Berlinale Part 3: The Best Films You Usually Don’t See Coming
After 10 days of fanfare and celebrity mayhem, the 75th edition of the Berlinale closes with some poignant, idiosyncratic releases from directors Richard Linklater and Radu Jude.
Film
Features, reviews, interviews, and lists about film, covering the latest as well historical topics.
Ellen McIlwaine Was a Goddess Ahead of Her Time
Director Alfonso Maiorana talks about music pioneer Ellen McIlwaine, who raised the power and profile of female musicians, and how she achieved her hard-earned “goddess” status.
Iranian Filmmaker Ali Asgari Taps into the Power of Imagination
Iranian filmmaker Ali Asgari’s ‘Higher Than Acidic Cloud’ taps into the power of imagination in the vein of directors Abbas Kiarostami, Jafar Panahi, and Asghar Farhadi.
David Lynch Nailed and Skewered Us
On the passing of legendary director David Lynch, we share five films that nailed us in our hearts and guts and skewered us to our soft, squishy, emotional cores.
Berlinale Part 2: Sci-fi Satire, Storytelling Greatness and Muted Grief
Midway through its ten-day run, Berlinale hit us with some twisted but memorable releases from directors Bong Joon-ho, Mary Bronstein, and Dylan Southern.
Berlinale Part 1: Bob Dylan, Trauma Drama, and Time-Shifting Romance
The 75th edition of Europe’s preeminent film festival, Berlinale, kicks off with politics center stage, an efficient new director, and more celebrities than ever before.
Moses Sumney’s ‘Blackalachia’ and the Forest
In Moses Sumney’s beautiful 2021 performance film Blackalachia, the forest is a friend, a threat, a looming watcher, and an extension of the narrator’s person.
Bob Dylan Film ‘A Complete Unknown’ Is a Folk anti-Western
In wandering hero terms, Bob Dylan film A Complete Unknown is less a George Stevens’ Western like Shane and more an Akira Kurosawa’s Yojimbo – with guitars.
Horror Movie ‘The Beast Within’ Channels Mississippi Murder
The specters of Mississippi murder, uncontrollable teens and much, much more American-generated anxiety haunt the freak-out horror movie The Beast Within.
Sundance Film Festival 2025 Is at a Crossroads
While the Sundance Film Festival still uplifts under-the-radar films in an increasingly challenging market, its future may be in doubt.
Silent Film ‘The Bat’ Begat Comics Dark Superhero Batman
Murder, secret rooms, and a man in a bat suit are among the shenanigans in silent film The Bat, a seminal work that begat comics dark superhero Batman.
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Dark Comedy ‘Patriot’ Illuminates Neoliberalism’s Dark Reality
The dark comedy Patriot illuminates how neoliberalism makes choices for us disguisedly, using entrepreneurial agency as a fig leaf to obscure manipulation.