48 HRS.
Walter Hill’s raucous odd-couple/buddy cop movie was a massive hit, a genre-defining template-setter that launched comedian Eddie Murphy to superstardom. Nick Nolte is Inspector Jack Cates, a grizzled cop looking for revenge against two escaped cop killers. Murphy is Reggie Hammond, a convicted hustler currently serving time, who may hold a valuable lead on where to find the criminals. In order to catch the perps, Cates has Hammond released into his custody for 48 hours, beginning a race against time — and a clash of personalities and prejudices for the cop-con team — in a plan that is so crazy... read more
Walter Hill’s raucous odd-couple/buddy cop movie was a massive hit, a genre-defining template-setter that launched comedian Eddie Murphy to superstardom.... read more
AFTERIMAGE
[POWIDOKI] Legendary director Andrzej Wajda’s final film is a passionate portrait of renowned avant-garde painter Władysław Strzemiński, who challenged Stalinist orthodoxy. In postwar Poland, Strzemiński works as a professor at the National School of Fine Arts in Łódź. His students treat him like the “messiah of modern painting,” but university authorities and the Ministry of Culture have a differing opinion. Refusing to comply with Party regulations, he is eventually expelled from the university and the artists’ union. As the Communist authorities continue their efforts to ruin him, Strzemiński remains steadfast in his political and artistic convictions. (Note courtesy of Film... read more
[POWIDOKI] Legendary director Andrzej Wajda’s final film is a passionate portrait of renowned avant-garde painter Władysław Strzemiński, who challenged Stalinist... read more
AGRIDULCE
[BITTERSWEET] In the Dominican town of Cabarete, bachata is a way of life far from the discos where it is danced the world over. With five years of filming, director Frank Pavich (JODOROWSKY’S DUNE) intimately captures the coming-of-age of a group of child musicians, showing how music guides their journey to self-discovery. Generations collide, and the children struggle for balance. Along the way, they are mentored by Martires de Leon, a world-famous guitarist and teacher at a school devoted to the music that has become the Dominican Republic’s primary export. (Note courtesy of filmmakers.) DIR Frank Pavich; PROD Benjamin de... read more
[BITTERSWEET] In the Dominican town of Cabarete, bachata is a way of life far from the discos where it is... read more
ALBERT BROOKS: DEFENDING MY LIFE
Rob Reiner profiles Albert Brooks — comedic legend, acclaimed filmmaker, talented character actor and a lifelong friend, who Reiner first met in their high school drama club. Brooks began his comedy career while still a teenager and was soon booking spots on THE TONIGHT SHOW and virtually every other variety program on the air in the early- to mid-1970s. Brooks’ unique blend of the brainy and the absurd, and his penchant for inventive sketches that slyly subverted expectations, earned him praise as a comedy genius — even funnier considering he was born Albert Einstein in 1947 to singer/actress Thelma Leeds... read more
Rob Reiner profiles Albert Brooks — comedic legend, acclaimed filmmaker, talented character actor and a lifelong friend, who Reiner first... read more
THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT
Returning to romantic comedy for the first time since the genre-defining WHEN HARRY MET SALLY…, Rob Reiner directed THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT, a rom-com with a whip-smart political bite courtesy of a screenplay by Aaron Sorkin. Widowed U.S. president Andrew Shepherd (Michael Douglas) is on the campaign trail for a second term, which he should win with ease. He just needs to pass a moderate crime-control bill to seal the deal. But when Shepherd meets and falls in love with the up-and-coming Washington lobbyist Sydney Ellen Wade (Annette Bening), he must risk everything as his opponents start questioning their burgeoning relationship.... read more
Returning to romantic comedy for the first time since the genre-defining WHEN HARRY MET SALLY…, Rob Reiner directed THE AMERICAN... read more
AMORES PERROS
Sending shock waves through the Mexican film industry and the world, this blistering feature debut from Alejandro G. Iñárritu brought the director’s electrifying visual style and bravura multistrand storytelling to the screen with the heart-stopping impact of a primal scream. In Mexico City, the lives of three strangers — a young man mixed up in the gritty underworld of dogfighting, a glamorous woman who seems to have it all and a mysterious assassin who is desperate to reconnect with his estranged daughter — collide in a tragic twist of fate that forever alters their personal journeys. A tour de force... read more
Sending shock waves through the Mexican film industry and the world, this blistering feature debut from Alejandro G. Iñárritu brought... read more
ARTISTS AND MODELS (1955)
ARTISTS AND MODELS is the first Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis film to be directed by animator-turned-director Frank Tashlin, whose dynamic visual flair, pop-cultural smarts and spoofy sensibility made him one of the duo’s best collaborators. Down on their luck, two roommates — comic book addict Eugene (Lewis) and painter Rick (Martin) — try their hand in the comic book industry, inspired by their new neighbor Abigail’s (Dorothy Malone) success with the “Bat Lady” comic, a character her best friend Bessie (Shirley MacLaine) models for her. Rick falls for Abigail and Bessie falls for Eugene, who is really in love... read more
ARTISTS AND MODELS is the first Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis film to be directed by animator-turned-director Frank Tashlin, whose... read more
AU HASARD BALTHAZAR
When mining the annals of cinema for bleakness, Robert Bresson’s original donkey-starring spiritual allegory AU HASARD BALTHAZAR is top of mind. Born in the French Pyrenees and dubbed “Balthazar” by three children, a young donkey is thrown into a life of successive labors and abuses at the hands of different owners, periodically enjoying moments of love and tenderness in the hands of Marie (Anne Wiazemsky), a young woman whose path crisscrosses several times with Balthazar’s, and whose own troubles in life parallel those of this soulful spirit animal. Writing for the New York Times, critic Manohla Dargis called AU HASARD... read more
When mining the annals of cinema for bleakness, Robert Bresson’s original donkey-starring spiritual allegory AU HASARD BALTHAZAR is top of... read more
AN AUTUMN AFTERNOON
[秋刀魚の味] [SANMA NO AJI] The last film by Yasujirō Ozu was also his final masterpiece, a gently heartbreaking story about a man’s dignified resignation to life’s shifting currents and society’s modernization. Though the widower Shūhei (frequent Ozu leading man Chishū Ryū) has been living comfortably for years with his grown daughter, a series of events leads him to accept and encourage her marriage and departure from their home. As elegantly composed and achingly tender as any of the Japanese master’s films, AN AUTUMN AFTERNOON is one of cinema’s fondest farewells. (Note courtesy of Janus Films.) DIR/SCR Yasujirō Ozu; SCR Kogo... read more
[秋刀魚の味] [SANMA NO AJI] The last film by Yasujirō Ozu was also his final masterpiece, a gently heartbreaking story about... read more
BANKIE BANX: KING OF THE DUNE
Growing up on an undeveloped island where necessity often dictated life choices, young Clement Banks dared to dream of becoming a professional musician. He honed his skills playing in dance bands, voraciously soaking up everything from British Top 40 and reggae to Rastafarianism and the anti-colonial Pan-Africanism of Walter Rodney. In 1978, he released his genre-defying first album “Bankie Banx and His Roots & Herbs,” and his breakout hit “Prince of Darkness” put both Bankie and Anguilla on the map. But the islands were too limited for Bankie’s musical ambitions, and in 1984 he set off for new horizons. (Note... read more
Growing up on an undeveloped island where necessity often dictated life choices, young Clement Banks dared to dream of becoming... read more
Best of the 48 Hour Film Project
