Gregg Araki’s fast-paced and energetic style perfectly reflects the defiant attitudes of teenagers in the 90s. Araki’s films center around taboo issues like homosexuality or HIV/AIDS, often using violence in order to signify the dangerous existence of people living on the fringes of society.One of most provocative voices in independent film since his directorial debut in 1987, Araki is one of the key members of the New Queer Cinema movement. (more…)

Just as astounding as the extensive grace of Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita is it’s ability to capture the soul of an era. Although in 1959 the Cold War had already begun to cast it’s shadow over Europe, the 50s was the decade of “the good life”.

In Italy, successful recovery from the excessive destruction of World War II made way for a privileged upper class that lavishly embodied the newfound promise of the era.

Though Anita Eckberg’s dip into the Trevi Fountain has become one of the most memorable scenes in all of Italian film, La Dolce Vita was banned in Italy for a period of time following release. Although the film was said to cast an overly pessimistic and base portrayal of the Italian upper class, the film’s social commentary seems more of a grim prophecy about the rapid progression of celebrity idolatry. (more…)

John Cassavetes’ Faces is, in many ways, the American equivalent of Ingmar Bergman’s German classic Persona. While similar in name and subject matter, the differences between the films exemplify the uniqueness of the American approach to independent film. Cassavetes was one of the founders of the American independent film tradition, diverging from European auteur cinema’s use of symbolism and poeticism.

Instead, Cassavetes sought to emulate genuine conversations in his films to reach underlying truths about the human condition-Cassavetes implored his actors to make the characters they played reflections of themselves. Although Cassavetes’ movies were entirely scripted following Shadows, the lines are personalized through the idiosyncrasies of each of the characters. (more…)

Even before seeing any of his films I had heard David Lynch was not your typical storyteller nor were the stories that he presented remotely straightfoward. With his first feature Eraserhead that took him four years to make and was his thesis film for the AFI conservatory , Mr. Lynch certainly lives up to his reputation.

The basic premise of the film is a man with a unusual hair style that looks a eraser of a pencil (hence the title of the movie) named Henry Spencer (played by Jack Nance) who lives in a small apartment in the industrial part of town when he is invited to his girlfriend Mary’s (played by Charlotte Stewart) parents house for dinner. After an awkward and strange meal including a scene where the roasted chicken Henry tries to eat begins to ooze liquid at the touch his fork, Mary’s mother attempts to kiss Henry before eventually telling him that Mary has given birth to a extremely premature baby or so we are told. The baby is quite deformed and does not even appear to be human with a face that has slit nostrils and no ears among other features. Mary and the baby move in with Henry into his apartment and from there the plot gets so bizarre that it is best to let you see for yourself.

Even with a plot that leaves much to be explained as well as being hard to follow, the film has a thread of themes and images that are constant throughout. One of those themes is deformity of all kinds and how they can affect people’s way of dealing with their issues and also reflect the fears they have in this case Henry’s in particular . In my opinion the black and white of the film enhances the strangeness of the film’s scenes and gives it a more interesting horror like aesthetic. Although I did not particular like the film as a whole Its merits as being different from most movies I’ve seen makes me curious enough to want to see other films by this director.

Reservoir Dogs

You know those movies that are either so intricate or so moving that after the first time watching it, it never has the same effect afterwards, either due to an elaborate plot or the initial message? Yeah, Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs is exactly that kind of movie. This is not the first time I’ve seen this film, nor second or third and it won’t be the last. You may be saying, why keep watching it if it no longer moves you or has an impact like the first time? Well, the answer is simple, I can guarantee after each viewing of this movie you will find something new, even if it’s just something little, something imperceptible, but something none the less.

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One of the most prolific directors of the past decade, Darren Aronofsky is most known for his riveting style and dark, sometimes disturbing subject matter. Despite the transition from directing indie cult classics like Pi and Requiem for a Dream to directing major motion pictures like The Wrestler and Black Swan, Aronofsky has not lost an inkling of poignancy or creative integrity.

Born in 1969 to conservative Jewish parents living in Brooklyn, New York, he was introduced to Broadway shows at an early age. Frequent trips with his parents to the city’s hallowed theatre district sprouted Aronofsky’s love for spectacle and entertainment. He went on to attend Harvard University where he roomed with aspiring animator Dan Schrecker. After seeing his roommate’s assignments he considered perusing a degree in animation, however, he eventually majored in social anthropology and graduated with honors in 1991. Aronofsky went on to get a MFA degree from the AFI Conservatory the following year. It was not until five years later, however, that he began filming his first project,Pi, a fevered account of a brilliant mathematician who unlocks the sacred number of the universe. (more…)

The Cove, directed by Louis Psihoyos, is a thrilling documentary about a team of filmmakers and activists who traveled to Japan in an attempt to reveal one of the most ancient and brutal fishing practices in the world. Winner of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival Audience Award as well as the 2009 Academy Award for Best Documentary, the film exhibits some truly shocking footage of what is essentially a Dolphin massacre.

Americans are especially sensitive to the violent scenes of the hunts because of our deep rooted love for dolphins. We have this image of dolphins as Flipper. (more…)

Julie Delpy (Celine) & Ethan Hawke (Jesse)

Another first for me, I thought Richard Linklater’s Before Sunrise was a real breath of fresh air, which is more than I can say about Ethan Hawke’s (Jesse) acting. I really enjoyed the opening scene with the violins beginning semi serene and eventually quickening their tempo, along with the shot of the tracks and from the actual train.

This has always been a fantasy of mine, which is probably why I connected to the movie the way I did. Who doesn’t want to be traveling Europe when all of a sudden a beautiful foreign woman sits across the aisle from you and basically invites you into conversation? Even if nothing were to come of this it would still be an inviting thought in my mind, I would love to engage in a conversation with a foreign woman, if not for the exotic accent, whether it be French like Celine (Julie Delpy) in this movie, or German or anything really. I feel that its always refreshing to talk to someone with a slight if any language barrier from another nation because they seem to be more engaged in the conversation, and I don’t know if that says something about us Americans or if its just crossing cultural borders that intrigues people.

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So you are the lead male sex performer in a brothel who just beat up two cops. What are you going to do? Do sexual favors to get yourself to the Mexican border of course! That is the basic plot line of Sweet SweetBack’s Baadasssss Song by Melvin Van Peebles. The movie has sex, a man on the run, shootings, cop fights, explosions, cars on fire, motorcycles, more sex, corrupt politics and an African American that wins against the law. For myself, I just saw this as an exercise to pack in every vice and violent act into a single movie, so, in my opinion, if you want more of a message you need to find a different movie.

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