Husbands (1970)

Even as a fan of John Cassavetes movies, I completely understand how they can be off-putting. It’s intentional, part of the auteur’s legacy, with characters barking at each other, swinging for the fences in the direction of truth but also heightened into broad acting moves. I loved the way filmmaker Andrew Bujalski wrote about Husbands […]

Daddy Longlegs (2009)

While just as stressful as later films by the Safdie Brothers like Good Time and Uncut Gems, their first major indie feature, Daddy Longlegs (2009) is also gentler in a way. It focuses on a dad played by their future co-writer and editor Ronald Bronstein (also a director of the indie Frownland) and his performance […]

The Late Show (1977)

Not to be confused with either David Letterman or The D-Generation, The Late Show (1977) is another entry in the seventies era’s love of film noir. Produced by Robert Altman, director-writer Robert Benton goes for a different take rather than Altman’s own deconstructive The Long Goodbye. There’s more of a classic witty vibe of detective […]

Go Go Tales (2007)

Abel Ferrara makes a comedy, Go Go Tales (2007), which is set in a go-go joint strip club, a project he’d always wanted to make, describing it as “Cheers meets The Killing Of A Chinese Bookie.” Much like Cassavettes’ film, Go Go Tales sees the strip club as a metaphor for filmmaking, for creative expression […]

Uncle Yanco (1967)

Thank you to Mubi’s ‘Voila Varda’ segment, which sadly expired on their Library feature, and to Lyndon Blue for recommending Uncle Yanco (1967), a short film that Agnes Varda made while she was in San Francisco (while her husband Jacques Demy was making Model Shop). It’s basically a colourful, warm tribute to Agnes connecting with […]