Silent Film ‘The Bat’ Begat Comics Dark Superhero Batman
Murder, secret rooms, and a man in a bat suit are among the shenanigans in silent film The Bat, a seminal work that begat comics dark superhero Batman.
film review
Bruce Springsteen Documentary ‘Road Diary’ Takes a Familiar Route
Bruce Springsteen documentary Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band gets you there by taking a familiar yet still enjoyable route.
Masahiro Shinoda’s ‘Demon Pond’ Ripples Through Japan’s New Wave
Fantastic colors, costumes, and effects ripple through Masahiro Shinoda’s New Wave-era Demon Pond, which is drenched in Kabuki romantic fantasy.
Mati Diop’s Documentary ‘Dahomey’ Complicates Colonialism
Mati Diop’s Dahomey documentary about the 2021 return of looted artworks to Benin looks more to the present and future than the past.
Filmmaker Lana Wilson Delves into the Psyche of Psychics
Lana Wilson’s soulful, patient, appropriately skeptical documentary takes psychics at their word but also peers behind the curtain in revealing ways.
Coppola’s ‘Megalopolis’ Is a Trivial Goof Pretending at Ambition
Francis Ford Coppola’s bonkers “fable” about the clash of dreams and cynicism, Megalopolis, has a potent but unfounded belief in its importance.
Murder and Apocalypse in Pop Art 1960s Mash-up ‘Fata Morgana’
The Barcelona School made avant-garde films nobody could understand, such as the pop art 1960s mash-up, Fata Morgana. But it sure looks good.
Arch Oboler’s ‘Bwana Devil’ Mauls the First 3D Movie Audience
Arch Oboler’s Bwana Devil kicked off the 1950s 3D movies craze with a man-eating lion story, and 70s years later it’s trying to get its claws into audiences.
Quirky Comedy ‘Between the Temples’ Delights in the Unconventional Types
Nathan Silver’s 1970s-styled throwback Between the Temples is a comedy of people awkwardly fumbling toward purpose, faith, and meaning.
Teen Horror Film ‘Cuckoo’ Is a Deliriously Fun Mess
For his teen horror film Cuckoo, director Tilman Singer tries to tame his wild and creative imagination into something more commercially friendly, with mixed results.
The Family-Friendly ‘Bookworm’ Is a Reunion – with a Twist
Ant Timpson and Toby Harvard’s Bookworm effuses charm and humour, and reveals the Jekyll and Hyde-like sides of their creative personas.
Animated Sci-Fi ‘The Time Masters’ Challenges Conformity
René Laloux’s conformity-challenging animated sci-fi The Time Masters resonates with Hayao Miyazaki films and Jack Vance novels.