Living in Oblivion is a 1990s indie movie about 1990s indie movies. Writer/director Tom DiCillo never joined the ranks of Tarantino, Smith or Soderbergh, but he excelled at skewering the disappointments, pretension and dysfunction of the film biz. Anyone who has struggled against adversity to realize their artistic vision, or to get through any kind of collaborative project, will likely find a lot to appreciate in this movie. Continue reading
The Toxic Avenger is a grotesquely violent and outrageously campy splatterfest that should not be seen by anyone with any sense of decency or good taste. This is the film that essentially launched Troma Entertainment, the legendary schlockmeisters who brought you Poultrygeist, Class of Nuke’Em High, and the South Park crew’s very first foray into film, Cannibal: The Musical! Any film responsible for all that is worth a watch. Continue reading
If you’re looking for a smart and character-driven thriller, check out Sound of My Voice. The plot centers on two aspiring documentarians who infiltrate a secretive cult to expose it, only for one of the filmmakers to start falling under the sway of the cult’s enigmatic leader. Things get weird. Continue reading
The Double is a pitch-black comedy written and directed by Richard Ayoade, whom you might remember as Moss from The IT Crowd. The film stars Jessie Eisenberg in a dual role as a timid office drone and his exact physical doppelganger who has all the charisma and daring he lacks. While the presentation is delightfully surreal and often campy, the film packs some pretty heavy themes of isolation, paranoia and depression that give it a powerful dramatic core. Continue reading
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