Phil Joanou on “The Veil”
The career of filmmaker Phil Joanou would make for a great film in its own right. He has directed some of U2’s most beloved music videos. He was Michael Apted’s […]
Tag Archives: Stanley Kubrick
Deborah Kampmeier on “SPLit”
Deborah Kampmeier’s “SPLit” is an arrestingly raw howl of fury at the global stigmatization of female sexuality. It is also a deeply haunting portrait of one young woman’s internal growth, […]
All Things Shining in Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life”
Four years ago this month, Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life” premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. I published the following piece at HollywoodChicago.com on June 3, 2011. “Where is […]
Neither Safe Nor Still: The Genius of Julianne Moore
Throughout her extraordinary career, Julianne Moore has often excelled at playing characters who are ostracized. Consider her 1950s housewife who develops forbidden feelings for her black neighbor in “Far from […]
Bryan Dechart on “The Remaining”
His credits include David Spaltro’s acclaimed indie, “Things I Don’t Understand,” the final season of “True Blood” and the third (and best) installment of the “Step Up” franchise. Now actor […]
Top 100 Favorite Films
I was recently asked by a friend to rank my Top Five Favorite Films. It was so daunting to limit my list to only five titles that I decided to […]
Under Her Skin
What is it that makes us human? What separates us from the artificial beings designed to mimic our behavior, store our knowledge and latch onto our daily lives like a […]
Casey Puccini on “Children Without Parents”
Nothing brings a family together quite like a sudden tragedy, yet in the case of Casey Puccini’s caustic dark comedy, “Children Without Parents,” the family is “together” only in the […]
Haunted “Room 237” is Worth a Return Visit
There’s no question Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining” was one of the seminal moviegoing experiences of my life. I saw it at a young age with my beloved Uncle Chuck in […]
Shane Carruth on “Upstream Color”
Upon initial glance, Shane Carruth’s “Upstream Color” may seem like the most formidably impenetrable head-scratcher in many a moon. Like any potent fever dream, the film plays directly on the […]
Indie Outlook 