Mary (2005)

Continuing to explore the work of Abel Ferrara and Catholic imagery has always echoed throughout his films. Mary (2005) is an explicitly religious film though is also more of an essay movie, bringing together ideas and characters into a metatextual drama about representing religious deities and how to actually embody them in real life. Responding […]

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 […]

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 […]

Miami Vice (2006)

For a film version that didn’t give the 1980s pastel aesthetic that fans of the TV series grew up with, switching it up for intense drug enforcement research and grainy digital cameras, I’m always heartened by the cult love that Michael Mann’s Miami Vice (2006) generates for film lovers and Michael Mann fans. I completely […]

Jennifer’s Body (2009)

I didn’t see Jennifer’s Body (2009) when it came out but remember mixed reviews. I caught it on Netflix last night and thought it was underrated. Maybe people were disappointed there wasn’t as many kills as a Scream or a Saw. I thought there was a nice creepy atmosphere and good characterisation between Jennifer and […]