In 2009, filmmaker Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Darkside) began shooting footage for a documentary chronicling cyclist Lance Armstrong’s comeback at the Tour de France; an attempt to win the coveted yellow jersey for an eighth time and silence the…
20th Century Fox released a fairly impressive Blu-ray of Fantastic Mr. Fox back in 2010. However, Criterion is renowned for producing wonderful looking, and sounding editions packed with special features. This release is no different; I’m going to go out…
Italian director/screenwriter Dario Argento made his name with such horror classics as The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, Deep Red, and Suspiria. While the master is still at it, it’s been well over twenty years since Argento made a truly…
Director Kimberly Peirce made a major breakthrough with her 1999 film, Boys Don’t Cry which chronicled the real-life story of Brandon Teena, a trans-gendered teen who preferred to identify as a male and was brutally murdered when it was discovered…
Based on the Stephen King novel, Carrie, directed by Brian De Palma is a horror classic. The 2013 remake, directed by Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don’t Cry, Stop-Loss) is a reworking for modern audiences. While the film is fine, it’s nothing…
The Postman Always Rings Twice, adapted from the 1934 novel by James M. Cain, saw its first Hollywood release in 1946. Starring Lana Turner, John Garfield, and Cecil Kellaway, the film was a huge hit, but the strict production code…
Enough Said is a sweet film. The latest effort from writer-director Nicole Holofcener (Lovely and Amazing) is an intelligent romantic comedy starring the late James Gandolfini and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Both actors work through a series of complex emotions, all of…
Mix the bone crushing stunts of Jackass, the hidden camera windups of Sacha Baron Cohen, and mix in a little heart, and you have Bad Grandpa. After his wife dies, 86-year-old Irving Zisman (Johnny Knoxville)—with an impressive makeup job that…
After the shocking events of the third season finale—in which heir Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens) was killed off in a bloody car accident—one wouldn’t blame viewers for hoping for a sunnier fourth season. However, in the wake of major changes…
Director Paul Schrader’s stylishly atmospheric remake of Val Lewton’s 1942 horror classic should be looked at on its own terms. Released in 1982, it’s likely that the same film wouldn’t have made it to the big screen today. Known for…