Side Shots Film Blog

Side Shots Film Blog is a movie review blog from Identity Theory managed by Matthew Sorrento. Subscribe: RSS | Email

The Freestyle Art of Suzuki – Branded to Kill (1967) and Toyko Drifter (1966)

By Matthew Sorrento | Published: April 5, 2012

Suzuki’s approach adheres to Godard’s dictum that all one needs for a movie is a girl and a gun.

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Listening to The Conversation

By David C. Ryan | Published: March 10, 2012

Critics have missed some thematic points that are worth exploring to further illustrate the worthiness of Coppola’s still-undervalued character study.

Further Thoughts on Howard Hawks’ Scarface (and In Praise of Robin Wood)

By Matthew Sorrento | Published: February 3, 2012

As Wood noted frequently, genre is largely based on ideology; it’s fostered through popular entertainment and in the film, directly stated by the chief.

Posted in Side Shots Film Blog | Tagged Scarface | Leave a comment

Black Death, Lost in its Own Darkness

By Matthew Sorrento | Published: December 19, 2011

As in life, some promises are hard to keep onscreen. This is true in the case of Walter Hill’s cult pic The Warriors.

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Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead…Until a Second Act Prize

By Matthew Sorrento | Published: December 4, 2011

The food science/health documentary Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead makes the filmmaker-subject motif – in which the man behind the camera spends as much time in front of it – appear to be the norm.

Posted in Side Shots Film Blog | Tagged Documentaries, Food | Leave a comment

Film Essay: The Natural Supernaturalism of the 13 Assassins

By David C. Ryan | Published: November 14, 2011

At a fundamental level, 13 Assassins dramatically illustrates the deadly nature of conflicting political loyalties.

Posted in Side Shots Film Blog | Tagged 13 Assassins, Daisuke Tengan, Takashi Miike | 9 Responses

Director Alexander Payne Retrospective in Philadelphia

By Matthew Sorrento | Published: November 9, 2011

Sadly, it’s been a while for Alexander Payne.

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The Casual Other: Behind Minor John Hughes

By Matthew Sorrento | Published: November 7, 2011

John Hughes’ rise has been well documented.

Posted in Side Shots Film Blog | Tagged Comedy, John Hughes | Leave a comment

A Dark Moment For Louis Malle: Black Moon on DVD

By Matthew Sorrento | Published: September 27, 2011

A Fellini moment was due for a journeyman director like Louis Malle.

Posted in Side Shots Film Blog | Tagged DVD Reviews, Louis Malle | Leave a comment

Film Book Review: Shade Rupe’s Dark Stars Rising: Conversations from the Outer Realms

By Mike Wood | Published: September 20, 2011

No one would argue with calling this massive, invaluable tome “exhaustive,” though there might be a few who would squawk with using the word “definitive.”

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DVD Review: The Exterminator

By Mike Wood | Published: September 3, 2011

One of the first exploitation films to be shown endlessly during the early days of cable, 1980’s The Exterminator is also one of the more grim entries in the genre. Gory, jaded and ambivalent on the merits of the vigilante, it anticipated Bernard Goetz by a few years.

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Review: The Names of Love

By Matthew Sorrento | Published: August 21, 2011

Picture this: a secluded scientist waits in a checkout line for his new love interest to return with an item. An unusual pickup for him, she had invaded his radio interview about bird flu (he’s an expert) and then asked him to bed when they had drinks.

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