“The delightful byproduct of living in a post-Girls pop-culture-verse is that even if you don’t care for Lena Dunham, or if you find her creative output too preciously self-effacing (or self-aware, or self-interested, or any other self-[blank] adjective you can muster), her influence is likely to inspire other media that does tickle your fancy. Case … Continue reading
It’s the last “Films By Women” piece of 2018! I bet you’re pretty bummed. But it’s okay; there’ll be other lists soon. Like, “in a month” soon. We’re already getting our 2019 watching underway over here in Andy Crump land. (There is no “we.” I am using the royal “we.” It’s my blog! I … Continue reading
Boy, 2015 has been a fabulous year for film. This, of course, is true of most years, so long as you are willing to step outside of your comfort zone and seek out releases from off the beaten path. But it’s especially true of 2015, which doesn’t require viewers to stray too far from their … Continue reading
This post is late. Every hip critic on the web has already published a top ten for the year despite the fact that 2015 is only half over and going through the ranking rigmarole every fall is enough of a pain in the ass on its own without having to do the same song and … Continue reading
While I doubt most of us can claim to come from the same circumstances as Mia, the rough-around-the-edges protagonist of Andrea Arnold’s 2009 coming-of-age film Fish Tank, I’m sure most of us can at least empathize on a spiritual or philosophical level with her eventual need to reach for something better in her life. That … Continue reading
Categorizing Ti West’s The Innkeepers accurately seems tricky at a glance; is it a horror film with comedy elements, or the other way around? Invariably, the film falls under the horror umbrella without much debate but its blend of scares, charm and laughter makes it a genre standout among more recent haunted house fare. Dread … Continue reading
Full disclosure: I took a break from writing about The Walking Dead last week entirely due to Cherokee Rose being so utterly boring. When TV critics raise eyebrows at the progression of the series, it’s precisely due to the sloppy writing and pacing running rampant through 2.4; very literally, nothing happens throughout the entire forty minute block that … Continue reading
(Author’s foreword: The following essay draws inspiration from Rob Ager’s excellent two-part series on Youtube regarding Childs’ status at the end of John Carpenter’s The Thing. The two clips can be found here and here. My intention as author of this piece is to argue for the film’s place in overarching cinematic canon, and to … Continue reading
Director Noah Baumbach (The Squid and the Whale, Margot At the Wedding) is no stranger to awkward family dynamics; for him, it’s well-tread territory that he’s obviously and contradictorily comfortable exploring in his cinema. Which, for some, might make his latest effort, Greenberg, feel somewhat effortless and even slight considering the source. After all, he’s done it … Continue reading
Now THAT’S how you close out a series. Or not. Animation giant Pixar’s requisite annual release, Toy Story 3, ends with a final sequence that potentially gives the company the option of producing a fourth entry in their flagship franchise– let’s face it, no characters in the Pixar family are more iconic and immediately recognized … Continue reading
This fall, NBC will introduce another addition to their Thursday line-up with workplace situation comedy series Outsourced. (Which also marks the third entry in said genre on their schedule. Take that as you will.) Outsourced appears to have its roots firmly entrenched in the comedy of programs like Britain’s mockumentary masterpiece The Office, as well … Continue reading
A Constant Visual Feast 