Julie Dash’s Daughters of the Dust (1991) is a groundbreaking and timeless film. It was the first feature film directed by an African-American woman distributed theatrically in the United States. It was a visual and artistic triumph, earning a Best Cinematography award at Sundance for Director of Photography Arthur Jafa.…
I have been waiting to talk about Charles Burnett’s Killer of Sheep (1978) for a long time. I first recommended it all the way back in episode 005. In my estimation, it’s one of the most important American films ever made, independent or otherwise. It’s a moving document of a…
Have you had anyone in your life like the title character from Toni Erdmann (Ade, 2016)? A family member, a friend’s dad, a work colleague? And are you still traumatized? All kidding aside, writer/director Maren Ade, along with her actors Sandra Hüller and Peter Simonischek, delves deeply into the complexities of…
It’s our first show of 2021 and we want to wish everyone a happy new year! To get things off on the right foot, I wanted to choose something special for this first episode of the year. I hope you’ll agree that I’ve found it. In the spirit of magic,…
Welcome to Ants In Your Pants of 2020! It’s our sixth annual episode in which we reflect on our favorite film discoveries of the past year. We are so glad you joined us for this episode, as it was certainly a very different year for cinema-watching adventures. As always, our…
Spirited Away (Miyazaki, 2001) truly represents a vision of one person – its director, writer, producer, and animator Hayao Miyazaki. Miyazaki, the most prolific creator at Japan’s Studio Ghibli, was inspired by the 10-year-old daughter of a friend to bring to life a young heroine whom other young girls could…
It’s been a long year. I know. So, with that in mind, we are spending the last couple of entries this year on beloved family favorites. We need to laugh and breathe a little easier. So, who better to help us with that than Jim Henson and company? The Great…
How much do your surroundings affect you? Do they bring out your latent desires, amplify them, or inspire them? In Black Narcissus (Powell, Pressburger, 1947), each character seems to be escaping from a difficult past that they are ultimately unable to outrun. Their own hearts and souls are undiscovered countries.…
It’s Día de Muertos today, The Day of the Dead, and we could think of no better way to observe the occasion than to sing the praises of Roberto Gavaldón’s otherworldly parable, Macario (1960). Set against the backdrop of one of Mexico’s most holy days, the titular character, Macario, wants…
It’s that most wonderful time of the year again! In this episode, The Magic Jack O’Lantern 2020, we once again bring you our list of viewing tricks and treats to celebrate the season. We watched one Halloween inspired title every day in October and now pass the list and our…