Come see the winning short films from this year's DC-area competition for local filmmakers, from beginner to pro! Awards will be given in a number of categories, culminating in Best Film. For more info, visit 48hourfilm.com. Approx. runtime: 150 min. read more
Come see the winning short films from this year's DC-area competition for local filmmakers, from beginner to pro! Awards will... read more
BEVERLY HILLS COP
Maverick cop Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) leaves frigid Detroit for balmy Beverly Hills to investigate the mysterious death of a childhood friend. Foley’s nosing around, plus his rusting Chevy Nova and wild style, do not endear him to the citizens of the tony suburb. But Foley’s charm, guile and crime-solving street smarts inspire bored detectives Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and Taggart (John Ashton) to join forces with him and crack the case. The soundtrack’s synth instrumental “Axel F,” by Giorgio Moroder protégé Harold Faltermeyer, became a chart-topping, decade-defining hit DIR Martin Brest; SCR Daniel Petrie Jr.; PROD Jerry Bruckheimer, Don Simpson.... read more
Maverick cop Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) leaves frigid Detroit for balmy Beverly Hills to investigate the mysterious death of a... read more
BLACK GIRL (1966) with BOROM SARRET
60th Anniversary BLACK GIRL [LA NOIRE DE…] Ousmane Sembène, one of the greatest and most groundbreaking filmmakers ever and the most internationally renowned African director of the 20th century, made his feature debut in 1966 with the brilliant and stirring BLACK GIRL. Sembène, who was also an acclaimed novelist in his native Senegal, transforms a deceptively simple plot — about a young Senegalese woman who moves to France to work for a wealthy white couple and finds that life in their small apartment becomes a figurative and literal prison — into a complex, layered critique on the lingering colonialist mindset... read more
60th Anniversary BLACK GIRL [LA NOIRE DE…] Ousmane Sembène, one of the greatest and most groundbreaking filmmakers ever and the... read more
BLUE VELVET
David Lynch's unsettling masterpiece blends disparate elements — a coming-of-age drama, a detective story, an ambiguous 1980s setting with 1950s trappings and midnight movie-style madness — into a uniquely Lynchian whole: equal parts seductive and nightmarish. After discovering a severed ear, Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan) begins an investigation, perhaps to impress his police detective neighbor's daughter (Laura Dern). Beaumont's amateur sleuthing plunges him into a dangerous underworld populated by sad-eyed nightclub singer Dorothy Vallens (Isabella Rossellini) and her psychotic tormentor, Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper), a lover of PBR, nitrous oxide, kinky sex and Roy Orbison. DIR/SCR David Lynch; PROD Fred... read more
David Lynch's unsettling masterpiece blends disparate elements — a coming-of-age drama, a detective story, an ambiguous 1980s setting with 1950s... read more
BOUND
Destined to be a late-night classic upon its release, the Wachowskis’ debut feature BOUND is a neo-noir crackling with chemistry between ex-con Corky (Gina Gershon) and Violet (Jennifer Tilly). Stuck in an abusive relationship with her mobster boyfriend, Caesar (Joe Pantoliano), Violet initiates an affair with Corky. When they discover that Caesar is delivering $2 million in cash to his boss, the two women craft a plan to escape together with the money, framing Caesar for its disappearance. But the scheme goes south due to Caesar’s unexpected behavior, and Corky and Violet enter a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse with the... read more
Destined to be a late-night classic upon its release, the Wachowskis’ debut feature BOUND is a neo-noir crackling with chemistry... read more
BOWFINGER
Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy combine their singular comedic talents in this hilarious Hollywood satire. Z-grade movie producer Bobby Bowfinger (Martin) is desperate to break into the big time. Clinging to a derisive promise from studio exec Jerry Renfro (Robert Downey Jr.) to distribute Bowfinger’s movie CHUBBY RAIN if he can get A-list action star Kit Ramsey (Murphy) to star in it, Bowfinger hits upon an ingenious plan: Do not give the high-maintenance star a chance to say no, and just start filming the low-budget sci-fi thriller around Kit gonzo/guerrilla style. The stellar cast includes Terence Stamp, Heather Graham, Christine... read more
Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy combine their singular comedic talents in this hilarious Hollywood satire. Z-grade movie producer Bobby Bowfinger... read more
BREAKING THE WAVES
“God, it’s me, Bess.” For her big-screen debut, Emily Watson gives a gutsy, Oscar®-nominated performance in this stunning, emotionally draining work that cemented Lars von Trier’s reputation as international cinema’s bad-boy provocateur. Born into a remote and devout Scottish village, Watson is Bess, the loyal wife to oil-rig worker Jan (Stellan Skarsgård), who suffers a debilitating injury. Bedridden and paralyzed, he sends Bess on increasingly debasing sexual escapades and demands that she return to report the details. The film won the Grand Prix at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival. DIR/SCR Lars von Trier; SCR Peter Asmussen; PROD Peter Aalbæk Jensen,... read more
“God, it’s me, Bess.” For her big-screen debut, Emily Watson gives a gutsy, Oscar®-nominated performance in this stunning, emotionally draining... read more
A CARIBBEAN STORY
This engaging and entertaining musical follows 23-year-old rapper Warren, born in Barbados but raised in London by his mother who was estranged from his dad. Warren returns to the island of his birth to help his half-brother Chris scatter their dad’s ashes among the Caribbean islands he loved. As the siblings travel to Trinidad and Jamaica to retrace their dad’s journey, they meet with relatives and uncover their family history, secrets and all, forcing Warren to rethink his fraught relationship with Chris and face decisions about his true destiny. (Note adapted from the Caribbean Film Festival.) DIR Simon Haveland, Gary... read more
This engaging and entertaining musical follows 23-year-old rapper Warren, born in Barbados but raised in London by his mother who... read more
CARNIVAL: THEY CAN'T STEAL OUR JOY
Afro-Canadian filmmaker Ian Mark Kimanje has long wondered why so many Caribbean and African diasporas find joy celebrating Carnival year after year — an event that is truly for all ages. This electrifying documentary follows his personal journey to learn about a festival rooted in traditional rituals that were kept alive by enslaved Africans throughout the 18th century. These Africans chose to fight for liberation not with deadly weapons but with their bodies, dance, drums and music. Filmed in five countries and told through the voices and perspectives of those who keep the tradition alive, CARNIVAL: THEY CAN’T STEAL OUR... read more
Afro-Canadian filmmaker Ian Mark Kimanje has long wondered why so many Caribbean and African diasporas find joy celebrating Carnival year... read more
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (Digital)
After the success of 1975’s JAWS, Steven Spielberg wanted to film a smaller-scale story about a man obsessed with an alien encounter. After he opted to include special effects, the project grew enormously complicated but ultimately resulted in another major success. Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss) witnesses a UFO on an abandoned road and, against the wishes of his wife (Teri Garr), goes searching for answers. François Truffaut plays a French UFO specialist who leads the effort to communicate with the aliens. John Williams’ Oscar®-nominated score, featuring the “five-tone” motif now ingrained in popular culture, lost that Oscar® to his own... read more
After the success of 1975’s JAWS, Steven Spielberg wanted to film a smaller-scale story about a man obsessed with an... read more
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND in 70mm
