Review: "Under the Silver Lake" is a Flawed Masterpiece

Scene from Under the Silver Lake

The existence of director David Robert Mitchell's follow-up to It Follows has a history just as confounding as the plot. Under the Silver Lake is a film that played at Cannes, and had a winter release planned stateside. It was nothing too out of the ordinary until many criticized the plot into an editing frenzy that only saw it released in Europe (by the time it was on home video, it was still months away from the U.S. release). For a follow-up to a film that is regarded as premiere horror of the decade, Mitchell's post-modernist take on Millennials and neo-noir being dumped on V.O.D. platforms feels both fitting and disappointing. It was always going to be a confounding sell, but what's keeping it from a middling box office that legitimizes its inevitable cult status? The film may be all but gone from the public radar, but hopefully, its second act (its release) is just as true to the film and slowly unwinds into something bigger and crazier. For all of its flaws and wound-up insanity, Under the Silver Lake is one of the most delightful, deranged, hilarious odes to Los Angeles absurdism since Inherent Vice. Its answers may disappoint you, but that's kind of the point. It's a film lacking meaning as it finds it, and that's part of its frustrating charm.

A24 A-to-Z: #64. "Backstabbing for Beginners" (2018)

Scene from Backstabbing for Beginners

In case you didn't know, A24 is one of the great purveyors of modern cinema. Since 2013, the studio has found a way to innovate independent cinema by turning each release into an event. As a result, A24 A-to-Z will be an ongoing series that looks at every release from the studio by analyzing its production history, release, criticisms, and any awards attention that it might've received. Join me on a quest to explore the modern heroes of cinema by exploring every hit and miss that comes with that magnificent logo. They may not all be great, but they more than make A24 what it is and what it will hopefully continue to be for years to come.

Ranking the Films of Bob Fosse

Scene from All That Jazz

There have been few in the world of Broadway who has matched the massive talent (and ego) of Bob Fosse. While he's best known for reinventing theater, he also left behind an impressive filmography that saw him reinvent both the movie musical and typical drama by adding social commentary that was biting and manic. With the TV series Fosse/Verdon coming tomorrow to highlight his illustrious life, it only feels right to look back on such an odd career. The following is a ranking of his five features (and one live show) that he directed and often choreographed to better fit his vision. There hasn't been a choreographer (or director for that matter) like Fosse, and his work speaks for itself. So get out your jazz hands and dance along.

An Open Letter from The Oscar Buzz

Scene from Marty

Hello, one and all. It's been a while since I last spoke on here. As per usual, I take the month following The Academy Awards ceremony off in order to pursue other projects and think about other things, including what's to come for the next 11 months of coverage. The good news is that I have more of the same planned. While I'll admit that the blog has been whittle down to its core essentials in recent years, it's with all hope that I still cover the important things when I can. So, what do I have in store for the immediate future? You can read on and find out what I'll be doing before the season starts picking up again.