Guest post by Shawn Coughlin. In an interview with Film Independent, director Ondi Timoner recalls her decision to approach Mapplethorpe as a scripted drama rather than a documentary. She explains, “I wanted to bring [Robert Mapplethorpe] alive for you. You know, I felt like, ‘We want to see this man and we want to see… Read more »
David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive (2001) has usually been celebrated for its weirdly oneiric narrative hijinks and its unsettling doublings of character. In 2012, the critic Miriam Bale identified the film as a key entry in a subgenre she coined the “persona swap” film, in which the personalities of two female characters become blended or swapped… Read more »
When most people think of The Love Witch (2016), the first things that come to mind are visual. They might remember a colorful costume or a stunning set that were designed by the film’s writer-director-producer-editor-songwriter/arranger Anna Biller, or an impeccably framed close-up of its unforgettable protagonist, Elaine (perfectly played by Samantha Robinson). But while I… Read more »
The Conformist (1970) is a film of visual wonders that takes place in a world of moral horrors. It features some of the most beautiful shots you’ll ever see as well as very dark dramatic situations. But what makes this film so memorable isn’t just the fact that it is visually dazzling or expertly explores… Read more »
Guest post by Dr. Alicia Kozma, Director of IU Cinema. While, conventionally, the beginning of a new year brings resolutions and new beginnings, in Hollywood the new year is the start of the big push towards awards season. “Awards season” is a bit of a misnomer, as it indicates a discrete, bounded segment of time,… Read more »
You find salvation in the funniest places sometimes. You spend so much of your life thinking you’ll be chasing one thing that’ll make you feel fulfilled and free only for something else to sprout through the concrete you paved over your own garden long ago. If I had known my own salvation was going to… Read more »