After the success of 1975’s JAWS, Steven Spielberg wanted to film a smaller-scale story about a man obsessed with an alien encounter. After he opted to include special effects, the project grew enormously complicated but ultimately resulted in another major success. Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss) witnesses a UFO on an abandoned road and, against the wishes of his wife (Teri Garr), goes searching for answers. François Truffaut plays a French UFO specialist who leads the effort to communicate with the aliens. John Williams’ Oscar®-nominated score, featuring the “five-tone” motif now ingrained in popular culture, lost that Oscar® to his own... read more
After the success of 1975’s JAWS, Steven Spielberg wanted to film a smaller-scale story about a man obsessed with an... read more
COME AND SEE (1985)
[IDI I SMOTRI] This legendary film from Soviet director Elem Klimov is a senses-shattering plunge into the dehumanizing horrors of war. As Nazi forces encroach on his small village in what today is known as Belarus, teenaged Flyora (Aleksei Kravchenko, in a searing depiction of anguish) eagerly joins the Soviet resistance. Rather than the adventure and glory he envisioned, what he finds is a waking nightmare of unimaginable carnage and cruelty — rendered with a feverish, otherworldly intensity by the film’s subjective camerawork and expressionistic sound design. Nearly blocked from being made by Soviet censors who took seven years to... read more
[IDI I SMOTRI] This legendary film from Soviet director Elem Klimov is a senses-shattering plunge into the dehumanizing horrors of... read more
COMING TO AMERICA
Sheltered African prince Akeem (Eddie Murphy) refuses the arranged marriage designed by his father (James Earl Jones), dreaming of finding a bride who loves him unconditionally and not just for his social status. Thus, he packs his bag and drags his loyal aid, Semmi (Arsenio Hall), to America to find a queen in the most logical place: Queens, New York. Disguised as poor students, they rent a squalid apartment and get jobs working at a fast-food restaurant. But when Akeem meets the perfect woman (Shari Headley), he struggles to reveal his regal identity. After the success of TRADING PLACES, Murphy... read more
Sheltered African prince Akeem (Eddie Murphy) refuses the arranged marriage designed by his father (James Earl Jones), dreaming of finding... read more
DAUGHTERS OF THE DUST
AFI Conservatory Alumna Julie Dash’s 1991 film was the first feature by a Black woman to receive a wide release in the U.S. The story centers on the Peazant family, living on the Sea Islands off of South Carolina at the turn of the century. Part of a Gullah community — former West African enslaved people who preserved their ancestors’ Yoruba traditions — the family struggles to maintain their cultural heritage while contemplating a migration to the mainland. Shot by Arthur Jafa (who oversaw color grading on the restoration), DAUGHTERS OF THE DUST won the Cinematography Award at the 1991... read more
AFI Conservatory Alumna Julie Dash’s 1991 film was the first feature by a Black woman to receive a wide release... read more
THE DEVIL QUEEN
[A RAINHA DIABA] In the underworld of 1970s Rio de Janeiro, the feared “Devil Queen” rules a drug cartel from the back room of a brothel. Draped in green eyeshadow and menace, she commands loyalty with a jackknife that serves equally for shaving legs and slitting throats. Her grip on power begins to falter as rival factions — favela gangsters, drag queens and sex workers — turn on one another in a violent struggle to claim her throne, exposing a world where those excluded from bourgeois society fight for dominance on the margins. Directed by Antônio Carlos de Fontoura during... read more
[A RAINHA DIABA] In the underworld of 1970s Rio de Janeiro, the feared “Devil Queen” rules a drug cartel from... read more
DREAMGIRLS
After his Academy Award® nomination for crafting the screenplay for smash-hit musical CHICAGO, filmmaker Bill Condon returned to the genre with this adaptation of DREAMGIRLS, a 1981 Broadway show inspired by Berry Gordy’s Motown Records and its premiere act, the Supremes. Jennifer Hudson stars as Effie White, lead singer of The Dreamettes, alongside backup singers Deena Jones (Beyoncé) and Lorrell Robinson (Anika Noni Rose). Discovered by Curtis Taylor Jr. (Jamie Foxx), an ambitious car salesman turned record label executive, the group are catapulted to stardom after opening for Jimmy “Thunder” Early (Eddie Murphy). But when they are rebranded as The... read more
After his Academy Award® nomination for crafting the screenplay for smash-hit musical CHICAGO, filmmaker Bill Condon returned to the genre... read more
DUAL CITIZEN
In 2012, the Haitian government amended the country’s constitution to allow dual citizenship. Filmmaker Rachelle Salnave is eager to reclaim her Haitian citizenship, but the process is far from simple: To do so, her father, Edouard, must reclaim his first before she can. Edouard, a New York Republican who has not set foot in Haiti in more than 50 years, reluctantly agrees to help his daughter, which means engaging with a country and government he has kept at arm’s length since his family’s political exile in the 1960s. This humorous and heartfelt documentary is both a father-daughter road trip and... read more
In 2012, the Haitian government amended the country’s constitution to allow dual citizenship. Filmmaker Rachelle Salnave is eager to reclaim... read more
THE EASY KIND
When Elizabeth Cook first emerged on the country music scene, she was plucked up by the Nashville establishment, briefly paraded around as the latest sweet young thing and quickly cast aside when she refused to fit neatly into a marketable box. In THE EASY KIND, Cook plays a fictionalized version of herself named EC: a renegade singer/songwriter steadfast in her own skin while navigating the personal and professional complexities of midlife. She is breaking new ground musically — even if the powers that be still cannot see how to monetize her magnetic, hardscrabble talent. As she frees herself from the... read more
When Elizabeth Cook first emerged on the country music scene, she was plucked up by the Nashville establishment, briefly paraded... read more
EDDIE MURPHY RAW
Uncensored. Uncut. Irresistible. EDDIE MURPHY RAW, the record-setting, highest-grossing stand-up film of all time, is Eddie Murphy doing what he does best: making people laugh. In the special, filmed live at New York’s Felt Forum in 1987, Murphy delights, shocks and entertains with dead-on celebrity impersonations; observations on ‘80s love, sex and marriage; a remembrance of his mother’s hamburgers; and much more. An incredible time capsule of Murphy at the height of his comedic powers, the film was crafted by an all-star team of talent, with actor-turned-filmmaker Robert Townsend directing, joined by cinematographer and Spike Lee–collaborator Ernest Dickerson, plus a... read more
Uncensored. Uncut. Irresistible. EDDIE MURPHY RAW, the record-setting, highest-grossing stand-up film of all time, is Eddie Murphy doing what he... read more
EL REGRESADO
Cuba, early 21st century. Mandi, a young painter and recent graduate from the National Art School, returns to his small coastal town of Gibara to complete his mandatory community service. There, he reconnects with his former professor, a local artist silenced by the Cuban regime for his anti-Castro views. Mandi thus finds himself at a crossroads that clashes with his aspirations and ideals: avoiding confrontation within an oppressive political context while pursuing personal and artistic freedom. The latest film from Cuban filmmaker Armando Capó (AGOSTO) is a fictional work with autobiographical elements that paints a portrait of the struggles faced... read more
Cuba, early 21st century. Mandi, a young painter and recent graduate from the National Art School, returns to his small... read more
ESTA ISLA
[THIS ISLAND] Teenager Bebo and his older brother Charlie spend their days along the coast of Puerto Rico fishing, tending to horses and doing whatever they can to earn money. Determined to make ends meet, they must resist the temptation of Charlie’s friends-turned-criminals’ overtures to bring them into the fold. But as the inescapable specter of violence looms large, Bebo goes on the run with Lola, a girl from a wealthy family who feels similarly adrift within the confines of the island. A striking directorial debut, ESTA ISLA paints a portrait of Puerto Rican youth struggling with the path placed... read more
