Hats off to first time directors Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy for the narrative and formal achievement in 2019’s crime comedy thriller Blow the Man Down It is clear Savage Cole and Krudy studied the Coen brothers like crazy. This is part Fargo and part Blood Simple (the Coen’s own debut) Set (and shot on location and it shows) in a snow-bound fishing town in Maine—chowder, lobsters The score even has a Fargo-like jig, like Fargo there’s a giant landmark figure on the side of the road (here it is a lumberjack instead Paul Bunyan), and like Fargo-

It seems clear that there are three ways to read Pasolini’s film. First—just the content and sort of description of what happens-- this description from IMDB sums it up “In World War II Italy, four fascist libertines round up nine adolescent boys and girls and subject them to one hundred and twenty days of physical, mental and sexual torture”.  This film is very controversial and for good reason. The content is hard to watch. Whether you admire the film or not, I don’t see how anyone could argue with the depths of evil depicted here and this should act

You could spend quiet a lot of time just talking about the various genres used when trying to describe Bacurau – it is a mashup, probably more going on here in that respect that even Bong’s work Bacurau is a fictional rural village in Brazil Opens on a retro-Portuguese pop song while we’re floating around in space (before floating in on Brazil”—“a few years from now” The name of the school in the film is named after John Carpenter Wide edits—which is more Kurosawa/Lucas than Carpenter A split diopter at 26 minutes as Tony Junior approaches Approaching

Jack Cardiff (DP on films like A Matter of Life and Death, Black Narcissus, and The African Queen) directs this action/adventure film – also known as “The Mercenaries” (same year actually as Corbucci’s film of the same name- The Mercenary). Like Corbucci’s film it is a nihilistic film about greed with a pretty callous approach to human life—this is about diamonds and cutthroat politics Shot in Jamaica and used quite well as a backdrop (falsely advertised as being shot in the Congo itself- where the film is set) Movie reunited Rod Taylor with Yvette Mimieux (his shirt off and

A noteworthy slow-burn arthouse horror from director Natalie Erika James – her debut film Bound to frustrate traditional genre enthusiasts with her pacing — James is far more concerned with telling a nuanced story of dementia as horror metaphor, reoccurring visual imagery and some nice Polanski-like framing and use of the camera as voyeur The stained glass door window is a great visual focal point for James—it has a meaning in the narrative, it is bounced off of formally several times, it is set up in the opening, the ending, and it is certainly pretty to look at Elliptical

The Go-Between is a coming-of-age story and a period costume drama that could have easily been from the later cycle of films from Merchant Ivory. Dominici Guard plays “Leo”- the boy, and literally the go-between passing notes from star-crossed (by class) lovers Julie Christie (playing Marian) and Alan Bates The film is taken to another level any time you get the pleasure of hearing Michel Legrand beautiful musical score--- it is voluminous—filling music Memorable shots of Christie, in all while, in her hammock- white umbrella Memorable shots of Christie, in all while, in her hammock- white umbrella

George Wolfe brings August Wilson’s play to life thanks to stellar lead performances from Viola Davis and the late, great Chadwick Boseman This is the final film from Boseman who tragically passed away way too soon at age 43—and aside from (and maybe including) Black Panther- I’m not sure he’s ever been better. He’s penetrating, wiry and well-dressed. As good as Davis (heavy make-up, commanding screen presence, lip-synching as the title character) is, it is Boseman who walks away with the film. Boseman is given the brilliant monologue talking about defending his mother at 8-years old. Like the earlier

Wilder’s 1960 tragicomedy features a tremendous set design (the endless rows and rows of desk in the insurance office) and career-best work from Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine Wilder was coming off Some Like it Hot (1959, so was Lemmon) and MacLaine off Some Came Running (1958)—Wilder had nothing to prove at this point, but for MacLaine and Lemmon they were still sort of considered comedians and this here gave them a chance to show their dramatic chops (as well as keeping a bit of their toe in the water as far as making audiences laugh—a real accomplishment when

There’s plenty of debate as to whether Steve McQueen’s Small Axe is television or cinema (he insists it is cinema, and I wholeheartedly agree), or whether it is five separate works, or one larger work that runs 406 minutes (just under seven hours). But, there can no debate as to McQueen’s talent and accomplishments to date- he is simply one of the greatest cinematic artists working since his stirring 2008 debut Hunger The title for the series here “Small Axe” comes from a song by the Wailers and indeed, reggae music (and music in general) plays an important part

It is impossible to talk about Terry Gilliam’s The Man Who Killed Don Quixote without talking about the troubled (an understatement) production backstory. It is maybe the most storied production in cinema history. The Day the Clown Cried which has never seen the light of day from Jerry Lewis is another--- we finally have The Other Side of the Wind from Welles—and Jodorowsky’s Dune was never complete. Anyways, as far back as 2002 there was a documentary about the failed attempt to make The Man Who Killed Don Quixote and that was called Lost in La Mancha. In fact,

You have to probably go back to 2000’s The Contender for something this good in Rod Lurie’s filmography. The Outpost is a sturdy entry in the 21st century war film genre- here about a group of soldiers pinned down outnumbered against the Taliban. It is a true story of the 2009 Battle of Kamdesh. The casting of Orlando Bloom may make you think of Black Hawk Down. The Outpost is a fine film- but not quite on the level of Ridley Scott’s work Still- Lurie and his team (including the impressive handheld camerawork from Lorenzo Senatore) deserve credit for creating