2 Best Releases From Exhibit A Pictures Studio

Alexandre O. Phillippe's latest essay film shows the links between the Hollywood classic and Hollywood's greatest weirdo. (This review is part of our coverage of the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival.) When David Lynch’s twisted road movie Wild at Heart was released in 1990, many observers commented on the number of references to The Wizard of Oz that he worked throughout the picture, right down to a last-minute appearance by none other than Glinda the Good Witch herself. At the time, this was written off by many as just one more peculiarity in a film filled with them. Continue Reading →

Alexandre O. Philippe sits down for a long, insightful chat with the legendary filmmaker in Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist. (This review is part of our coverage of the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.) Memory: The Origins of Alien, Doc of the Dead, The People vs. George Lucas -- Alexandre O. Philippe has built quite the reputation as a chronicler of the history and sociology of genre film. His documentaries hew more toward the style of the cinematic essay, straightforward but insightful interrogations of his subjects rather than narratively-structured tales in their own right. Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist is no exception: from a distance, it's less of a fully-featured documentary in its own right and more the kind of bonus feature you'd find on an Exorcist Blu-ray. But within those confines, there's plenty of insight to be found, both on the film it's discussing and on the sensibilities of one of Hollywood's most idiosyncratic (and old-school) directors. Continue Reading →