[THIS ISLAND] Teenager Bebo and his older brother Charlie spend their days along the coast of Puerto Rico fishing, tending... read more
THE FALL OF OTRAR
[ОТЫРАРДЫҢ КҮЙРЕУІ] [OTYRARDYÑ KÜIREWI] Kazakh New Wave director Ardak Amirkulov’s THE FALL OF OTRAR is a hypnotic epic about one of world history’s crucial military battles. In the early 13th century, Genghis Khan conquered Otrar, a major city in the old Persian kingdom of Khwarazm and a gateway to the West. This victory marked the fearsome warrior’s first campaign beyond traditional Mongol territory — and the opening salvo to his near-complete domination of Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Evoking the dynamic pacing of Akira Kurosawa and the hallucinatory sensuousness of Tarkovsky (aided by a deft alternation among color, black-and-white and... read more
[ОТЫРАРДЫҢ КҮЙРЕУІ] [OTYRARDYÑ KÜIREWI] Kazakh New Wave director Ardak Amirkulov’s THE FALL OF OTRAR is a hypnotic epic about one... read more
A FEW GOOD MEN
“You can’t handle the truth!” Callow young JAG lieutenant Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise) gets paired with senior officer Lieutenant Commander JoAnne Galloway (Demi Moore) to defend two Guantanamo Marines charged with the hazing death of a third. The top brass would like a speedy trial or better yet a plea bargain — Kaffee’s specialty — but Galloway suspects there is more to the story, including how much base commander Colonel Nathan Jessep (Jack Nicholson) really knew. Rob Reiner nimbly directs from Aaron Sorkin’s career-making screenplay, adapted from his own Broadway play. Beyond the high star–wattage leads, Kevin Bacon, Kiefer Sutherland,... read more
“You can’t handle the truth!” Callow young JAG lieutenant Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise) gets paired with senior officer Lieutenant Commander... read more
FORASTERA
A sun-dappled summer in Mallorca is an idyllic dream for Spanish teen Cata (Zoe Stein) and her younger sister Eva (Martina García). Staying with their grandparents at their glittering seaside home, Cata passes the days swimming in the Mediterranean and the nights sneaking off with a cute Swedish boy. But when her grandmother tragically passes, Cata’s summer vacation takes an unexpected turn. Stricken by grief, she looks through her grandmother’s wardrobe and tries on a beautiful vintage red-and-white dress, uncovering a deep connection with the family matriarch. Cata starts to take on a new familial role, stepping into her grandmother’s... read more
A sun-dappled summer in Mallorca is an idyllic dream for Spanish teen Cata (Zoe Stein) and her younger sister Eva... read more
FUCKTOYS
Welcome to Trashtown, U.S.A., rising like a pastel-hued industrial mirage out of the Louisiana swampland, where everyone has a kink and there is enough bad luck going around to keep a bevy of psychics employed. Sex worker AP (played by the intrepid writer/director/producer Annapurna Sriram) has learned she has been cursed. And it is a gnarly one. A fabulously bejeweled tarot reader (Big Freedia) delivers the prognosis and the cure: AP will need $1,000 and a baby lamb to complete the purification ritual, lest she be swallowed up by a black hole of bad juju. Thus, AP embarks on a... read more
Welcome to Trashtown, U.S.A., rising like a pastel-hued industrial mirage out of the Louisiana swampland, where everyone has a kink... read more
GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES
[HOTARU NO HAKA] [火垂るの墓] When the U.S. firebombing of Kobe leaves siblings Setsuko and Seita orphaned, they are forced to fend for themselves amid the chaos of the final days of World War II. They first take shelter with an aunt, but her cold reception and reluctance to help forces them back out on the street. They next set up camp in a cave, relying on fireflies for light. At first their adventure is full of excitement and wonder, but the harsh deprivations of war quickly become too real to ignore, culminating in a devastating finale. Roger Ebert considered this... read more
[HOTARU NO HAKA] [火垂るの墓] When the U.S. firebombing of Kobe leaves siblings Setsuko and Seita orphaned, they are forced to... read more
THE HANDMAIDEN
[AGASSI] [아가씨] The full range of Park Chan-wook's directorial skills — stunning visuals, thrilling voyeurism, twisty plots and moving performances — are on display in THE HANDMAIDEN, Park’s 2016 adaptation of Sarah Waters’ crime novel “Fingersmith.” Transplanting the setting from Victorian-era England to 1930s Korea under Japanese occupation, Park weaves a gripping and sensual tale of two women: a Japanese heiress (Kim Min-hee) living on the secluded estate of her wealthy uncle (Cho Jin-woong), and a younger Korean woman (Kim Tae-ri), who is hired to serve as her handmaiden but is secretly plotting with a con man (Ha Jung-woo) to... read more
[AGASSI] [아가씨] The full range of Park Chan-wook's directorial skills — stunning visuals, thrilling voyeurism, twisty plots and moving performances... read more
THE HARDER THEY COME
The original “midnight movie,” billed as “Jamaica's very first feature-length film,” THE HARDER THEY COME introduced world audiences to Jamaican music, one year before Bob Marley and the Wailers’ breakthrough album would become an international smash. Pop star Jimmy Cliff plays Ivan, a rural Jamaican musician who journeys to Kingston in search of fame and fortune. Pushed to desperate circumstances by shady record producers, he starts selling ganja and achieves notoriety after he shoots and kills a corrupt cop — becoming public enemy number one while his single starts climbing the charts. More than fifty years on, THE HARDER THEY... read more
The original “midnight movie,” billed as “Jamaica's very first feature-length film,” THE HARDER THEY COME introduced world audiences to Jamaican... read more
HARLEM NIGHTS
After a string of box-office hits, Eddie Murphy capped off his legendary ‘80s run with his only directorial effort, HARLEM NIGHTS. Murphy stars as Quick, the adopted son of nightclub owner Sugar Ray (Richard Pryor). Together they run one of the hottest spots in Harlem during the tail end of Prohibition. But when mobster Bugsy Calhoune (Michael Lerner) gets words of their success, he hires a crooked cop (Danny Aiello) to try and shut them down. Murphy united three generations of incredible Black talent — Redd Foxx, Charlie Murphy, Della Reese, Jasmine Guy and Arsenio Hall — to craft this... read more
After a string of box-office hits, Eddie Murphy capped off his legendary ‘80s run with his only directorial effort, HARLEM... read more
THE HOUSE WITH LAUGHING WINDOWS
[LA CASA DALLE FINESTRE CHE RIDONO] Rightfully taking its place among the greatest giallos ever made, Pupi Avati’s THE HOUSE WITH LAUGHING WINDOWS offers a uniquely eerie twist on the genre, culminating in an unforgettable ending that remains with you long after the credits have rolled. Art restorer Stefano arrives at an isolated Italian village to repair a fresco depicting Saint Sebastian’s agonizing martyrdom. The original painter was a death artist: a madman so obsessed with mortality that, according to whispered rumors, he tortured his models in their final moments of life. When people in the village start turning up... read more
[LA CASA DALLE FINESTRE CHE RIDONO] Rightfully taking its place among the greatest giallos ever made, Pupi Avati’s THE HOUSE... read more
I LOVE BOOSTERS
The latest idiosyncratic film from director Boots Riley is as wide-ranging as his debut, SORRY TO BOTHER YOU, but no less ambitious in its aims or pointed in its critique. Corvette (Keke Palmer), an aspiring fashion designer stuck living in a shuttered chicken restaurant, makes ends meet as a booster (someone who steals merchandise and resells it at a discount) with her friends Sade (Naomi Ackie) and Mariah (Taylour Paige). After she repeatedly boosts outfits from stores operated by fashion designer Christie Smith (Demi Moore), Corvette draws the mogul’s ire, setting in motion a chain of events that extends far... read more
