Mel Brooks, Antifascist Filmmaker
Now 100 years old, the legendary comedy director has lampooned and skewered racists, and his work holds up better than most “politically incorrect” humor.
Articles by Ciara Moloney
“Dogme 95” Changed the Way We Look at Movies
Shot with handheld cameras and no lighting, music, or special effects, “Dogme” films are the exact opposite of today’s blockbusters. That’s what makes them great.
The Surprisingly Progressive Erotic Films of Russ Meyer
Meyer was often condemned as a peddler of cinematic sleaze, and he was. But he was also a brilliant filmmaker, ahead of his time on sex and gender.
The Secret History of the Left-Wing Western
Not every film about “cowboys and Indians” is as reactionary as the genre’s reputation might suggest.
Everyone Should Watch Andrea Arnold’s “Cow”
By showing the lives of cows on their own terms, Arnold’s 2021 film reveals the depth of the dairy industry’s violence.
The Surprisingly Complicated Politics of Richard Burton
On the surface, “Mr. Burton” looks like just another celebrity biopic. But the legendary actor’s life tells us a lot about class, empire, and sexuality in the 20th century.
The Forgotten Classics of Michael Cimino
The profit-obsessed Hollywood machine killed Cimino’s career, but films like “Thunderbolt and Lightfoot” and “Heaven’s Gate” are well worth revisiting.
The Art of Ambition
Donald Trump is such a strange figure that it’s easy to treat him like a cartoon. 'The Apprentice' shows his evil as fundamentally, and terrifyingly, human.