Poster for The Wicker Man (1973) Jesse Pasternack looks at the musical aspects of the unsettling horror masterwork The Wicker Man. The Wicker Man (1973) is an enduring cult classic for several reasons. It has a fantastic sense of worldbuilding, an excellent cast of iconic actors (Christopher Lee, Ingrid Pitt, etc.), and a finale that… Read more »
Still from Early Works Guest contributor Dorotea Sotirovska briefly contextualizes the political landscape of filmmaker (and upcoming IU Cinema guest!) Želimir Žilnik’s film Early Works. Želimir Žilnik’s first feature film, Early Works, is an innovative act of artistic provocation, combining punk ethos, humor, and the youthful spirit of ‘68 with damning social critique and experimental… Read more »
William Powell and Kay Francis in a publicity photo for Jewel Robbery (William Dieterle, 1932) Jack Miller extols the virtues of Jewel Robbery, a slightly weird and completely wonderful pre-Code romantic comedy starring the wildly charming team of Kay Francis and William Powell. The luminous pre-Code star Kay Francis appeared in seven movies in the… Read more »
A surgeon prepares for a grizzly operation in Brian De Palma’s Sisters Explaining why Sisters is the first true Brian De Palma film and how it set the table for things to come in his career, Chris Forrester delves into the 1972 film’s racial politics, visual language, and, yes, the Alfred Hitchcock of it all…. Read more »
Jim Carrey in The Truman Show Themester intern Imari Walker looks at how The Truman Show wrestles with ideas of authenticity and reality. Spoilers ahead for the film! Released in 1998, Peter Weir’s The Truman Show follows the life of Truman Burbank on Seahaven Island, a seemingly perfect little town. The only catch: everyone is an actor,… Read more »
In the remote São Paulo countryside, a rural family who lives beside a charcoal factory accepts a proposal to host a mysterious foreigner. The home soon becomes a hideout, though, as their guest turns out to be a wanted drug lord, and the family must learn how to share the same roof with this stranger… Read more »