The latest idiosyncratic film from director Boots Riley is as wide-ranging as his debut, SORRY TO BOTHER YOU, but no... read more
KORCZAK
This heartbreaking film about Janusz Korczak, a Polish-Jewish educator and pediatrician during the Second World War, saw Wajda collaborate on the screenplay with filmmaker Agnieszka Holland. The topic of Jewishness within Polish history and society is a feature of a number of Wajda’s films; KORCZAK is arguably his most resonant, and vital, account of the Holocaust, exploring themes of self-sacrifice, honor and the strength of the human spirit, even in the face of evil. (Note courtesy of DI Factory.) DIR Andrzej Wajda; SCR Agnieszka Holland; PROD Janusz Morgenstern, Willi Segler, Daniel Toscan du Plantier, Regina Ziegler. Poland/Germany/UK, 1990, color, 118... read more
This heartbreaking film about Janusz Korczak, a Polish-Jewish educator and pediatrician during the Second World War, saw Wajda collaborate on... read more
LAST NIGHT I CONQUERED THE CITY OF THEBES
[ANOCHE CONQUISTÉ TEBAS] Gabriel Azorín announces himself as a major new voice with his narrative feature debut, a cosmic hangout film of sorts with a formal control that suggests a director decades his senior. In the vicinity of an ancient Roman thermal bath in the Spanish countryside, several young men boast of victories, confess fears and look up at the darkening sky; as night falls, another group materializes, their conversations echoing what came before and gradually confounding our very sense of time. A film of lingering mystery and beauty, distinguished by remarkable night photography, a breathtaking drone shot and an... read more
[ANOCHE CONQUISTÉ TEBAS] Gabriel Azorín announces himself as a major new voice with his narrative feature debut, a cosmic hangout... read more
THE LAST ONE FOR THE ROAD
[LE CITTÀ DI PIANURA] The bottom has fallen out for Carlobianchi and Doriano, two small-time Italian crooks. They have not been able to mount an honest scam since the 2008 financial crisis and now face the impending mediocrity of middle age. The return of an exiled partner-in-crime from Argentina affords a second chance for long-buried riches, but can Carlobianchi and Doriano put down their beers long enough to keep their eyes on the prize? Along their slow-motion, alcoholic grand tour of the Venetian countryside, they cross paths with Giulio, a shy architecture student who reluctantly warms to the sodden pair... read more
[LE CITTÀ DI PIANURA] The bottom has fallen out for Carlobianchi and Doriano, two small-time Italian crooks. They have not... read more
LOS GOLFOS
[THE DELINQUENTS] Suffering curtailed distribution by Francoist censorship in the ‘60s, the defiant debut feature by Carlos Saura (CRÍA CUERVOS, PEPPERMINT FRAPPÉ) broke with tradition in Spain by filming in the streets and utilizing documentary techniques much like the Italian neorealist classics by which it was inspired. A group of poor youths tear around Madrid, pulling scams and committing petty crimes. As one of their gang prepares to perform in a serious bullfighting competition, they plan a heist that will raise the money to finance his entry. When LOS GOLFOS was nominated for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film... read more
[THE DELINQUENTS] Suffering curtailed distribution by Francoist censorship in the ‘60s, the defiant debut feature by Carlos Saura (CRÍA CUERVOS,... read more
LOS TIGRES
Forty-something siblings Antonio (Antonio de la Torre, EL REINO) and Estrella (Bárbara Lennie, Almodóvar’s upcoming BITTER CHRISTMAS) work as industrial divers off the coast of Huelva. But after risking their life for decades in such a dangerous profession, both are broke. Antonio’s ex-wife is threating to take his kids away if he cannot keep up with the child-support payments. Desperate and without other options, Antonio and Estrella hatch a plan to steal contraband off a passing freighter and sell it for a handsome profit. But it will take all their underwater skills and expertise to pull off what may be... read more
Forty-something siblings Antonio (Antonio de la Torre, EL REINO) and Estrella (Bárbara Lennie, Almodóvar’s upcoming BITTER CHRISTMAS) work as industrial... read more
THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE
The seemingly simple barber Ed Crane (Billy Bob Thornton) lives a dull, dissatisfied life in his small 1949 California town. When customer Creighton Tolliver (Joe Polito) convinces Ed to invest in a dry-cleaning scheme, Ed secretly blackmails department store magnate “Big Dave” Brewster (James Gandolfini) — whom he suspects of having an affair with his wife, Doris (Frances McDormand) — for $10,000, but Ed’s plans quickly go awry in spectacular fashion. Shot in glorious black and white by Oscar® winner Roger Deakins, the Coen brothers’ homage to crime-fiction novelist James M. Cain is a moody, existential meta-noir. Joel Coen won... read more
The seemingly simple barber Ed Crane (Billy Bob Thornton) lives a dull, dissatisfied life in his small 1949 California town.... read more
MATADOR
Eager to prove his heterosexuality, young bullfighter-in-training Ángel (Antonio Banderas) attempts to rape the girlfriend of his teacher, retired-yet-renowned bullfighter Diego Montes (Nacho Martínez). After his bumbling attempt ends in failure, Ángel concocts a new plan: He will confess to a series of grisly murders that, unbeknownst to him, were perpetrated by Diego, who is consumed by a lust for blood and death. Ángel’s case is taken up by María, a shrewd lawyer hiding her own double life of sex and murder. For his fifth film, Spanish auteur Pedro Almodóvar once again intertwines a vivid visual palette with an exploration... read more
Eager to prove his heterosexuality, young bullfighter-in-training Ángel (Antonio Banderas) attempts to rape the girlfriend of his teacher, retired-yet-renowned bullfighter... read more
MIKEY AND NICKY
The saga behind the making of this film is legendary: One million feet of film were shot to get spontaneous raw drama, 18 months were spent in the editing room and director Elaine May and star Peter Falk had to hide their own footage away in a secret location to keep it from prying studio executives. After a botched release, May’s preferred cut of the film first saw the light of day a decade later, and the film now reflects her intended vision. Nick (John Cassavetes) is a small-timer with a contract out on him, on the run from the... read more
The saga behind the making of this film is legendary: One million feet of film were shot to get spontaneous... read more
MISERY
Celebrated author Paul Sheldon (James Caan) is desperate to distance himself from the cheesy romance novels that made him famous. En route to deliver his newest and more serious-minded work, Paul crashes his Mustang in a blizzard, only to be rescued by his number one fan, Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates). Nursing him back to health in her remote cabin, Annie finds the manuscript and decides it is not up to her exacting expectations; she refuses to let Paul leave until he rewrites it — under threat of injury and sledgehammer. Best known for his more warmhearted fare, filmmaker Rob Reiner... read more
Celebrated author Paul Sheldon (James Caan) is desperate to distance himself from the cheesy romance novels that made him famous.... read more
MISS JOBSON
In the 1970s, Diane Jobson made a name for herself as Bob Marley’s close friend and lawyer, converting to Rastafarianism under his influence. After his death, she dedicated her career to defending Jamaica’s poorest communities, becoming the island’s beloved “Rasta lawyer.” Now 80, the fiercely stubborn attorney with 12-foot-long locks still works without a computer, taking handwritten notes and helping clients facing police violence and murder charges. MISS JOBSON captures the rhythms of Diane’s life as she fields calls from clients, swims with her dog and smokes ganja with her best friend, Sally. Blending humor and profundity, the film ultimately... read more
In the 1970s, Diane Jobson made a name for herself as Bob Marley’s close friend and lawyer, converting to Rastafarianism... read more
MOONLIGHT
