Upon reading Jane Austen's 1815 novel Emma, 19th century novelist Susan Ferrier commented, "I have been reading Emma, which is excellent; there is no story whatever [...]." In a way, this sums up so much about the Austen's text. There is barely any semblance of a story; the book consists of a collection of village…Read more Film Review: Emma (1996)
Month: June 2018
Film Review: First Reformed (2018)
Tranquil masculinity is not part of Paul Schrader's cinematic worldview. For over 40 years, anguished, alienated, fatalistic men have dominated his scripts and been front and center in films that bear his name. Quite often, this has worked out well, producing studies of masculinity, criminality, sexuality, mental illness, faith and violence that are quite shattering…Read more Film Review: First Reformed (2018)
Film Review: Hellraiser (1987)
Back when video stores were still in vogue, I have distinct memories of passing the 1980's movie Hellraiser. This was due particularly to its distinctive cover, which features its most memorable character, Pinhead. Even at a young age, I remember being transfixed by the image. The pallid skin, evil snarl and, of course, abundance of…Read more Film Review: Hellraiser (1987)
Adam Mohrbacher 