‘Brillo Box (3 Cents Off)’ Views an Iconic Warhol Artwork From a Personal Lens
It may have sold for $3 million, but still, is it art? Andy Warhol's Brillo Box is a tale of art and commerce that resonates in these times.
Argun Ulgen
Argun Ulgen is a public interest attorney, and a freelance essayist covering film and culture. In addition to contributing to PopMatters, Argun has also been published at The Rumpus and Salon magazine. Argun resides in New York City and he can be contacted on Twitter @BrookylnCycles, or on his Facebook page Film4Freedom.
‘In Pursuit of Silence’ Challenges the Senses
In Pursuit of Silence's technical mastery overcomes its overuse of interview commentary to illustrate silence's numerous edifying properties.
‘Lindy Lou, Juror Number 2’ Humanizes the American Juror As More Than Just Another Digit
Lindy’s conversations with fellow former jurors reveal some understated nuances in American politics and culture better than mere argumentation ever can.
In ‘The Blood is at the Doorstep’, a Family Suffers From an Intransigent Criminal Justice System
Erik Ljung's work is an auspicious cinematic debut which reminds that for every criminal justice statistic, there's a stirring story which deserves to be deeply considered.
‘Abacus’ Questions the Virtues of the American Legal System
When director Steve James captures Chinatown's denizens during their lived-in moments, Abacus improves from a trial procedural to a cinematic vision of the American Dream under siege.
‘Cardinal X’ Is a Bold, Seedy Take on University Wealth Gaps and Drug Culture
How is a working class outlier to thrive at an elite school she earned her way into, but clearly cannot afford?
‘Atlantic’: A Nautical Dirge for a Dying Ocean
'Atlantic' is an urgent and visually moving lament against corporate privatization of the ocean.
‘#MyEscape’ Employs Innovative Filmmaking Techniques to Cover the Middle Eastern Refugee Crisis
Director Elke Sasse doesn't need to embellish the refugees’ stories; their own cell phone filmmaking and interviews provide plenty of narrative depth.
‘LA92’ Submerges Its Audience Into the Violent Aftermath of Institutional Racism
Oscar winners Dan Lindsay and TJ Martin's gamble on making the audience’s eyes do most of the work pays off with a feeling of heightened emotional distress and urgency.
On Political, Religious, and Business Interests in The West Bank: ‘The Settlers’
The Settlers is a poignant documentary focused on the Israeli Settler Movement in the West Bank and the multiple forces perpetuating the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
‘Girls’: An Engrossing “American Bitch” Just Misses Transcending Its Sitcom Medium
In "American Bitch", the novelistic approach squares up against polarized argumentation.
‘Land of Mine’ Explores the Intolerable Costs of Nationalistic Vengeance
Land of Mine is perhaps the most powerful denunciation of nationalism's destructive force as we'll see on movie screens in 2017.