MOONLIGHT is the tender, heartbreaking story of a young man’s struggle to find himself, told across three defining chapters in his life as he experiences the ecstasy, pain and beauty of falling in love, while grappling with his own sexuality. Anchored by astonishing performances and the singular vision of filmmaker Barry Jenkins, MOONLIGHT is a groundbreaking exploration of masculinity — a sensual, intoxicating piece of cinema that uncovers deep truths about the moments that define us, the people who shape us most and the ache of love that can last a lifetime. The film stars Naomie Harris, André Holland, Mahershala... read more
MOONLIGHT is the tender, heartbreaking story of a young man’s struggle to find himself, told across three defining chapters in... read more
MULAN (1998)
Loosely based on a figure in Chinese folk legend, Mulan (Ming-Na Wen) is an adventurous yet duty-bound young woman. When the Imperial Army orders that one man from each family must enlist to fight the invading Huns, Mulan worries about her elderly father’s safety. She cuts her hair and dons her father’s old armor to bravely take his place, disguised as a male soldier named Ping. Helped by her outrageously funny guardian dragon Mushu (Eddie Murphy) and a lucky cricket named Cri-Kee, Mulan strives to earn the respect of her fellow warriors and their courageous Captain Shang (BD Wong). Mulan’s... read more
Loosely based on a figure in Chinese folk legend, Mulan (Ming-Na Wen) is an adventurous yet duty-bound young woman. When... read more
MULHOLLAND DRIVE
After surviving a murder attempt and a car crash with no memory of who tried to kill her (or why), an amnesiac actress (Laura Harring) wanders into an apartment where she discovers Hollywood hopeful Betty Elms (Naomi Watts). Playing detective, the two eventually uncover some shady doings in the movie biz, a volcanic attraction to one another and the idea that they may just be two characters in someone else's dream. In many ways the culmination of Lynch's oeuvre, masterfully revisiting his signature themes of identity, desire and dream logic, this surrealistic film noir's subject is nothing less than the... read more
After surviving a murder attempt and a car crash with no memory of who tried to kill her (or why),... read more
MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO
“I always know where I am by the way the road looks...” In director Gus Van Sant’s meditation on the nature of innocence, Keanu Reeves and River Phoenix star as two young men living on the fringes of society who peddle their bodies for sex. Amiable, none-too-bright street hustler Mike Waters (Phoenix) works the streets of the Pacific Northwest with his best friend, Scott Favor (Reeves). Mike secretly loves Scott. And Scott, the son of Portland’s wealthy mayor, secretly yearns to cast off the friendship of his fellow lowlifes and assume his birthright of wealth, power and respectability. Earning Phoenix... read more
“I always know where I am by the way the road looks...” In director Gus Van Sant’s meditation on the... read more
MÄDCHEN IN UNIFORM (1931)
A milestone of queer cinema, MÄDCHEN IN UNIFORM is Leontine Sagan’s 1931 screen adaptation of the groundbreaking play by Christa Winsloe. Hertha Thiele stars as Manuela, a sensitive pupil who forms an attachment to a compassionate instructor, Miss von Bernburg (Dorothea Wieck, CRADLE SONG), while at a militaristic boarding school. After performing the role of Don Carlos in the school play, an intoxicated Manuela openly declares her love for Miss von Bernburg, scandalizing the student body and inciting the wrath of the school’s conservative headmistress (Emilia Unda). Later remade in1958 by Géza von Radványi, MÄDCHEN IN UNIFORM is a timeless... read more
A milestone of queer cinema, MÄDCHEN IN UNIFORM is Leontine Sagan’s 1931 screen adaptation of the groundbreaking play by Christa... read more
NAKED ACTS
Celebrated as a key film in the canon of Black independent cinema in the 1990s, Bridgett M. Davis’ NAKED ACTS was included in the seminal anthology “The 50 Most Influential Black Films” by S. Torriano Berry. Beautiful aspiring actor Cicely (Jake-Ann Jones) has just landed her first major role, but there is a big problem: It requires a nude scene. Her mother was a Blaxploitation star known for her sex appeal, while Cicely is a survivor of sexual assault with lifelong body image issues, all of which has left her with a strong aversion to disrobing in public. Now, with... read more
Celebrated as a key film in the canon of Black independent cinema in the 1990s, Bridgett M. Davis’ NAKED ACTS... read more
PILLION
A deeply felt story of discovery — of the self and of loving another — PILLION is the striking debut feature from director Harry Lighton about one man’s first steps into the world of the BDSM community. Timid Colin (Harry Melling) finds himself swept off his feet when the enigmatic and impossibly handsome Ray (Alexander Skarsgård) ushers him into the gay biker scene as his submissive. At first uncertain about his new relationship but eager to please, Colin is soon in pure bliss, boasting about Ray to coworkers and family despite Ray’s brusque refusal to meet his father and terminally... read more
A deeply felt story of discovery — of the self and of loving another — PILLION is the striking debut... read more
PLANET OF THE APES (1968)
“Take your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!” So says time-tossed astronaut George Taylor (Charlton Heston) to his intelligent ape captors on the mysterious planet where he has crash-landed. Franklin J. Schaffner’s enduring sci-fi classic is memorable for the breakthrough makeup effects that transformed Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter and Maurice Evans into ape scientists Dr. Cornelius, Dr. Zira and Dr. Zaius, earning makeup artist John Chambers an honorary Oscar®. The ace script is credited to THE TWILIGHT ZONE creator Rod Serling and former blacklistee Michael Wilson and the pulse-pounding score is by the great Jerry Goldsmith. DIR Franklin... read more
“Take your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!” So says time-tossed astronaut George Taylor (Charlton Heston) to his... read more
POSSIBLE LANDSCAPES with MADULU, THE SEAMAN
POSSIBLE LANDSCAPES Shot across two seasons in Trinidad and Tobao, POSSIBLE LANDSCAPES is a poignant exploration of intergenerational experiences of landscape and environmental transformation in the Caribbean. The film immerses viewers in sugarcane fields, winding mountain valleys and pristine seas that mask the devastation of dying coral reefs, unfinished homes that stretch into oil fields and fishing communities that struggle against the ravages of the Atlantic. As the Caribbean faces escalating environmental crises, filmmaker Kannan Arunasalam captures the tensions of post-independence aspirations and disappointments, and explores the legacies of colonialism, postcolonial nationalism and changing forms of extractivism, offering a profound... read more
POSSIBLE LANDSCAPES Shot across two seasons in Trinidad and Tobao, POSSIBLE LANDSCAPES is a poignant exploration of intergenerational experiences of... read more
THE PRICE OF LOVE: CHEDDI JAGAN
Before Allende, before Fidel, before Grenada, there was Cheddi. In 1953, Cheddi Jagan was the first democratically elected Marxist leader in the Western Hemisphere. Born in rural Guyana, Jagan moved to Washington, DC, in 1936 to attend Howard University as a dental student. Returning to Guyana with a degree in 1943, he would dedicate his life to the upliftment of the Guyanese people. In 1953, after winning the first Guyanese elections held under universal adult suffrage, Jagan and his Progressive People’s Party saw their government suspended by a British coup after just 133 days. Bitter divisions, Cold War politics, racial... read more
Before Allende, before Fidel, before Grenada, there was Cheddi. In 1953, Cheddi Jagan was the first democratically elected Marxist leader... read more
QUEEN OF SOCA
Olivia, a talented young singer from an impoverished community in Trinidad, lives under the strict rules of her deeply religious mother. She is forbidden from pursuing soca music, a genre her mother condemns as sinful. When Olivia reconnects with an old friend who believes in her gift, she decides to pursue her dream. As she struggles to balance faith, family and her desire to escape poverty, Olivia discovers that her greatest battle is not with her mother but with the courage to believe in herself. QUEEN OF SOCA is a coming-of-age story told through rhythm, movement, action, passion and humour... read more
