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The Hype Cycle – Anyone’s Race
This column is a few days late this week, but then this was a particularly busy few days. The first three of the actual awards precursors finally arrived this week, including the New York Film Critics Circle, the National Board of Review and the Gotham Independent Film Awards. What’s the verdict? This is still anyone’s […] More
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‘Citizenfour’, ‘Life Itself’ among Oscar Documentary Shortlist
One of the most consistently controversial categories in the Oscar race is the Best Documentary category, a branch that has snubbed Steve James, Werner Herzog and Errol Morris in past years. This year however, Steve James did make the list with his documentary Life Itself, based on the life of Roger Ebert, along with the […] More
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Obsessed with Pop Culture: Best of the Week
Childhood Memories: ‘Sneak Previews’ When renowned film critic, Roger Ebert, died last year, there was a huge outpouring of appreciation from film lovers around the world. He was an ambassador for cinema who introduced audiences to countless films they might have otherwise missed. Ebert and his long-time partner, Gene Siskel, started reviewing movies on […] More
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Sound On Sight Podcast, Episode 398: ‘CITIZENFOUR’ and Xavier Dolan’s ‘Mommy’
Anyone who’s even remotely familiar with Quebec cinema will know his name: Xavier Dolan is currently Canada’s chief prestige cinematic export, for better or worse, and Simon, Kate Rennebohm, and guest Justine Smith are here to debate the merits of his latest and most celebrated feature, Mommy, for which he shared the Best Director prize at […] More
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Obsessed with Pop Culture: Best of the Week
Boardwalk Empire, Ep. 5.08: “Eldorado” leaves only the dust and ash of regret That it seemed obvious for the series’ finale to send Nucky out was a bit of a given, considering the telegraphed nature of the flashback conceit which had been building for the entirety of this season. There were glimpses of hope, and […] More
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‘Citizenfour’ seethes with paranoia and anger
Citizenfour A Documentary Directed by Laura Poitras Germany/USA, 2014 Citizenfour functions not only as a great primer on the Edward Snowden NSA case, but also as a straight espionage-thriller. While at times self-aggrandizing and frustratingly vague, Laura Poitras’ documentary is never less than fascinating, frightening and infuriating. This is a must see for political […] More
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The Hype Cycle Week 6: The Long Road Ahead
This week at the end of October is the point in the Oscar race where pundits begin spinning their wheels. The festivals are over, the critics’ awards haven’t started yet, and no new movies are arriving, leaving little to actually go on in terms of new predictions. Keep in mind, when an Oscar pundit talks […] More
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NYFF 2014: Kyle’s 5 Favorite Films and Other Ephemera
Underneath the bass drops and the electronic harmony of the garage music scene of 1990s Paris is melancholy and loneliness. The parties are bursting with verve and energy, but when the music stops, so does that joy. Hansen-Løve’s examination of a young DJ over the course of twenty years is warm and tender, an incredible look at the pros and cons of following your passion, allowing art to be your escape, and the joy of music. More
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Edward Snowden doc ‘Citizenfour’ gets a teaser trailer
With only a few months left in 2014, there’s not much time left for impactful new documentaries to leave a mark on the critical community, but one in particular stands to make quite a dent indeed. Laura Poitras, the politically-minded filmmaker behind the award-winning The Oath, has just brought Citizenfour, her doc about hyper-controversial NSA […] More