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Jurgen Fauth & Marcy Dermansky

Independent Film

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The Best Movie Tumblrs

Monday February 13, 2012

400 Blows

Flavorwire rounds up the best tumblr blogs dedicated to the movies, including some of our favorites: the Criterion Collection, Awesome People Hanging Out Together, the mesmerizing If We Don't, Remember Me, and the must-follow Old Hollywood.

We'd add Silent Films, the Clara Bow archive, and Jürgen's own Tulpendiebe to that list, three blogs dedicated to, you've guessed it, the stars and films of silent cinema.

Let us know about your favorite movie tumblrs in the comments!

Review: In Darkness

Saturday February 11, 2012

In Darkness

Nominated for Best Foreign Film, Agnieszka Holland's In Darkness tells the story of a group of Jews who survived the Holocaust by spending 14 months living in sewers beneath the city of Lvov.

In his less than laudatory review, Jordan Hoffman writes: "Only hardest of hearts could ever watch a movie like In Darkness and not be moved." He vastly prefers the Academy Award nominated film The Separation out of Iran.

In Darkness opened in theaters this week. Read Jordan's review.

Review: Miss Bala

Thursday February 9, 2012

Film critic Jordan Hoffman tried and failed to muster enthusiasm for Gerardo Naranjo's earnest drama from MexicoMiss Bala (Fox International Productions). The film -- "laden with nobility" tells the story of beautiful Laura Guerrero (Stephanie Sigman) who finds herself at the wrong place at the wrong time. She enters the Miss Bala beauty contest, but her dreams of escape are thwarted when she stumbles into a gang ambush.

Miss Bala is currently playing in theaters. Read Jordan's review.


Review: Perfect Sense

Thursday February 9, 2012

Perfect Sense (IFC Films)

David McKenzie's dystopian love story Perfect Sense demands a lot from its audience.  Accept the film's premise and suspend your disbelief: the world is coming to an end and humans will lose their senses, one sense at time. In the midst of this crisis, a pair of tormented pair of lovers find each other and experience true love for the first time.

This would almost be preposterous except for the lovers, played with smoldering intensity by Eva Green and Ewan McGregor. Perfect Sense is currently playing in both theaters and on VOD. Read Marcy's review.

Sundance 2012 Awards

Tuesday January 31, 2012

Excision (Sundance Film Festival)

The 2012 Sundance Film Festival came to a close this weekend. Top winners at the awards ceremony were Beasts of the Southern Wild, which received the Grand Jury prize for drama,  and The House I Live In for documentary.

The complete list of winners at the fest.

Overlooked by the awards committee and the overall hype machine: Richard Bates, Jr.'s Excision. See why Jordan Hoffman fell "absolutely over-the-moon in love" with this indie film.

Sundance Review: Red Hook Summer

Tuesday January 31, 2012

Red Hook Summer

Spike Lee's new film Red Hook Summer has been lauded a his  "return to his roots" film. Financed by the director and shot in under 25 days, the film was one of the most talked about at this year's Sundance Film Festival.

There have been pans by both critics and fans, some of them furious. Jordan Hoffman agrees that Red Hook Summer is a "difficult" film -- but also doesn't care.  "If you have a love for large, messy tapestry movies," he writes,  "With high highs and low lows, Red Hook Summer is essential viewing. Read Jordan's review.


Review: Haywire

Friday January 20, 2012

Gina Carano in Haywire

Jordan Hoffman has seen the first superhero movie of 2012 and it is Steven Soderbergh's Haywire. It stars the Mixed Martial Arts champion/future household name Gina Carano. It's the greatest belated Christmas gift in years.

Michael Douglas and Ewan McGregor co-star in the latest treat from our of our most versatile filmmakers. Haywire opens in theaters today. Read our review.

Review: We Need To Talk About Kevin

Friday January 13, 2012

We Need To Talk About Kevin (Oscillope Pictures)

The mother of a teenage boy who went on a high-school killing spree tries to deal with her grief - and feelings of responsibility for her child's actions. The remarkable Tilda Swinton stars in Scottish filmmmaker Lynne Ramsay's adaptation of Lionel Shriver's best-stelling novel We Need To Talk About Kevin.

We Need To Talk About Kevin is currently playing in theaters. Read Jordan's review.

Review: Young Adult

Tuesday January 10, 2012

Young Adult (Paramount Pictures)

Director Jason Reitman and screenwriter Diablo Cody hit it big in 2007 with Juno, the story of a pregnant teen and her unborn baby's potential adoptive parents. Now, the two have teamed up again for Young Adult, the story of Mavis Gary, a ghostwriter for a young adult book series, who abandons her wrecked life in Minneapolis to travel back to her small hometown to win back her high school sweetheart, Billy Slade. Charlize Theron gives her all to portray the unlikable, failed seducer.

Now playing in theaters, Young Adult co-stars Patton Oswalt, Patrick Wilson, Elizabeth Reaser, and Collette Wolfe. Read Beck Ireland's review.

Review: Pariah

Friday December 30, 2011

Pariah

Dee Ree's debut film Pariah tells the story of Alike, a seventeen-year-old African American teen in Brooklyn coming to terms with her identity.  There simply isn't enough praise in the world for Adepero Oduye, writes Jordan Hoffman. The young actress was nominated for an Independent Spirit award.

Read Jordan's review.

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