by Memo Salazar
9/20/2012
As we enter decade number two of the 21st Century, our cultural landscape is quite different than the one most of us grew up in. There’s plenty of kids under ten who can claim to have written, directed and edited their own movie these days — something almost inconceivable even to folks who just a few years ago thought themselves hip and on the cultural cutting edge. With that in mind, the advent of a new documentary in 2012 doesn’t really command the interest it once did. What subject hasn’t been discussed on camera yet?
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by Warren Curry
8/30/2012
Although I’ll admit to having a certain affinity for extreme horror films, I’ll also gladly confess to having limits. And from everything I’d read and heard about Pascal Laugier’s “Martyrs,” I felt pretty confident it would be in the minority of movies that would cross my tolerance threshold. So I consciously decided to skip “Martyrs,” and thus “The Tall Man” is my introduction to the director’s work. As sick and twisted as “Martyrs” may be, it’s impossible for me to believe it wouldn’t have made a better first impression than the director’s latest.
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by Warren Curry
8/16/2012
In the same tonal universe as, say, Neil LaBute’s “In the Company of Men,” Craig Zobel’s (”Great World of Sound”) second feature, “Compliance,” is a skillfully crafted, button-pushing movie. Based on a real incident — many of them, actually — “Compliance” is a harrowing examination of human psychology cracking under the influence/pressure of “authority.” This film is strategically designed to evoke a strong reaction from viewers, a goal it should have little trouble achieving.
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by Warren Curry
7/26/2012
As an avid music fan, I recall when the excellent Seattle reissue record label, Light in the Attic, re-released the two full-length albums by obscure, long-forgotten ’70s singer/songwriter, Rodriguez, in 2008 and 2009. As was the case when the records were first released well over 30 years earlier, the music press showered the recordings with praise. But whereas these records were met with commercial indifference upon their initial release, this time a segment of music fans were ready to appreciate Rodriguez’s music.
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by Warren Curry
7/23/2012
J.R. Sawyers’ “Nerve” has had success playing smaller festivals, and certainly features an intriguing character at its core. “Nerve” was obviously shot on a limited budget, yet that doesn’t stop Sawyers from attempting to make a stylized film despite the modest production values. His efforts result in a mixed bag.
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