Marion Cotillard and Jeremy Renner in James Gray's upcoming film Lowlife

Most Anticipated of 2013

Those who claim there aren't any good films being released these days might finally be silenced in 2013. On Wednesday, Indiewire published an incredibly extensive list of the most exciting films set to unspool this year, and it's only the first of a two-part list! In today's gathering of 50 films, you'll find a plethora of new works from some of the more exciting voices in dramatic cinema, with Thursday's list more focused on genre pieces. Such an immense list makes it hard to spotlight a few, but we can say we are pumped for new films from the likes of Sofia Coppola, the Coen brothers, James Gray, Kelly Reichardt, and many, many more. 

New Year's Resolutions

Along with its preview of the New Year, Indiewire has some film-centric resolutions for 2013 from various members of independent film industry. Among those included is our very own Eugene Hernandez, who quite simply hopes to “continue searching. Keep listening to hear new voices, ideas and approaches.” 


West of Memphis

The Team Behind West of Memphis

At Keyframe, Jonathan Marlow spoke with director Amy Berg and producers Damien Echols, and Lorri Davis: the team behind current Film Society New Release West of Memphis. Amy Berg's stunning documentary focuses on the failings of the judicial system as evidenced by the wrongfully accused West Memphis Three. One of three accused, Damien Echols notes that to correct such a broken machine, people need to be actively committed to such cases. “You can have all the evidence in the world that’s pointing towards your innocence and they will still kill you and sweep it under the rug if the outside world isn’t paying attention. The evidence itself is only fifty percent of the fight.”

Criterion Collection Teases 2013 Slate

On the first day of 2013, Criterion Collection released a cryptic drawing that might hint at some of their upcoming releases for this year. There's a man hanging from a clock. Could that mean we will get a Criterion-approved release of the classic silent comedy Safety Last? There's a woman holding a bag of candy. Might we be lucky enough to see a release of Mike Leigh's Life is Sweet? Take a look yourself and make your own guesses!


Jamie Foxx in Django Unchained

A Response to Spike Lee's Response to Django Unchained

As evidenced by the box office returns, it seems that many of us made a point during the holiday break to go out and see Quentin Tarantino's newest film, Django Unchained. Yet, some have been outspoken in their remarks against the film in its dealing with racism and what many deem an excessive use of racial slurs. Perhaps the most notable detractor is Spike Lee, who has openly refused to see the film, which he feels is “disrespectful of his ancestors.” Writing for Press Play, Steven Boone compared the two controversial filmmakers, both of whom have a “Sam Fuller tendency to go all-caps, tabloid large when staging bits of provocation that would be juicy all on their own. But,” Boone continues, “let's just lay it on the table: Tarantino is the better filmmaker, by many miles. His ability to organize screen time and space is more assured and rhythmic than Spike's generally antsy, grab-bag approach.”