Memory is a funny thing. It can form and unwind us, ground and unmoor us. It can also trick us, probably because it’s so aligned with the fluidity of time. In this latest Locarno dispatch, there are three films that consider the effect of time and memory as a creative tool, a language, and a
Video games and film/TV have long had a symbiotic relationship, influencing one another even more in an era when titles like “The Last of Us” and “Fallout” have become critical darlings in multiple forms. What’s even more entertaining for lovers of film and games is when the influences aren’t quite as direct as the art
To vibe with “The Rainmaker,” you first have to be down with its network, USA. The basic cable standard is not known for its cutting-edge or award-winning content (like, say, FX). But it has produced a reliable stable of procedurals, audience favorites, and even some cultural moments (see “Suits”). The USA Network certainly has its
Each episode of Noah Hawley’s brilliant “Alien: Earth” opens with what could be called an overture. As the title takes shape (much like the original, groundbreaking Ridley Scott film), images flash across the screen as a sort of twisted “Previously On.” But they also sometimes contain new data, much like a composer integrating previous themes
For many years, Roger Ebert hosted an annual event at the Conference on World Affairs in Boulder, Colorado, called Cinema Interruptus. It was spread out over four days. On day one, the audience would watch a movie together in the usual way. Over the next three consecutive days, they would meet again and do a
Filmed in the wake of a revolution that gave way to a military coup, Hind Meddeb’s powerfully poetic documentary “Sudan, Remember Us” introduces to the world a generation of Sudanese activists, street poets, and ordinary people who are determined to fight for their freedom no matter what. This includes the film’s protagonists—Shajane, Maha, Muzamil, Khatab—and
When I first attended SDCC, I was a fan, but I hadn’t joined cosplay fandom. This year, inspired by a sale at Her Universe, I bought two Star Trek dresses that I fitted down several sizes to wear on Wednesday and Friday. On Sunday morning, I was finishing up three costumes to celebrate a new
Like many good stories, Apple TV+’s new historical drama “Chief of War” begins with an ancient prophecy: “A Star with a Feathered Cape will signal the rise of a great King, who will unite the kingdoms and end the age of war.” Taking place in the late 18th century, when the land that is presently
Simon West auteurism is not for the faint of heart. Unlike Joseph H. Lewis or Phil Karlsen, his compromised studio work has less of a moral component and much more to do with what he can get away with in a lowdown, agreeably grotesque and decent-looking package. Whereas the journeymen of yesterday were placed in
Weird is the name of the game at the Fantasia International Film Festival; you can always count on your average festival pick to feature some level of weirdness, or horniness, or avant-garde experimentation. (It’s telling when the most normal entries at a film festival are the blood-soaked action thrillers; more on those as these dispatches