Olivia, a talented young singer from an impoverished community in Trinidad, lives under the strict rules of her deeply religious... read more
RATCATCHER
In her breathtaking and assured debut feature, Lynne Ramsay creates a haunting evocation of a troubled Glasgow childhood. Set during Scotland’s national garbage strike of the mid-1970s, RATCATCHER explores the experiences of a poor adolescent boy as he struggles to reconcile his dreams and his guilt with the abjection that surrounds him. Utilizing beautiful, elusive imagery, candid performances and unexpected humor, Ramsay deftly contrasts urban decay with a rich interior landscape of hope and perseverance, resulting in a work at once raw and deeply poetic. (Note adapted from Janus Films.) DIR/SCR Lynne Ramsay; PROD Gavin Emerson. UK/France, 1999, color, 94... read more
In her breathtaking and assured debut feature, Lynne Ramsay creates a haunting evocation of a troubled Glasgow childhood. Set during... read more
REGGAE GIRLZ
In a David vs. Goliath saga, the Jamaican women’s football team, affectionately known as the “Reggae Girlz,” rose from obscurity to challenge global giants France and Brazil in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, defying all odds and capturing the world’s imagination with their unyielding spirit. Off the field, the team was stymied by institutional neglect and meager resources that nearly cost them their chance at the tournament, but their perseverance and talent won out. With a groovy soundtrack featuring the music of Bob Marley — whose daughter, Cedella, was appointed ambassador for the Reggae Girlz — this inspiring documentary... read more
In a David vs. Goliath saga, the Jamaican women’s football team, affectionately known as the “Reggae Girlz,” rose from obscurity... read more
ROSE OF NEVADA
In a forgotten fishing village, a boat mysteriously appears in the old harbor. The Rose of Nevada, lost at sea with all hands 30 years ago, has returned. For the few who remember, it is a sign. The Rose of Nevada must go out to sea again, and maybe then the luck of the devastated village will turn. Nick (George MacKay) takes a job aboard the boat in an attempt to provide for his young family. Alongside him, newly arrived Liam (Callum Turner) joins the crew, desperate to escape his past. They head to sea and return to harbor after... read more
In a forgotten fishing village, a boat mysteriously appears in the old harbor. The Rose of Nevada, lost at sea... read more
SALÒ, OR THE 120 DAYS OF SODOM
[SALÒ O LE 120 GIORNATE DI SODOMA] The notorious final film from Pier Paolo Pasolini, SALÒ, OR THE 120 DAYS OF SODOM, has been called nauseating, shocking, depraved, pornographic — but it is also a masterpiece. The controversial poet, novelist and filmmaker’s transposition of the Marquis de Sade’s 18th-century opus of torture and degradation to Fascist Italy in 1944 — a year before Mussolini’s death and the end of World War II — remains one of the most passionately debated films of all time, a thought-provoking inquiry into the political, social and sexual dynamics that define the world we live... read more
[SALÒ O LE 120 GIORNATE DI SODOMA] The notorious final film from Pier Paolo Pasolini, SALÒ, OR THE 120 DAYS... read more
THE SERPENT'S SKIN
This supernatural romance follows Anna (Alexandra McVicker, CASTRATION MOVIE ANTHOLOGY II) after she escapes from her small, transphobic town and develops a romantic relationship with another young woman, a goth tattoo artist named Gen (Avalon Fast, CASTRATION MOVIE ANTHOLOGY I). After unwittingly unleashing a demon that begins feeding on their friends, the pair need to face their insecurities in order to defeat evil. In her sixth feature film — at just 21 years old — Australian filmmaker Alice Maio Mackay delivers a stylish, visually resplendent ode to love and community that is unabashedly influenced by ‘90s genre classics like BUFFY... read more
This supernatural romance follows Anna (Alexandra McVicker, CASTRATION MOVIE ANTHOLOGY II) after she escapes from her small, transphobic town and... read more
SHREK
From competing for the Palme d’Or at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival to winning the inaugural Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature and launching the second highest–grossing animated film franchise of all time in the process, everything about SHREK seems as unlikely to break the mold as the film’s green-skinned ogre of a protagonist. After finding his swamp overrun with exiled fairy tale characters relocated by the scheming Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow), Shrek (Mike Myers) sets out on a quest to rescue Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) in exchange for a return to his peaceful life. Aided along the way by... read more
From competing for the Palme d’Or at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival to winning the inaugural Academy Award® for Best... read more
SILENT FRIEND
[STILLE FREUNDIN] For over a century, a ginkgo tree, standing sentinel in the garden of Philipps University of Marburg in Germany, experiences its surroundings — but how and what it experiences is a mystery. Every day, students, professors and staff pass by the tree, graze its bark, recline beneath its shade. Ildikó Enyedi’s profound scientific epic — some of her best work since 2017’s enchanting ON BODY AND SOUL, which won the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival — locates three such passersby, separated by generations. In 2020, a professor of neuroscience, stranded and isolated on the COVID-abandoned... read more
[STILLE FREUNDIN] For over a century, a ginkgo tree, standing sentinel in the garden of Philipps University of Marburg in... read more
SÁTÁNTANGÓ
Béla Tarr’s 1994 masterpiece immerses viewers in the darkest, dankest, grimmest and most godforsaken of worlds — a derelict Hungarian village, its inhabitants adrift after the fall of Communism and the dissolution of their farming collective. The film is truly uncompromising in its cinematic vision: black-and-white cinematography, long takes and slowly paced (indeed, the film is a foundational text for what came to be called “slow cinema”) but sharply realized scenes sprawling across an epic seven-plus hours of screen time. But SÁTÁNTANGÓ is utterly transfixing and pulses with the force of life despite the degradation on display. In this desolate,... read more
Béla Tarr’s 1994 masterpiece immerses viewers in the darkest, dankest, grimmest and most godforsaken of worlds — a derelict Hungarian... read more
TAXI DRIVER (1976)
“You talkin' to me?” Robert De Niro’s alienated Vietnam vet/Gotham cab driver Travis Bickle yearns for a rain that will “wash all the scum off the streets,” blows his big date with a beautiful politico (Cybill Shepherd), then turns mohawked crusader at the sight of a pimp (Harvey Keitel) slapping around a child prostitute (Jodie Foster). An apotheosis for all of the film’s then-on-the-rise creative talents, including director Martin Scorsese, screenwriter Paul Schrader and star De Niro, TAXI DRIVER also features one of the final scores by the great Bernard Herrmann — and the feature film acting debut of Albert... read more
“You talkin' to me?” Robert De Niro’s alienated Vietnam vet/Gotham cab driver Travis Bickle yearns for a rain that will... read more
THIEF (1981)
Michael Mann’s neon-drenched neo-noir thriller, his debut feature, stylishly set the template for hard-boiled drama in the 1980s. James Caan gives one of his greatest performances as a career jewel thief torn between continuing his criminal enterprise and settling down for a normal life with the woman he loves. The film’s ensemble includes Tuesday Weld, Willie Nelson, Robert Prosky, Jim Belushi and Dennis Farina; the moody soundtrack is by Tangerine Dream. DIR/SCR Michael Mann, from the memoir “The Home Invaders: Confessions of a Cat Burglar” by Frank Hohimer; PROD Jerry Bruckheimer, Ronnie Caan. U.S., 1981, color, 123 min. RATED R... read more
