Category: Articles
Highlights from the 31st AFI Latin American Film Festival
The 31st Annual American Film Institute Latin American Film Festival concluded on October 7. Due to disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s festival was about half its usual size and went virtual, making films available to viewers through a streaming platform. Despite less than optimum conditions, there were still a number of outstanding films.…
The seventeen best films of 2019 that nobody is talking about
As dreams go, it was simple. I wanted to write a Top Ten list. I mean, I do it every year. I’m sure a lot of you do too. Every critic does it. Every film fan does it. Every angry-young-psychotic-who-will-actually-punch-you-if-you-don’t-agree-that-Quentin-is-modern-day-Shakespeare does it. But here’s the thing. Everyone does one and they are all the same.…
History of the Living Dead Part III: Day of the Dead
Many people getting introduced to the Living Dead series don’t realize that Day of the Dead (1985) and Land of the Dead (2005) were originally supposed to be one feature. Romero wanted to conclude his zombie franchise on an epic scale; the final chapter of his proposed trilogy was to feature more full-blown action in…
Interviewing Todd Montesi: A Comic’s Take on Film
With the prevalence of professional (and professional-looking) videos on YouTube and other platforms that showcase comedians doing their thing, it’s a challenge to find a creator generating content that stands out from a cinematic perspective. One of those individuals, however, is making a sizable dent in that virtual bubble, and that person is Todd Montesi.…
The Cinema of 1969: Five classics you may have missed
I’ve started writing fifty-year memory essays of late. It’s probably because I am now far enough past fifty to recall the world I lived in fifty years ago. I mean, I have written about The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919) and Double Indemnity (1944) as well, but if I have to go back one hundred…