I don’t mess with giallo too often and I am definitely guilty of flippantly disregarding them because of this, or have some weird vendetta against anyone who glorifies those aesthetics. Blood and Black Lace is beyond that biased criticism, existing as the godfather of pulp novels put to film and neon-soaked dread, what's not to love? The infamous black gloves, whodunnit mystery, romantic fashion careers, mannequins, and mansions.
It is the movie that started it all and maybe in that…
De Palma goes where very few noir tales go: from the eyes of the Femme Fatale. We watch women like Barbara Stanwyck or Lizabeth Scott in awe of their feminine prowess to make whatever they want happen, moving the men in their lives around like chess pieces. Finally embarking on the opportunity to be the mysteriously tragic minx. A fantastical element is constantly pushing the envelope of what is real and imaginary, possibly De Palma's finest film for dreaming up…
Lush Parisian tea and velvet, a hazy plot to match a hazy atmosphere. One of those movies I enjoy watching to just take in the scenery, but I have so many questions about it afterwards. I wonder if its ambiguity is part of the charm like many relationships we embark on, the moments and intentions can be questionable, why we do what we do and with whom is sort of like looking back through a thin veil. We create arbitrary…
The second we graze the breezy southern fall weather, something is amiss. This doesn't feel right. I can't put my finger on it and the clues seem obtuse, hidden deep, and like Private Williams staring through the windows of Brando and Taylor we long to figure out what is really going on here.
Almost Twin Peaks-esque in madness, everyone is slightly manic on the verge of mental breakdown and from what, we don't know. One immense golden eye. In a…
A Proto-Little Miss Sunshine: unseen micro-budget family van ride story. Everyone’s idiosyncrasies and flaws comedically on display, subtle holiday feel goods of Seinfeld relatability.
Highlight is Liev Schrieber playing “smartest guy in the room” writer-type who loves indulging about his Kafkaesque novel and aristocracy. Parker Posey plays mostly blasé cool Posey (I’m not complaining) who chain smokes and has a weakness for said intellectual writer types (raises hand), and Hope Davis as adorable older sister tracking down her husband in…
I really love this movie, and not for the obvious reason, so here’s a little female perspective for you chuds.
Whaley is so incredibly charming as doofy outcast, never over-fixated with Josie, but relatable self-involved idiosyncratic Jim. Right on the cusp of the “mall movie” aka Clueless, Mallrats, etc. quirky shenanigans in the only place young people can convene after high school and before twenty-one. Includes intense flashbacks to the time I worked at PetSmart for the summer, not really…