Michael Mann’s neon-drenched neo-noir thriller, his debut feature, stylishly set the template for hard-boiled drama in the 1980s. James Caan... read more
THREADS
Upon its 1984 premiere at the height of global nuclear tension, THREADS shocked the entirety of the BBC’s viewership. Months later, when it aired in the U.S., it was quickly hailed as the British answer to ABC’s infamous 1983 TV movie THE DAY AFTER. Exactingly directed by Mick Jackson (THE BODYGUARD, VOLCANO) from a screenplay by Barry Hines (Ken Loach’s KES), this graphic drama depicts the unraveling of society after the working-class city of Sheffield undergoes nuclear attack. With talk of nuclear conflict back in the news, the time is now for audiences with fortitude to experience and absorb this... read more
Upon its 1984 premiere at the height of global nuclear tension, THREADS shocked the entirety of the BBC’s viewership. Months... read more
TRADING PLACES
Nature vs. nurture is given a cynical test by the Duke brothers, Randolph (Ralph Bellamy) and Mortimer (Don Ameche), snobby Wall Street one-percenters who engineer an outrageous change of fortune — framing their star broker Louis Winthorpe III (Dan Aykroyd) for crimes, while giving a plum position to street hustler Billy Ray Valentine (Eddie Murphy) — to settle a bet. The excellent cast, including Jamie Lee Curtis as a financially savvy streetwalker and Denholm Elliott as a put-upon butler, give top-of-their game performances, led b y the hilariously inventive Murphy. The film also features cameos from Frank Oz, Bo Diddley... read more
Nature vs. nurture is given a cynical test by the Duke brothers, Randolph (Ralph Bellamy) and Mortimer (Don Ameche), snobby... read more
TRAINSPOTTING
“Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family.” In a grungy corner of Edinburgh, heroin addiction takes its toll on a group of friends. Danny Boyle's energetically stylized drama, based on the Irvine Welsh bestseller, follows Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor) and his pals Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller), Spud (Ewen Bremner), Begbie (Robert Carlyle) and Tommy (Kevin McKidd) as they careen lustily through life. After too much excess and too many casualties, Mark tries to kick heroin, but it is hard to leave old habits and old mates behind. This ‘90s-era touchstone is considered one of the... read more
“Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family.” In a grungy corner of Edinburgh, heroin addiction takes... read more
TROUBLE EVERY DAY
American newlyweds Dr. Shane and June Brown (Vincent Gallo and Tricia Vessey) travel to Paris for their honeymoon. Once there, Shane begins a search for his former medical colleague Léo (Alex Descas), who may have information or a cure for the tropical virus that has transformed Leo’s wife (Béatrice Dalle) into a murderous sexual carnivore — and may soon do the same to Shane. Claire Denis’ bloody dissection of desire caused a stir upon release due to its graphic sexual violence (two women purportedly fainted at its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival), but over the last 25 years, film... read more
American newlyweds Dr. Shane and June Brown (Vincent Gallo and Tricia Vessey) travel to Paris for their honeymoon. Once there,... read more
A USEFUL GHOST
[PEE CHAI DAI KA] Poised as a confident new entry in the cinematic canon of unlikely possessions, Thai filmmaker Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke’s absurdist, shapeshifting feature debut marks the beginning of the era of electrical appliance phantasmagoria. Self-proclaimed Academic Ladyboy calls for tech support after his new vacuum cleaner coughs like a human throughout the night. A mysterious, attractive repairman, Krong, soon appears, identifying the appliance as part of a faulty recurrence from one factory. To explain, he reveals two interconnected stories: the reincarnation of Nat, late wife of the factory owner’s son, in the form of a red compact vacuum cleaner,... read more
[PEE CHAI DAI KA] Poised as a confident new entry in the cinematic canon of unlikely possessions, Thai filmmaker Ratchapoom... read more
WAKE IN FRIGHT
Alongside George Miller’s MAD MAX and Nicolas Roeg’s WALKABOUT, WAKE IN FRIGHT is widely acknowledged as one of the seminal films in the development of modern Australian cinema. Directed by Ted Kotcheff (FIRST BLOOD, NORTH DALLAS FORTY), it tells the story of a British schoolteacher’s descent into personal corruption at the hands of drunken, deranged derelicts while stranded in a small town in the outback of Australia. WAKE IN FRIGHT was one of two Australian films (the other being WALKABOUT) to compete for the top prize at the 1971 Cannes Film Festival. Musician Nick Cave called it “the best and... read more
Alongside George Miller’s MAD MAX and Nicolas Roeg’s WALKABOUT, WAKE IN FRIGHT is widely acknowledged as one of the seminal... read more
WALESA: MAN OF HOPE
[WAŁĘSA. CZŁOWIEK Z NADZIEI] Andrzej Wajda brings the story of Lech Wałęsa and the Solidarity movement to the big screen. Robert Wieckiewicz (IN DARKNESS) is magnetic as Wałęsa, while Agnieszka Grochowska shines as his loyal wife, Danuta. The sharp screenplay by Janusz Glowacki hinges on Wałęsa’s landmark 1981 interview, just months before Poland declared martial law, with Italian journalist Oriana Fallaci (Maria Rosaria Omaggio), recounting in flashback the previous decade and a half of activism; Wałęsa would be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983. DIR Andrzej Wajda; SCR Janusz Glowacki; PROD Michal Kwiecinski. Poland, 2013, color, 128 min. In... read more
[WAŁĘSA. CZŁOWIEK Z NADZIEI] Andrzej Wajda brings the story of Lech Wałęsa and the Solidarity movement to the big screen.... read more
THE WOLF OF WALL STREET
Leonardo DiCaprio plays Jordan Belfort, a young stockbroker hungry for a life of nonstop thrills, in a wickedly funny and epic rags-to-riches drama from Martin Scorsese. Adapted by writer Terence Winter (creator of BOARDWALK EMPIRE) from the real-life Belfort’s memoir, THE WOLF OF WALL STREET follows Belfort’s meteoric rise as a stockbroker engaged in increasingly corrupt and fraudulent money-making schemes. The bacchanalian debauchery and moral ambiguity on display is familiar territory for Scorsese — while the characters here do not belong to any bona fide mafia, they certainly resemble the gangsters in GOODFELLAS. Running at a brisk three hours, the... read more
Leonardo DiCaprio plays Jordan Belfort, a young stockbroker hungry for a life of nonstop thrills, in a wickedly funny and... read more
YOUNG SOUL REBELS - DIRECTOR'S CUT
Set in the late 1970s, YOUNG SOUL REBELS examines youth cultural movements — namely skinheads, punks and soulboys — along with the social, political and cultural tensions between them, including race clashes and homophobia. The film won the Critics’ Prize at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival and has continued to receive international acclaim since its release. Its soundtrack features music by Parliament, Funkadelic, The O’Jays, War and many others. (Note adapted from Strand Releasing). DIR/SCR Isaac Julien; SCR Derrick Saldaan McClintock, Paul Hallam; PROD Nadine Marsh-Edwards. UK, 1991, color, 105 min. RATED R 4K restoration overseen by director Isaac Julien... read more
Set in the late 1970s, YOUNG SOUL REBELS examines youth cultural movements — namely skinheads, punks and soulboys — along... read more
ZION
In Guadeloupe, Chris juggles his time between drug deals, one-night stands and motorcycle rides. When he draws the attention of local gang leader Odell, he is entrusted with a risky delivery. But on the day of the mission, he finds that a baby has been left at his doorstep. With the arrival of the helpless child, Chris is forced to make a crucial decision. French-Guadeloupean filmmaker Nelson Foix has crafted an explosive thriller, featuring exhilarating action sequences and authentic performances from a cast of non-professional actors. (Note adapted from Magnify.) DIR/SCR Nelson Foix; PROD Slievan Harkin, Laurence Lascary. Guadeloupe/France/Belgium, 2025,... read more
In Guadeloupe, Chris juggles his time between drug deals, one-night stands and motorcycle rides. When he draws the attention of... read more
