films
Two movies on rules rewritten & rules broken
“Ladies First” ⭐⭐ Rating: 2 out of 4. Speaking of gloriously gonzo, Sacha Baron Cohen, the hot mess (said with respect and gratitude) behind the devilishly caustic “Borat” films, stars in this rom-com-lite, gender-reversal spin with a side of nasty. The movie has a killer cast (Charles Dance, Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant, Fiona Shaw, […]
Two new movies grapple with our disorienting, disoriented world
“Backrooms” ⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 3 out of 4. If you’ve ever made a wrong turn in a shopping mall and found yourself in a space not intended for public view, you’ve had the eerie sensation captured by “Backrooms,” the new horror film from first-time director Kane Parsons. The seemingly innocuous setting is Cap’n Clark’s Ottoman Empire, […]
Marilyn Monroe centennial, dance horror classics, Demme on (Laser)Disc
This week marks what would have been the 100th birthday of Norma Jeane Mortenson, better known to the world as Marilyn Monroe. More than 60 years after her death, Monroe remains one of the most famous people in the world, her name, face and iconography even more inescapable than during her too-short lifetime. Often overlooked […]
Boosters ‘R Us and a serviceable space opera
“I Love Boosters” ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 3.5 out of 4. Rapper-turned-director Boots Riley burst onto the movie scene in 2018 with “Sorry to Bother You,” a dystopian comedy about a call-center drone who uncovers a Silicon Valley plot to create a race of “equisapiens” — horse-human hybrids to displace the labor force. The wildly inventive “I […]
Drones, staches & space opera fashion
“I Love Boosters” ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 3.5 out of 4. Rapper-turned-director Boots Riley burst onto the movie scene in 2018 with “Sorry to Bother You,” a dystopian comedy about a call-center drone who uncovers a Silicon Valley plot to create a race of “equisapiens” —- horse-human hybrids to displace the labor force. The wildly inventive “I […]
Reunite with some classic films
Schools may be letting out, but it’s Reunion Week at the Brattle Theatre, a reliably eclectic annual series of films celebrating their 25th, 50th, or 75th anniversary. The series kicks off Friday with two very different New York classics hitting the big 5-0 this year: Chantal Akerman’s winsome essay film “News from Home” (1976), in […]