The opening scene of Unsane, recalls two distinct things with no dialog: in a long, handheld POV shot (the movie was shot on an iPhone); it homages the opening credits' style of sleazy, early Hollywood suspense pictures (such as Detour or Decoy), and director Steven Soderbergh's distinct, organic use of color temperature in his mise en scène is … Continue reading “Unsane” Less Can Make For More… [Must-Watch]
John Huston and the American Asshole…
"Hey, mister, would you stake a fellow American to a meal?" The first thing we learn about a bearded and battered Humphrey Bogart, in John Huston’s cinematic masterpiece, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, is that he’s a liar, a beggar and a con artist – a guy down on his luck just trying to scrape by … Continue reading John Huston and the American Asshole…
When Dogs Are Painted Less Alien Than Asians…
Random Disclaimer: the following essay contains spoilers for the television series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine... As a creator, when you’re responsible for representing a culture that is alien to you, sometimes, you need someone closer to said culture to tug on your leash a little tighter. The other day, at Wondercon down in Anaheim; I saw in … Continue reading When Dogs Are Painted Less Alien Than Asians…
‘Columbus’ : Kogonada’s Paradox of Discourse…
A fence sits between the Asian and the American. They begin to talk and the camera tracks with them, a composition that's staged like a modern inversion of the swing-set scene out of On the Waterfront. The take continues as they walk side by side from opposite sides of the fence. Eventually they reach an open gateway and meet with nothing dividing the space between them. The camera movement stops when they do.
Projector of Feelings 