Jordan Belson, Gualtiero Jacopetti, and Franco Prosperi
I am now a contributor to Spectacular Optical, the official webzine for the Fantasia International Film Festival. My first contribution is a tribute to experimental filmmaker Jordan Belson. The second is an overview of the career of the “Godfather of Mondo”: Gualtiero Jacopetti. The most recent contribution is a DVD review of a Franco Prosperi’s Wild Beasts.
Born of Fire
[This review originally appeared at Twitch on October 31, 2009.]
Born of Fire received both a theatrical and home video release in the 1980s, but the film has languished in complete obscurity since that time. This obscurity is undeserved because, as revealed by Mondo Macabro’s new DVD release, Born of Fire is a rare hybrid of art house cinema and horror that delivers a strong dose of mind-bending surrealism. (more…)
Peter Falk Memorial: Machine Gun McCain
[Actor Peter Falk died this past week. He was in a lot of interesting movies, including an Italian gangster opus called Machine Gun McCain. Here is a review that was originally published at Twitch on September 18, 2010.]
John Cassavetes’ artistic legacy is largely built around his role as the prototypical American indie filmmaker with works like Shadows, Husbands, and The Killing of A Chinese Bookie. In spite of his directing prowess, Cassavetes mostly made his living as a film and television actor. He was in a lot of great stuff including Rosemary’s Baby and The Dirty Dozen. He was also in a lot of dodgy stuff like Incubus.
One of his more obscure roles was in Machine Gun McCain, a 1969 Italian gangster film directed by Giuliano Montaldo. Blue Underground has pulled this film from the depths of obscurity with a new Blu-Ray release. It’s an interesting choice because Machine Gun McCain doesn’t have the punishing ruthlessness of similar films by Fernando Di Leo or Sergio Sollima. Ultimately, it is a strong but minor work whose biggest draws are the performances of Cassavettes and his cohort Peter Falk. (more…)
SXSW 2010: No One Knows About Persian Cats
[The original version of this review was published at Twitch on March 12, 2010. This film was viewed as part of the 2010 edition of the SXSW Film Festival.]
Recent years have seen a wave of films dealing with underground Islamic youth culture. Joining this group is Bahman Ghobadi’s No One Knows About Persian Cats. Based on the lives of real people, Persian Cats is an inspiring, heartbreaking journey into a world where self-expression comes at a high price. (more…)
SXSW 2010: American Grindhouse
[This review was originally published at Twitch on March 20, 2010. This film was viewed as part of the 2010 edition of the SXSW Film Festival.]
There are so many books, articles, and documentaries available on the subject of American exploitation cinema that new revelations are increasingly scarce and unlikely. A new documentary called American Grindhouse from director Elijiah Drenner is an example of the difficulty in uncovering anything new in this area. (more…)
SXSW 2010: Like a Pascha
[This review was originally published at Twitch on March 12, 2010. This film was viewed as part of the 2010 edition of the SXSW Film Festival.]
Pascha is the largest brothel in Europe. The business occupies a twelve story building in Cologne, and employs over 200 women. Swedish filmmaker Svante Tidholm spent a few years documenting life at this massive brothel in an attempt to figure out why hundreds of men flock to Pascha each day. His fascinating 52 minute documentary Like a Paschas hows the fruit of his efforts, and leaves the audience with numerous troubling questions to contemplate. (more…)
SXSW 2010: Four Lions
[This review originally appeared at Twitch on March 26, 2010. The film was viewed as part of the 2010 edition of the SXSW Film Festival.]
Chris Morris’ distinct style of comedy is on full display in Four Lions. The humor is topical, controversial, and dark. The dialog is loaded with his weird brand of slang, curse words, and made-up phrases. Since the days of Brass Eye and Jam, Morris has added a new weapon to his arsenal: slapstick. Yes, Four Lions is a slapstick black comedy about four bumbling jihadis trying to blow up people. Too soon? Perhaps, but Chris Morris pulls it off. (more…)
By Brakhage: An Anthology
[The original version of this article appeared at Twitch on June 8, 2010.]
On one level, reviewing Criterion’s By Brakhage: An Anthology Blu-Ray box set is a straightforward task. This three Blu-Ray set is the largest collection of Stan Brakhage’s works available on home video. Whats more, the presentation is of the highest possible quality. The difficulty of reviewing this release is multi-fold. The box contains over 11 hours worth of materials. Additionally, the relentlessly abstract nature of these films renders the formal critical toolkit inapplicable. So, instead of the usual approach, this review will focus on two major tasks: providing an overview of Stan Brakhage’s films and examining Criterion’s presentation of the films. (more…)
Antichrist
[The originaly version of this article appeared at Twitch on November 9, 2010.]
A cloud of sensationalism and hyperbole has followed Antichrist around ever since it screened at Cannes in 2009. This is unfortunate as Antichrist is a complicated work that can’t be reduced to a goofy catchphrase or a list of shocking scenes. In this regard, The Criterion Collection is the perfect company for the film’s home video release. The splendid and respectful presentation emphasizes the film’s artistic and technical complexity while pushing aside the sensationalism. (more…)
SXSW 2010: Enter the Void
[The original version of this review appeared at Twitch on March 21, 2010. The film was viewed at the 2010 edition of the SXSW Film Festival.]
Enter the Void is a 21st century “head” movie designed for consumers of psychedelics, designer drugs, and potent substances yet to be invented or discovered. Points of reference include the Star-Gate sequence from Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey and the work of experimental non-narrative filmmakers like Kenneth Anger, Tony Conrad, Stan Brakhage, and Jordan Belson. Gaspar Noe’s goal is obviously not to tell a traditional story or create “likable” characters. The intent is to create an immersive experience that replicates varied states of human consciousness (real or imagined). To this end, Enter the Void is a success. The film is most certainly flawed: it is self-indulgent and barely holds together at times. However, the pureness of Gaspar Noe’s vision and the innovative means by which his vision is achieved trumps any of the film’s faults. (more…)