-fashioned over-processed ice cream—vanilla or chocolate only. In Tribeca Film Festival’s highlighted feature narrative “Free Samples,” directed by festival newcomer and young artist Jay Gammil, a generic quirky comedic heartwarmer is enlivened by overbearing snarky wit and charm. When [...]
The Fifth Estate
It is said that when the government fails to protect and address the interests of the people, the job is passed down to the fourth estate. But what happens when the press becomes another arm of the government? Director Stephen Maing offers his answer in “High Tech, Low Life,” a documentary about two Chinese bloggers, [...]
Insomnia Is Preferable To This Sleepless Night
Last year, “Attack the Block,” a British film about London hoodlums fighting aliens, perfected the formula of action, suspense, and several truckloads of camp to create something brilliant. “Sleepless Night,” directed by Frederic Jardin, might be attempting the same feat—though it’s never clear if the filmmakers are serious in their ineptitude—but comes across as a [...]
