Essays

Ghost In The Shell sex or utilitarian

Navigating Sexuality and Utility in ‘Ghost in the Shell’

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Mamuro Oshii’s 1995 anime is a fascinating examination of the female cyborg and her assumed sexuality.

Thief Michael Mann

An Ode to the Diner Scene in Michael Mann’s ‘Thief’

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Proof that lowkey doesn’t have to mean dull and that a conversation can have as much tension as a heist sequence.

Gamera Guardian Of The Universe

Gamera: the Godzilla Knockoff That Became So Much More

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Gamera may have begun as a cheap Godzilla knockoff, but the flying fire-breathing turtle has earned his place at the big boy kaiju table.

World Of Wong Kar Wai

The Infinite Reinvention of Wong Kar Wai

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With the release of The Criterion Collection’s “World of Wong Kar Wai” set, we look at how Hong Kong’s King of Cool has built an inimitable career on repetition and iteration.

Cloverfield

‘Cloverfield,’ ‘Trollhunter,’ and the Birth of the Found Footage Monster Movie

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DIY aesthetics meet big budget productions in two films from the late aughts.

Memento Movie Ending

‘Memento’ and the Unreliable Image

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In his second feature film, Christopher Nolan considers the lengths a director might go to manipulate their viewer.

Jake Gyllenhaal Nightcrawler

The Man Who Inspired ‘Nightcrawler’ (and Other Movies)

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What connects ‘Nightcrawler,’ ‘Dr. Strangelove,’ and ‘The Naked City’? One 1930s crime scene photographer.

Superstore Depositions

‘Superstore’ is the Show We Needed But Didn’t Deserve

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This is not the kind of show that should be canceled. It’s the kind of show that should be replicated.

Jane Eyre 2011

The Powerful Simplicity of Cary Joji Fukunaga’s ‘Jane Eyre’

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Fukunaga’s simple directorial style allows the 2011 film to soar above other adaptations of the novel.