Tag: film

The World is Yours: Scarface at 40

In December of this year, Brian De Palma’s Scarface (1983) will celebrate its fortieth anniversary. At nearly three hours long, Scarface tells the mythic tale of the rise and fall of Cuban drug lord Tony Montana (Al Pacino), whose obsessive quest for the American Dream ends in a hail of bullets. It’s a grandiose, profane, … Continue reading The World is Yours: Scarface at 40 →

Cheers to Elevators: Married to the Mob at 35

Cheers to elevators! You meet the nicest people in them. Angela De Marco On August 19th, Jonathan Demme’s absolutely sublime 1988 comedy Married to the Mob celebrated its 35th anniversary. The film tells the story of a former bridge-and-tunnel mob wife (Michelle Pfeiffer), who seemingly never felt comfortable in such a role, trying to find … Continue reading Cheers to Elevators: Married to the Mob at 35 →

Lost and Found: Arabella: Black Angel

Words can’t really do justice to the 1989 Italian giallo-style Arabella: Black Angel (Arabella l'angelo nero). Wildly raunchy, severely kinky, and absurdly convoluted, the film both titillates and confounds. I watched at least half of it with my jaw on the floor, either because of star Tinì Cansino’s various sexual exploits or because I couldn’t … Continue reading Lost and Found: Arabella: Black Angel →

Meet Me at Vallenari’s

Of the three sensational films Michelle Pfeiffer’s made in 1988, Robert Towne’s California crime drama Tequila Sunrise (1988) has really grown on me. The other two, Married to the Mob and Dangerous Liaisons, felt like instant classics for me., but Tequila Sunrise took a little time to work it’s slow charms on me—not too long, … Continue reading Meet Me at Vallenari’s →

Lost and Found: Streetwalkin’

One of the more prevalent cult movie genres in the 1980s featured prostitutes navigating the dangerous streets of whatever big city in which they plied their trade (almost always New York or Los Angeles). Let’s name it the Streetwalkin’ genre, after the 1985 film that, in my humble opinion, best personifies this style: Streetwalkin’. A … Continue reading Lost and Found: Streetwalkin’ →

Revenge

When we first meet Jennifer, the protagonist of Coralie Fargeat’s Revenge (2017), she’s sucking suggestively on a lollipop. This suggestive act serves as foreshadowing; within minutes she will be enthusiastically performing fellatio on her lover. After focusing on her lollipop sucking, the camera’s gaze shifts to Jen’s hot pink, micro-miniskirt and the long, tan legs … Continue reading Revenge →