film criticism by maryann johanson | celebrating 25 years: 1997–2022
We know how it is: You’d like to go to the movies this weekend, but you’re still working on putting together your Michael Jackson costume for Halloween; sewing all those sequins onto that glove is taking forever. But you can have a multiplex-like experience at home with a collection of the right DVDs. And when … more…
Busy, busy week. And awards season hasn’t quite hit yet (though screeners are starting to come). It’s gonna be a crazy couple months… Most hilarious title ever? Gentlemen Broncos (opens in the U.S. on October 30; no U.K. release date has been announced) looks to be a hoot… and I do really like Jared Hess’s … more…
Take a break from work: watch a trailer… Oh my god, that’s Sam Rockwell as “Bronco.” Of course, before the trailer even got to that point, I was doubled over in pain from laughter. I’ve been to science fiction conventions. I know these people. I’ve been eagerly awaiting whatever Jared Hess — he of Napoleon … more…
BEST DIRECTOR Lars von Trier, Dogville Ever a risktaker, Lars von Trier took one of the biggest risks onscreen in 2004 with a determinedly uncinematic film that was also unabashedly political — a breathtaking and refreshingly daring combination in an era of play-it-safe “entertainment.” Setting his cast and his scene on a bare, black-box stage, … more…
