Flashforward: Part One Season One

With the last season of Lost upon us, all of the major television networks have either canceled their science fiction/horror shows or are refusing to greenlight any new ones. Like any trend that goes through a cycle, this one has definitely played itself... 

Howards End: Criterion Collection

Sandwiched between Merchant Ivory hits, A Room with a View (1985) and The Remains of the Day (1993), Howards End (1992) epitomizes the filmmaking duo of Ismail Merchant (producer) and James Ivory (director) at the height of their powers, second to none... 

Everybody’s Fine

Welcome to the end of Robert De Niro’s career, which just so happens to dovetail rather coincidentally with the demise of Miramax, the little studio that became a major player in the 1990s. However, with the departure of its founders, Harvey and Bob... 

Revanche: Criterion Collection

The opening credits for Revanche (2008) play out over an eerie shot of a tree-line reflected in a lake. This serene image is disrupted when something plunges into the water sending out ripples. This image acts as a metaphor for the film as it explores... 

Lola Montes: Criterion Collection

If Lola Montes were alive today I’m sure she would be a tabloid sensation or perhaps a reality television star famous for her notoriety. Born Eliza Gilbert, she reinvented herself during the late 1800s and tried her hand at singing, acting and dancing... 

A Serious Man

For years, the Coen brothers have had an ideal set-up. They make modestly budgeted films so that expectations for financial returns are not very high. This is turn allows them a considerable amount of creative freedom. Thanks to their reputation for making... 

Paris, Texas: Criterion Collection

Films made about the United States by foreign filmmakers are interesting because quite often they provide a unique perspective – someone from the outside looking in. German filmmaker Wim Wenders did just this with his film Paris, Texas (1984). It was... 

The Boys are Back

After starring in blood-soaked, bullet-ridden action films like Shoot ‘Em Up (2007) and The International (2009), actor Clive Owen decided to shift genres completely and headline a touchy-feely drama for Miramax that was directed by Scott Hicks, who... 

Gomorrah: Criterion Collection

Gomorrah (2008) started off as a controversial best-seller, a “nonfiction novel” by Roberto Saviano in 2006. It exposed and showed how the Camorra, Italy’s largest organized crime syndicate, worked. Based in Naples, it deals in drugs, weapons, construction... 

Downhill Racer: Criterion Collection

There are few good sports films that aren’t riddled with clichés and there are even fewer good films about skiing. Downhill Racer (1969) is one of those rare exceptions. Based on Oakley Hill’s 1963 novel, The Downhill Racers, Paramount Pictures optioned... 

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