FIrst Rule of Movie Club is: you don't talk about Movie Club. But you do share, because sharing is caring.
The fact that Dance Me to My Song is a completely unknown film, and not a major milestone in the independent film world, shouldn't surprise me anymore, and yet... you can't watch this film without wondering what is wrong with our world. Here is a film written by and starring Heather Rose, a woman with … Continue reading Dance Me to My Song
In between Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill, a few things happened. First up was an overhyped side-project that completely bombed: Four Rooms, in which four indie darling directors made four short films all taking place in a hotel and starring Tim Roth. Of the four, only Robert Rodriguez' contribution is any good- in fact, it's … Continue reading The Demise of Quentin Tarantino, Part 3: Jackie Brown
As open-minded as our society has become about gender and race (or, at least, part of our society) when it comes to incest, we're not exactly looking to move that needle forward anytime soon. And that's where art comes in, ready to push us into exploring the very ideas we'd most rather avoid discussing. It's … Continue reading Spanking the Monkey
When does art turn into propaganda... or, when does propaganda become art? Leon Ichaso's Azucar Amarga is a vibrant and angry Exhibit A in the case of propaganda vs art. Just one look at its IMDB user reviews shows you just how divided people are on the film- it's either a 5-star masterpiece, or a … Continue reading Azucar Amarga (Bitter Sugar)
Allison Anders was America's indie darling for about 5 minutes in the 90's with her Sundance hit Gas Food Lodging, which was a slick and glossy film with a weak script but an indie attitude that captured people's excitement. It made enough buzz to earn her a spot on the box-office bomb Four Rooms, the … Continue reading Mi Vida Loca
Michel Ocelot is a French animator who didn't make his first feature until he was 55 years old- and what a great debut it is. Kirikou and the Sorceress draws deeply from the rich folk tales of West Africa as it spins a series of wild tales focused on Kirikou- a young African boy with … Continue reading Kirikou and the Sorceress
One of the 90's best documentaries, which seems to have been forgotten these days, Steven M. Martin's Theremin is an almost textbook case of what a documentary should be, if you happen to stumble upon an amazing real-life story like this one. It functions on multiple levels, covering that oddball and distinct musical instrument that … Continue reading Theremin
Roberto Benigni: you either love him, or you hate him. Italy's top clown, the man has come to carry the torch of physical comedy into this generation, culminating with his worldwide smash, Life is Beautiful, which is either a loving tribute to the power of the human spirit, or a tasteless, tone-deaf attempt at sanitizing … Continue reading Johnny Stecchino
Comedian Mitch Hedberg's reputation has grown since his early death in 2005, and it'll take you just a couple of YouTube clips to fall in love with his absurdist, stoner genius. Before he left us, however, he managed to write and direct a single film- Los Enchiladas- which screened at Sundance in 1999, and only … Continue reading Los Enchiladas
The 1997 Academy Awards were dubbed "Independents' Day" due to the rare prevalence of independent films in all the big category nominations, with films like Mike Leigh's Secrets and Lies and The Coen Brothers' Fargo getting more attention than their respective authors were used to. Still, it was the unknown Australian director Scott Hicks who … Continue reading Shine
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