Author: Blake Van Poucke

C’mon C’mon, Man. C’mon, C’mon, Man — a beautiful depiction of what adults can mean to a child

December 1, 2021

C’mon C’mon, a film from Mike Mills, presents an empathetic portrayal of a healthy child-adult relationship. It’s a film that thematically and structurally, shows the importance of perspective and seeing through the eyes of others. The Mills screenplay is framed through the profession of Joaquin Phoenix’s character (Johnny), a traveling radio journalist creating a project on the many different perspectives of kids throughout the United States. 
… More C’mon C’mon, Man. C’mon, C’mon, Man — a beautiful depiction of what adults can mean to a child

CERTIFIED WEIRD: The Humans is a self-involved look at the holidays

November 30, 2021

The Humans is supposed to be a multifaceted look at families during the holidays, but transforms into an deeply interpersonal look at individual’s uninvolved in each other’s lives with their own fucked up set of problems. Adapted from a stage play written by director Stephen Karam, the stagey elements of the film allow the narrative to jump from micro story to the next, focusing on characters in different parts of this dilapidated Manhattan apartment. It splashes in some surreal with the Lol Crowley cinematography, mainly the blocking and framing – capturing these characters in bizarre states that aren’t normal. The sprinkled on horror elements give the direction an edge, and the performances lean into the entropy … More CERTIFIED WEIRD: The Humans is a self-involved look at the holidays

Duck You, Sucker (1971) or A Fistful of Dynamite, the Overlooked Sergio Leone Spaghetti Western

November 29, 2021

Duck You, Sucker! (Or A Fistful of Dynamite) means get your head down, a stick of dynamite is about to explode in Sergio Leone’s not as famous spaghetti western classic. In a more traditionally structured and serious narrative, John H. Mallory (James Coburn) plays the
… More Duck You, Sucker (1971) or A Fistful of Dynamite, the Overlooked Sergio Leone Spaghetti Western

The Gotham Awards 2021 and Where to Watch

November 29, 2021

The Gotham Film and Media Awards is the start of the Awards season. The proverbial kick-off event and an excellent way to get festivities started with the best of the independent film movement. Any film with a budget exceeding $35 million is automatically disqualified from contention, meaning many of the front runners in the early Oscar conversation don’t make the cut … More The Gotham Awards 2021 and Where to Watch

They Call Me Trinity (1970) is Enzo Barboni’s Profoundly Lazy Spaghetti Western

November 27, 2021

It’s two wandering criminals defending a separate group of cattle farming Mormons against greedy rustlers. Using religion as a story beat, the script slightly dips into pacifism and hilariously touches on Mormons’ polygamy that conveniently allows Trinity to get two women instead of one.
… More They Call Me Trinity (1970) is Enzo Barboni’s Profoundly Lazy Spaghetti Western

The Ox-Bow Incident a maddening one-room drama

November 27, 2021

It firmly nestles the audience into a place of distrust and anger, much like the characters. It’s an uncomfortable place because nothing the mob does fits into any modern definition of justice, but the shared mentality of the group overtakes rationality. It’s essentially a real-life horror show and digs into humans’ innate desire for violence, but plays more like a tragedy. A horrible tragedy that leaves all involved with a dirty, sinking feeling that will never leave them for the rest of their lives. 
… More The Ox-Bow Incident a maddening one-room drama

Hayao Miyazaki out of retirement and set to release one last animated film: ‘How Do You Live?’

November 26, 2021

Hayao Miyazaki, a Weird Cinema favorite and beloved the world over by parents and children alike, is coming out of “retirement” to make what he calls his last film – How Do You Live?
… More Hayao Miyazaki out of retirement and set to release one last animated film: ‘How Do You Live?’

The Adult Specialty Audience is DEAD

November 23, 2021

I’m back again, decrying the slow decay of the cinema, as another weekend has passed and the only movies that were seen by human eyes had the artificial glare of nostalgia attached. As if the only films worth paying for these days are one’s that allow you to talk about the original show or film in the car ride home, without having to think about the film they just watched. … More The Adult Specialty Audience is DEAD