Apr 25, 2014
By Austin Trunick
Web Exclusive
In the intense, unflinching Blue Ruin, a beach bum named Dwight returns to his hometown when he learns that the man imprisoned for murdering his parents many years earlier has been released. He plans his revenge on the person who forever changed his life, despite not being equipped in the slightest to carry out his mission. The fallout of Dwight’s actions—and his mistakes—propels the narrative, and keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat throughout every minute of Blue Ruin’s short but riveting runtime. More
Apr 24, 2014
By Austin Trunick
Web Exclusive
The night before the biggest challenge of his career, Ivan Locke receives an unexpected phone call that forever changes the course of his life. As he speeds down the highway toLondon, he makes a series of calls that torpedo his career, tear apart his family, and sacrifice everything he’s loved and worked for in his life up until that moment. The question of just why this man would do such a thing is central to filmmaker Steven Knight’s riveting new film, Locke. More
Apr 18, 2014
By Shawn Hazelett
Web Exclusive
In a sense, Fading Gigolo is a response to the films that stigmatize prostitution—which is to say, the vast majority of films showing people earning a living off sex. It’s often portrayed a last resort, a job for good-hearted individuals gone astray, or for seedy bit characters cast against a dark background. It comes as no surprise that writer/director John Turturro counts Nights of Cabiria as a favorite film: the Fellini classic treats the titular Cabiria as a human being capable of warmth and intelligence, even if society would rather treat her like a dog. Fading Gigolo operates under this spirit, but takes a light-hearted approach. More
Mar 31, 2014
By Chris Tinkham
Web Exclusive
In the history of Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, how many bands have decided to break up before releasing their first Top 10 single in the U.S.? There can’t be many, but Swedish House Mafia is one such band. In June of 2012, the electronic dance supergroup, composed of DJs/producers Steve Angello, Axwell, and Sebastian Ingrosso, announced that their next tour would be their last. “Don’t You Worry Child,” the trio’s final single before disbanding, had yet to be completed at the time of the announcement, but the song made its live debut in England the following month and was released to radio later that summer. For his feature-length documentary, Leave the World Behind, director Christian Larson covered a far and wide range of geographical territories to capture the frenzied sights and sounds of the farewell shows. More
Mar 28, 2014
By Shawn Hazelett
Web Exclusive
It’s a wonder how a man who was so accomplished could still be so unknown. How is it that Cesar Chavez—a man who helmed a labor rights movement that began in California and extended to Europe, who was praised by the likes of Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy, whose slogan “Si, ne puede” was adopted by Barack Obama in 2008—is barely more than a footnote in the pages of American history? Diego Luna—director of Cesar Chavez—believes the lack of recognition is owed partially Chavez lacking the qualities of a typical leader. More
