Sleuth

Knives Out has rekindled the public's love for Cinematic Whodunnits that blend mystery and comedy, recalling Clue (if you remember the 80's) and the comedy masterpiece Murder by Death (if you remember the 70's.) But before all of those fun movies came Joseph L. Mankiewicz's final film, a 1972 mystery based on a play starring …

The Spirit of ’45

The great Ken Loach usually makes neorealist dramas that feel like documentaries, but with The Spirit of '45, he actually gives us a documentary about a movement in England that clearly informed Loach's entire life and career. Between WWI and WWII, England, like much of the Western World, suffered through an economic slump that makes …

In the Court of the Crimson King

Being the control freak that he is, Robert Fripp would get very, very, very upset if he knew that this new documentary on his band was viewable for free, for it goes against many of his publicly stated beliefs. And if you do have the money, by all means, give him $27 and purchase a …

The Early Films of Peter Greenaway (Part 1)

Ah, Peter Greenaway- excepting Matthew Barney, he is the most "Art Film" ish Art Filmmaker in the history of Art Films, an obsessive formalist and painter who manages to convert his passions into esoteric, but somehow completely fascinating, works of art on the moving screen. If you've seen his work- from his biggest commercial success, …

The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb

Very little is known about this amazing and moody stop-motion feature film that found itself on the shelves of the more esoteric video rental stores during the mid-90's, but The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb is written, directed, shot and edited by someone named Dave Borthwick- and it's unlike anything you'll ever see. A mixture …

The Naked Civil Servant

Quentin Crisp may have been somewhat forgotten in today's mainstream culture, even though a lot of mainstream culture owes its current shape to him. An unabashedly and flamboyantly gay man living in an era (starting with the 1920's) and a place (England) where such an orientation was not only unaccepted, but expected to be kept …

Brimstone & Treacle

It's very difficult to tell what, exactly, director Richard Loncraine was going for when he decided to make a feature film adaptation of Dennis Potter's television play, Brimstone & Treacle- it's gothic, but not quite a horror film; it can be quite silly and goofy, but it's not really a comedy; it's dramatic for sure, …

Supersonic Saucer

A cute alien lands on Earth, far from his home, only to be discovered by a kid who hides him from the mean ol' adults. Sounds familiar? Before Speilberg charmed his way into America's collective heart, this little British ditty from 1956 charmed its way into England... or not. It's hard to tell how many …

Unman, Wittering and Zigo

"Stylish" isn't usually a word you'd use to describe 1970's British Cinema- usually "drab" is more fitting- but John Mackenzie's Unman, Wittering and Zigo is a stylish thriller right from the very first shot, which I won't describe for fear of spoiling the surprise. Mackenzie, who is probably best known in the U.S. for directing …

Raining Stones

Ken Loach has survived decades of obscurity to become one of the world's most well-regarded filmmakers, but most people have probably never seen the majority of his oeuvre. From his early, BBC TV films to his later features, much of his brilliant work deserves a wider audience. This goes double for Raining Stones, a beautiful …