-
-
-
-
The Last Man on Earth 1924
Women hunting down Nice Guys and auctioning them off to the highest bidder—this is the future feminist ancaps want. You can stop this. Nationalize all men.
That said, I do wish the film had steered its premise toward a more coherent allegory instead of repeating the same joke about how women be applying makeup.
-
Rat Film 2016
There's a lot to chew on when it comes to Baltimore's racial and economic history, and Rat Film gives the best illustration of redlining and its ongoing impact. I was already pretty familiar with this part of it already, so I didn't get much out of it.
It seems like past that, Anthony branches out in several directions and it all starts getting away from him a bit. A few scenes don't appear to have much connection at all (the…
-
-
You Only Live Once: Production Takes from a Film in the Making 1937
A strange making-of film that suggests something more than the DVD bonus feature it inevitably became. Production Takes from a Film in the Making starts off with several takes that start as the actors get set up, a few moments of gripping drama, and then the cast members easing up after the take has concluded. It's a nice rhythm that's helped by the immediacy of Fritz Lang's motifs: surprise reveals, fog, and weapons.
The bank robbery scenes didn't work quite…
-
I Am Michael 2015
I Am Michael has received a lot of attention for the questions it raises about the corners of queer identity. But ultimately, it wants to focus on the characters and let them tell their own stories.
Michael's story spans a series of relationships, each of which is being written off by one partner or another. He grapples with Serious Issues and explains his Deep Thoughts, but the other characters rarely have a chance to respond. The film manages to be respectful of its characters but sinks itself by devoting so much time to a tedious lead.