Author: Juan Barquin

Kiss of the Damned 0

Kiss of the Damned

Xan Cassavetes’ feature debut is a classy little throwback to the seventies that doesn’t exactly rise from a dead story.

6

Upstream Color

Shane Carruth delivers a sophomore feature that’s an emotional powerhouse with as much metaphysical prowess as any Malick or Tarkovsky film.

1

Lords of Salem, The

Rob Zombie’s attempt to make a film with truly nightmarish qualities fails with a lame narrative and a poor grip on good surrealism.

2

Maniac (2012)

Franck Khalfoun mixes the sleekness of modern French cinema with the good old-fashioned low budget horror of the eighties.

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Pain & Gain

Michael Bay may have finally made a fun and self-aware film, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t still stuffed full of tasteless comedy.

3

Waltz with Bashir

Waltz with Bashir melds together documentary and narrative in order to present this disassociation between memory and reality for veterans long after the war.

2

Host, The (2013)

Even with a solid concept to work with, Andrew Niccol does nothing to improve Stephenie Meyer’s messy and boring tale of aliens and kissing.