Jennifer Jason Leigh
Movie Review: Annihilation
The science-fiction genre has always held a special place in the hearts of cinephiles over the decades. Classics like Blade Runner (1982), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), and Alien (1979) appealed to audiences’ imaginations like no other films before them, arguably, they still do today. The genre is arguably one of the riskier for filmmakers to tackle because the film must not only make the audience...[Read More]
Movie Review: The Hateful Eight
Quentin Tarantino can do whatever he wants. At this point in his career, twenty-two years removed from the pop-culture milestone Pulp Fiction (1994), the lowbrow aficionado has dabbled in everything from Kung Fu (Kill Bill, Vol. 1 & 2 [2003/04]) and Blaxploitation (Jackie Brown [1997]) to world war (Inglorious Basterds [2009]) and revisionist westerns (Django Unchained [2012]). Each crucially ...[Read More]
Interview with Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson, Co-directors of Anomalisa
The Academy Award-nominated Anomalisa (Best Animated Feature) tells the story of Michael Stone (David Thewlis), husband, father, respected author, and a man crippled by what he considers a mundane life. On a business trip to Cincinnati, where he’s scheduled to speak at a convention of customer service professionals, he checks into the Fregoli Hotel. There, he is amazed to discover a possible...[Read More]
Movie Review: Anomalisa
For a film that, in many ways, embraces its own imperfections, Anomalisa (which enjoys a wide release this week) is nearly flawless in what it sets out to achieve: Using the under-utilized medium of stop-motion animation to tell a story more human than most live action films. The film follows middle-aged customer service expert Michael Stone (voiced by David Thewlis) who, after arriving in Cincinn...[Read More]
Trailer Trashin’: Breaking Down the Teaser for Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight
We’re more than halfway through August, dear readers, and the summer movie season is almost over. But there are always new trailers for me to watch and analyze. This week’s installment of Trailer Trashin’ takes a look at the teaser for Quentin Tarantino’s next film The Hateful Eight. Premise: In post-Civil War Wyoming, eight strangers seek shelter in a haberdashery during a...[Read More]