In Memory of Maggie Smith, the Stealth Comedy Queen
Maggie Smith had the most expressive face. She could say and do more with a roll of an eye or purse of her lips than most of her peers with pages of dialogue.
Film Feature
Masculine Movie Icon Alan Ladd As the Wounded Outlaw Hero
Red Mountain and Botany Bay showcase masculine movie icon Alan Ladd in his glory, playing wounded heroes on the wrong side of the law.
Johnny Cash in Psycho-Heist Thriller ‘Door-to-Door Maniac’
What a difference a script makes. Johnny Cash and Cay Forrester goose up the histrionics of Door-to-Door Maniac.
‘The Beach Boys’ Documentary Brings the Sun and Surf to the New Kids
The Beach Boys documentary appeals to Gen Z and Gen Alpha via Disney Plus with a breezy, linear, appreciation of the band’s sunny legacy.
Venice Film Festival In Focus: ‘Wolfs’, ‘The Brutalist’, ‘The Room Next Door’
The 81st edition of the preeminent Venice Film Festival sees heaps of madly ambitious, off-kilter releases by Jon Watts, Brady Corbet and Pedro Almodóvar.
Walter Salles’ I’m Still Here Is an Homage to Fearless Women
Masterfully layered and confidently executed, I’m Still Here swivels between intimate family drama and sweeping political thriller in an homage to fearless women.
Silent Film Restorations ‘The Craving’ and ‘Annie Laurie’ Radiate the Medium
Francis Ford was an important silent film actor and director, and not just for being John Ford’s brother. Star Lillian Gish had the clout to get what she wanted.
Rhino Man’s Tribute to a Friend and the Future
Rhino Man director John Jurko II was drawn to the storytelling and filmmaking process, but became deeply involved in global environmentalism and a profound friendship.
Animator Mark Neeley on Hand-Drawn Animation in the Age of AI
Animator Mark Neeley blends his hand-drawn DIY style with the soundscapes of Devo’s Mark Mothersbough in his new short film.
The Living Dead’s Problems in Spanish Horror Movies
These Spanish horror movies tapped into the anxieties of the final years of General Franco’s dictatorship while pretending to be merely tales set in foreign countries.
‘Six in Paris’ Cuts the City into New Wave Slices of Sex and Death
Filming with a handheld 16mm color camera, six filmmakers offer a cohesive snapshot of 1966 Paris and their obsessions with sex and death.
Thriller ‘The White Rabbit’ Ensnares Viewers in Hitchcockian Fashion
Thriller short film The White Rabbit ensnares viewers with a joke, a nightmare, and an illusion in a sly interplay that evokes Hitchcock’s Rear Window.