Each year, hundreds of films are released into theaters in the United States (nearly 700 in 2014, according to the records at Box Office Mojo), encompassing everything from giant blockbusters to micro-budgeted indie releases. As Rochesterians, we’re pretty lucky to have some fantastic independent movie theaters which are dedicated to bringing arthouse films to local […]
Dryden Theatre
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Film Review: “A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence”
Described by Swedish director Roy Andersson as the third part in his trilogy of films about “being a human being,” the surreal “A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence” is a comedy for existentialists. The film unfolds as a series of vignettes (ranging from one to 10 minutes), filmed in a single, static […]
Posted inMovies
Film Review: “A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence”
Described by Swedish director Roy Andersson as the third part in his trilogy of films about “being a human being,” the surreal “A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence” is a comedy for existentialists. The film unfolds as a series of vignettes (ranging from one to 10 minutes), filmed in a single, static […]
Posted inMovies
Dan Sallitt’s “family films”
Creative types are usually at ease discussing the artistic process and where that process places them within the context of “the scene,” but every artist I’ve ever interviewed has always shied away from speculating about his or her future importance to the art form. That is, until I met Brooklyn independent filmmaker Dan Sallitt, whose […]
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This festival is dangerous
If you’re not a cinema history buff, it’s entirely possible that you’re unfamiliar with nitrate film. If you’ve heard of it at all, you’re probably most aware of the format’s notorious tendency to catch fire and burn down movie theaters. And over the years, nitrate’s volatile reputation has only grown, thanks to memorable scenes of […]
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Rochester International Film Festival 2014
Always a highlight of my annual film-going calendar, The Rochester International Film Festival — better known as “Movies On a Shoestring” — returns to its home at the Dryden Theatre this week. Boasting the auspicious title of “The world’s oldest, continuously held short film festival,” the RIFF presents four programs of shorts over the course […]
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2013 Rochester International Film Festival
I’ve always loved the short-film format. I’m impressed and awed by a filmmaker’s ability to tell a complete, self-contained, and satisfying story in a condensed period of time. Feature-length films have the benefit of taking their time, enveloping you in the story they’re setting out to tell. Short films, by necessity, must hook you instantly. […]
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“Planet of Snail”
“Planet of Snail” is the final presentation in the Dryden Theatre’s “Cinema Guild” series, which has screened a wide-ranging selection of recent movies from the foreign and independent film distributor, and it’s as sweet and life-affirming a film as you could ever wish to see. The South Korean documentary, from director Yi Seung-jin, offers a […]
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“The Gatekeepers”
In the Oscar-nominated documentary “The Gatekeepers,” a gripping recounting of the history of the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Israeli filmmaker Dror Moreh has achieved a remarkable feat. Not only in creating a powerful, passionate, and clear-eyed examination of an exceedingly complex subject, but in miraculously convincing all six surviving former heads of Shin Bet, Israel’s secret […]
