Matt writes: One of the most praised films on RogerEbert.com this year has been David Lowery's audacious and unforgettable "A Ghost Story," reuniting the director with his "Ain't Them Bodies Saints" stars Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck. Brian Tallerico praised the picture upon his initial viewing of it at Sundance, and programmed it as the closing night selection at this year's Chicago Critics' Film Festival, where it played to a packed house. Tallerico later interviewed Lowery for the site, while Matt Zoller Seitz awarded the film four stars. Also worth a look is Noah Gittel's recent essay on Lowery and the "cinema of narrative displacement."

Continue reading →

View image Duct tape: Effective in an emergency or no?

My review of "The Signal" is at RogerEbert.com. Here's an excerpt:

A few things we can learn from the experimental horror-comedy "The Signal":

1. Do not live in a place called "Terminus." There's no future in it.

2. If your cable goes out, don't stare at the mesmerizing static, just turn off the TV.

3. Do not put on headphones and listen to music while strolling down the corridor in your apartment building if it's strewn with freshly slaughtered corpses, especially if madmen with garden shears are also present.

4. It doesn't hurt to wear a tinfoil hat sometimes.

That first one is a given. The second one you should already know from life experience and from movies like "Videodrome" and the Japanese horror film "Ringu" ("The Ring"). The third one you should know from every zombie or slasher movie ever made, and besides it's common sense. And the fourth, well, that's just a bonus tip that could come in handy someday.

Continue reading →