1971
Even more so than its celebratory aspects, Harold and Maude holds a special place in my heart because of what it meant to me when I first watched it.
A 50th Anniversary retrospective on Steven Spielberg’s first feature-length film, Duel, and its place in Nixon’s America.
Back in 1971, Mike Leigh’s Bleak Moments showed the director’s take on the awkward moments that make humanity so complex and compelling.
As we await the next film in the franchise, we take a look back at Sean Connery’s return to the role of James Bond in Diamonds Are Forever.
For all its flaws, Girls Stroke Boy is a portrayal that is more progressive than a lot of current cinematic depictions of trans people.
Sweetback’s rage is infectious, especially since the relations between the police and the black community have changed so little since the film’s release.
The new Criterion Collection release of A Touch of Zen includes director King Hu’s own notes on the film. In these notes, Hu discusses a conversation he had with a Zen Buddhist who told him that Zen must be understood not through verbal explanation, but through an enlightening experience. Despite his renown as a director of wuxia films, Hu was neither a Buddhist nor a martial artist; but, he believed that capturing an experience of Zen would make for a strong film.
Most people I tell about THX 1138 have never heard of it before. When I tell them it was George Lucas’ first feature-length film, they look at me dumbfounded. Though, if you’d have told me about THX a few years ago, my reaction would probably have been the same.