film commentary Archives

On the Idiosyncratic Pleasures of Billy Wilder’s The Front Page

By Jim Hemphill | May 21, 2021

On the Idiosyncratic Pleasures of Billy Wilder’s The Front Page

Jim Hemphill celebrates the directing great's underappreciated 1974 remake, a film which arguably resonates even more strongly today.

Remembering the Thrillingly Original Visions of Norman J. Warren

Film

By Jim Hemphill | March 17, 2021

Remembering the Thrillingly Original Visions of Norman J. Warren

Jim Hemphill pays tribute to the criminally underrated British horror director, who sadly passed away last week.

Flock of the Lambs: The Legacy of The Silence of the Lambs at 30

Film

By Kevin Smokler | February 19, 2021

Flock of the Lambs: The Legacy of The Silence of the Lambs at 30

Kevin Smokler, director of the documentary Vinyl Nation, looks at the cultural impact of Jonathan Demme's Oscar-winning classic.

The Greatest Romantic Comedy of All Time is a Porn Movie called The Opening of Misty Beethoven

Film

By Gillian Wallace Horvat | February 16, 2021

The Greatest Romantic Comedy of All Time is a Porn Movie called The Opening of Misty Beethoven

Gillian Wallace Horvat, the writer-director-star of the dark satire I Blame Society, makes the case for Radley Metzger's 1970s classic.

Life in Ever-Widening Loops: On Michael Apted’s Up Series

Film

By Julia Marchese | January 20, 2021

Life in Ever-Widening Loops: On Michael Apted’s Up Series

Julia Marchese pays tribute to the late director with this personal appreciation of his towering, half-century-long documentary project.

On Ham on Rye and Smoking Bowls

Film

By Jenny Gage | January 11, 2021

On Ham on Rye and Smoking Bowls

Filmmaker Jenny Gage on Tyler Taormina's unconventional coming-of-age movie, a film which perfectly captures the feeling of being a teenager.

Home Alone is the Greatest Christmas Movie of All, Especially During a Pandemic

Film

By Anna Roisman | December 15, 2020

Home Alone is the Greatest Christmas Movie of All, Especially During a Pandemic

Anna Roisman digs into a large pizza as she pays tribute to the Macaulay Culkin classic, which oddly feels even more relevant on its 30th anniversary.

Horrors Far Beyond Mere Violence: On Schalcken the Painter

Film

By Graham Swon | October 29, 2020

Horrors Far Beyond Mere Violence: On Schalcken the Painter

Writer-director Graham Swon shines a light on Leslie Megahey's vastly underseen "indirect horror" movie, a lost BBC gem from 1979.

George Pelecanos on the Genius of The Twilight Zone’s “Walking Distance”

Film

By George Pelecanos | August 24, 2020

George Pelecanos on the Genius of The Twilight Zone’s “Walking Distance”

The crime novelist and TV writer, whose anthology crime film D.C. Noir is out now, on his favorite episode of Rod Serling's iconic show.

On the Ross Brothers’ Second Star to the Right and Straight on ’Til Morning

Film

By Braden King | June 18, 2020

On the Ross Brothers’ Second Star to the Right and Straight on ’Til Morning

Director Braden King chats with Bill and Turner Ross about their under-the-radar doc, which captures the making of Benh Zeitlin's Wendy.