i luv cinema

Last Minute Holiday Gift Ideas for Cinéastes

The holiday shopping season is coming down to the wire. This year, I thought I would compile a list of items you can get right now for that movie lover in your life – all by simply punching in credit card details. Note: most of the subscription services come with a 7, 14 and sometimes 30-day trial – just in case you would like to check them out for yourself … (more…)

Last Night in Soho (2021)

For the past couple of months, it appeared that the world was ‘calming’ down and leveling off to some sort of ‘normal’. More fool me. In that brief moment, it calmed down just enough to where I felt safe going to a movie theater. The chosen beneficiary of my renewed confidence? Edgar Wright‘s latest release – Last Night in Soho. Was it worth the trip? Scroll down and read on to find out! But…

Depending on your personal family history, a story like the one told in the 2021 film Passing will not be revelatory. In fact, there are more than a few broken branches in my own family tree telling a similarly themed story. Passing is the directorial debut of British actor Rebecca Hall and based on the 1929 Nella Larsen novel of the same name. Hall also adapted the screenplay. Passing premiered…

Neo Noir? A “Klute” + “In the Cut” Double Feature Review

Browsing Criterion Channel’s vast collection is almost enough to take up a great portion of your day. More recently, I took advantage of the extra hour granted to us and indulged in a little Sunday morning Double Feature of Klute and In the Cut – two films, 30 years apart – and asked myself many questions. Chief among them: are these noir? The prior (Klute) was always a film that I had wanted to…

TCM Film Festival (TCMFF) 2021-ILC Picks #TCMFF

Cutting it kind of close, but here is a pretty comprehensive list of the TCM Film Festival I am looking forward to. The lists are divided by virtual venue – programming which will be broadcast on the TCM network as well as the TCM curated section of the streaming service HBO Max (requires a subscription). All times are EST. You can even participate in a Club TCM event (access subject to…

Check out Part II: Loving Movies in the Time of COVID (II)

Second in a Two-Part Series In the previous installment of “Loving Movies in the Time of COVID,” I spoke broadly about how living in this time of COVID has impacted my movie-loving life. Now. I would like to dive a little deeper into how the pandemic has affected film festival-going. Here is my personal account of some of the creative ways my favorite festivals adjusted to the times. (more…)

It’s the Holiday Season (2020 Giving Guide)

Not that this is a holiday season tradition per se, but typically when I compose a post like this, I scour the internet in search of cool, movie-themed or adjacent gift giving items that would warm the heart of any cinephile.

For 2020, I decided to put together a list of some organizations which could probably use an extra helping hand around this time of year. Some you may have heard of,…

Read on: Loving Movies in the Time of COVID, Part One of a Two Part Series (a short essay) #iluvcinema #streamingservices #streamingmovies #movies #cinema

Part One of a Two-Part Series

It’s a weird thing. Generally, I consider myself rather introverted and balk at most opportunities to go out and socialize … and yet, during this near 9 month stretch of lockdown/isolation, I have found myself reflecting pretty hard on that idea. Especially when it comes to going to the movies – which, in the time of COVID, is not a thing.

The last film I saw…

Some thoughts on the Netflix release of Rebecca (2020) via iluvcinema.com

For Starters …

My history with Rebecca (in print and on screen) goes back … way back to the early 1990s when my academic and cinematic worlds collided. You see, I was in the early days of my classic movie journey/obsession and was immediately drawn to the works of the Master of Suspense himself, one Alfred Hitchcock.

From early on, I was determined to go through his entire filmography in…

And ... we're back! Check out my latest post: A Movie Lover’s Look at "Women Make Film" (TCM, 2020)

Introduction

From the earliest days of cinema, women were present, and often front and center. Filmmakers such as Alice Guy Blaché and Lois Webberwere recognized as artists worthy of praise in their own right, even in the face of discrimination. Eventually and unsurprisingly, the inequities they faced in society and in the industry took greater hold, leaving theirs and countless other names as…

TCM Classic Film Festival 2020 Pre-Game #TCMCFF #TCMCFF2020 #TCMFF

Right about now, I should be in sunny California with nary a thought in the world, save for the the anticipation which comes from my love of classic cinema. You see, this week (April 16-19) marks what would have been a part of my annual trip to Hollywood, USA for the TCM Classic Film Festival. Click here and check out my coverage in years past.

Sadly (but wisely) the activities had to be…

What I've Been Watching @criterionchannel

Sadly, the winter months are pretty hit or miss when it comes to visiting your local cinema. Of course, there are awards-considered re-releases capitalizing on their critical success. But considering that many of these films are also available for home viewing, it is less likely that I would venture out to see them. And thanks to streaming, there is always something to watch.

(more…)

Birds of Prey is A-OK

At the time of posting, I am not even sure what the title of Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) will be. Ultimately something so superficial should not even matter. Because at the end of the day, Birds of Prey turned out to a pretty entertaining (and a bit violent) DCEU entry.

Clocking in at a relatively tight 1 hour 49 minutes (especially by contemporary…

The Aeronauts (2019) was Fun (Kinda)

In looking back at 2019, The Aeronauts was definitely one of my movie (not) going regrets. While I missed the LFF premiere and subsequent limited theatrical run, I was able to take full advantage of my Amazon Prime membership and catch up.

Altogether, while I had problems with some of the story decisions, thanks to some solid lead performances and awesome and evocative photography, this is a…

2019 in Film: A Look Back

2019 was an interesting year in film to say the very least. Overall, I enjoyed the films I saw this year. This in large part is due to a more deliberate self-selection on my part. In other words, I am more likely to go see a film I feel I am more likely to enjoy.

A lot of it is also down to timing and my own shifting priorities. In addition, the shifting landscape of content distribution and…

The ILC Holiday Gift Guide for Movie Lovers

To all my peeps Stateside, I hope you had an absolutely lovely Thanksgiving Day that you were able to spend with those nearest and dearest. While there have been indications SINCE October, it really is not until we wrap up this holiday weekend that we are immediately and fully thrust into the fray of the holiday shopping season. YAY!

(more…)

Looking for something to do this holiday weekend? Check out "Knives Out." Read my review of one of this year's best! @iluvcinema #KnivesOut

With several callbacks to a favored genre of mine – the Agatha Christie-inspired murder-mystery, Knives Out is a personal standout for 2019. It was definitely a favorite of my LFF 2019 experience.

The family says “hi” (more…)