‘Arsenic and Old Lace’ Drags America’s History From the Dark Dank Basement
Frank Capra’s America is always on the edge of madness and nightmare. The deeper you dig into his Arsenic and Old Lace, the darker and queasier it becomes.
comedy
Royalty and the Help Do Switcheroos in Pre-Code Comedy ‘By Candlelight’
James Whale’s pre-code comedy/romance, ‘By Candelight’ is a perfect example of Depression-era escapism into Art Deco consumer porn.
Why Do Voters Want Women Candidates to Be Like Parks and Recreation’s Leslie Knope?
Ten years after Parks and Recreation’s campaign-focused season 4, real-world female political candidates still liken themselves to Leslie Knope. Is that the kind of candidate 2022 needs?
‘The Big Chill’ Still Hits a Nerve 40 Years Later
The Big Chill‘s blunt suggestion that one may not have lived up to their younger self’s dreams or morals hits a universal nerve to this day.
Bo Burnham’s ‘Inside’ Mixes Comedy with Anxiety and Sets It to Music
Bo Burnham creates a warm and inviting mood and ironic comfort when he sings “That Funny Feeling” in his comedy special, ‘Inside’.
‘Licorice Pizza’ Pulls a Magic Eyes Trick on Entitled Idiots
Licorice Pizza is a gaudy parade of rich white privileged shits of the type Paul Thomas Anderson tends to focus on. They’re his people.
Ambiguous Loss and Migrant Emotions in Animated Comedy ‘Vivo’
Overlooked at the 2022 Oscars, Kirk DeMicco’s animated comedy Vivo expresses the “Trump-era anxiety” and ambiguous loss surrounding transnational migration.
The Beginning of a Beautiful Affair Between Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond
Love in the Afternoon deserves credit for its artistic merit but also for serving as the beginning of a beautiful affair between Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond.
Director Charline Bourgeois-Tacquet on Debut Romantic Comedy ‘Anaïs in Love’
Director Charline Bourgeois-Tacquet talks with PopMatters about challenging the idea of cinema as an image-based art with her romantic comedy, Anaïs in Love.
‘Charade’ after 60 Years: A Crossroad Film For Its Golden Age Stars
When you need a break from today’s harsh realities, you need a film like the 1963 comedy/mystery/romance ‘Charade’, starring Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant.
Sammy Davis Jr. and Peter Lawford Play ’60s Spy Hipsters, Baby
Sammy Davis Jr. and Peter Lawford camp up their too cool for school ’60s spy hipsters personas for Richard Donner and Jerry Lewis comedies Salt and Pepper and One More Time.
In David Lean’s ‘Summertime’ Only the Dreaming Is Easy
David Lean’s Summertime emerged as Hollywood was negotiating how adultery could be handled. The tawdry subject became the province of only the classiest actors.