1976

Horrific Inquiry: THE OMEN (1976)
Horrific Inquiry: THE OMEN (1976)

With Easter just around the corner, it felt like the perfect time to check The Omen off my list.

Horrific Inquiry: CARRIE (1976)

Grounded by the incredible performance of Sissy Spacek and the masterful direction of De Palma, Carrie is a horror masterpiece that defies convention.

In the Realm of the Senses: Pretentious Pornography? Or Something More
In the Realm of the Senses: Pretentious Pornography? Or Something More

Overall it may fall short, but In the Realm of the Senses is a beautiful-looking film with a calming yet haunting score that touches on some urgent themes.

DONA FLOR AND HER TWO HUSBANDS: Revisiting An Erotic Comedy Classic
DONA FLOR AND HER TWO HUSBANDS: Revisiting An Erotic Comedy Classic

There’s no time like the present to revisit Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands and be reminded that Sonia Braga is one of cinema’s brightest-ever stars.

JE T’AIME MOI NON PLUS: A Serge Gainsbourg Ode to Sex, Love & Jane Birkin
JE T’AIME MOI NON PLUS: A Serge Gainsbourg Ode to Sex, Love & Jane Birkin

Je T’Aime Moi Non Plus is another fitting example of what made Serge Gainsbourg such a unique and, yes, controversial talent.

Video Dispatches: MIKEY AND NICKY & Two Films By Joseph H. Lewis

In Video Dispatches we cover recent home video releases. This week, My Name is Julia Ross (1945), So Dark the Night (1946), and Mikey And Nicky (1976).

CARRIE: On Bullying, Revenge And Female Taboos

Carrie is a movie inspired by one of Stephen King’s first novels, a dark story mixed with dramatic notes, where all the uncertainties and fears of adolescence, such as the problem of being different in a society that does not forgive, are transformed into anger and the desire for revenge. The movie was directed by Brian De Palma in 1976, but I believe it is a timeless story; indeed there have been many remakes, the last one in 2013 by Kimberly Peirce, setting it in a modern context. De Palma’s film, which can be considered a cult classic, shows the daily life of teenagers at an American high school and explores the theme of bullying deeply, adding some gory scenes towards the end.