The lonely poetry of Paris, Texas Chris Forrester rhapsodizes about the overwhelming emotionality and breathtaking imagery of Wenders’s 1984 masterpiece. When Wim Wenders — then known for his contributions to the New German Cinema, in particular a string of road films through which he formed a close collaborative relationship with legendary cinematographer Robby Müller —… Read more »
In Japan-ruled 1930s Korea, a new handmaiden is hired to attend to a Japanese heiress who lives a secluded life with her domineering uncle. But the handmaiden harbors a secret that threatens her lady’s fortune and freedom. As the handmaiden puts her plan into action, unexpected connections throw a carefully calibrated scheme into a labyrinth… Read more »
Still from Damned If You Don’t Underground Film Series curator Justin Bonthuys gives a brief introduction to the three shorts by Su Friedrich and Paula Gauthier that comprise the upcoming program Catechism-ically Flawed. Catechism-ically Flawed explores two different approaches to how cinema can be used to explore and express queer experiences and identities. Su Friedrich… Read more »
Joaquin Phoenix in Inherent Vice Ben van Welzen delves into the formal complexity and intentional haziness of Paul Thomas Anderson’s adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s sprawling novel. “We tell ourselves stories to live,” Joan Didion writes in her sprawling essay recounting the tumultuous times of the 1960s, “The White Album.” According to Didion, we collectively impose… Read more »
When Corky (Gina Gershon), fresh of out of prison, and Violet (Jennifer Tilly), the girlfriend of a mobster, meet, it’s love — or at least lust — at first sight. Soon, they’re planning on how to fleece $2 million from Violet’s violent and unpredictable worse-half, Caesar (Joe Pantoliano). As their affair and their plan get… Read more »
Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator II: Judgment Day Chris Forrester articulates how James Cameron films like Terminator II and Aliens work so well as sequels with established iconography and higher stakes than their predecessors. James Cameron has conquered quite a few things through his nearly 40 years in Hollywood — among them the blockbuster, the epic… Read more »