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filmmaker of the month

Joel Schumacher took a baffling trip into occult horror in “Blood Creek”

Blood Creek
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Despite its future A-list cast & spooky atmosphere, “Blood Creek” is an incoherent misstep for the versatile director.

Gena Radcliffe Posted on July 25, 2020July 24, 2020

“Phantom of the Opera” is a series of dull notes

The Phantom of the Opera
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Joel Schumacher inexplicably drained Andrew Lloyd Webber’s legendary Broadway musical of every bit of its camp and queerness.

Oluwatayo Adewole Posted on July 25, 2020July 24, 2020

“Tigerland” looks at the pre-war pain of young (and talented) men

Tigerland
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Joel Schumacher’s sensitive wartime drama gives the world Colin Farrell and explores the painful tribulations of young men waiting for war.

Michael Frank Posted on July 22, 2020July 22, 2020

“Batman and Robin” struggled under the weight of its own excess

Batman & Robin
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Joel Schumacher’s second go at the Batman franchise has its undeniable charms, but relied too much on tired stereotypes.

Andrea Thompson Posted on July 18, 2020July 17, 2020

“Falling Down” is a sizzling portrait of white male rage

Falling Down
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From Rodney King to Donald Trump, Michael Douglas’ D-FENS remains the pluperfect case study for white grievance politics.

Clint Worthington Posted on July 17, 2020July 17, 2020

Schumacher puts character over tension in “The Client”

The Client
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Joel Schumacher’s ninth feature adapts John Grisham’s usual action nonsense with depth & sensitivity.

Tim Stevens Posted on July 14, 2020July 14, 2020

“The Lost Boys” was horror for an overlooked audience

The Lost Boys
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Joel Schumacher’s fun, stylish take on teen vampires both ushered in “MTV horror” & acknowledged young female horror fans.

Gena Radcliffe Posted on July 8, 2020July 7, 2020

“St. Elmo’s Fire” is a study in terrible people that sometimes works

St. Elmo's Fire
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The Brat Pack-era drama about callow college graduates is worth a watch, if you can tolerate its awful characters.

Justin Harrison Posted on July 7, 2020July 6, 2020

Joel Schumacher starts small with “The Incredible Shrinking Woman”

Incredible Shrinking Woman
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Schumacher’s directorial debut is a silly, messy take on the restrictive gender roles of women in the household.

Peter Sobczynski Posted on July 6, 2020July 6, 2020

July’s Filmmaker of the Month: Joel Schumacher

Joel Schumacher
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In light of his passing, we look at the eclectic work of the man who loved camp, callousness, and everything in between.

Matt Cipolla Posted on July 2, 2020August 3, 2020

“The Sea of Trees” saw talented artists set adrift

The Sea of Trees
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Matthew McConaughey wasted a performance in Gus Van Sant’s most disappointing film, a self-important look at white male redemption.

Douglas Laman Posted on June 27, 2020June 25, 2020

“Good Will Hunting” was Gus Van Sant’s big swing for the normies

Good Will Hunting
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Gus Van Sant’s Oscar-winning character drama is a safe, middlebrow nuts-and-bolts picture as formative as it is uncreative for the filmmaker.

Clint Worthington Posted on June 22, 2020June 22, 2020

“My Own Private Idaho” searches for queer freedom

My Own Private Idaho
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Gus Van Sant’s 1991 queer classic is a mournful tone poem about lost youth, and the intersection between class and queerness.

Clint Worthington Posted on June 16, 2020June 18, 2020

Reclaiming the queerness of “Even Cowgirls Get the Blues”

Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
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Gus Van Sant’s queer Western was received with scorn by critics when it first came out, but its celebration of the abject deserves reconsideration.

B.L. Panther Posted on June 12, 2020June 18, 2020

Ambition is the eighth deadly sin in “To Die For”

To Die For
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Gus Van Sant and Buck Henry’s darkly funny satire about toxic self-obsession features a memorably villainous turn by Nicole Kidman.

Gena Radcliffe Posted on June 10, 2020June 12, 2020

“Drugstore Cowboy” found beauty in the gutter

Drugstore Cowboy
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Gus Van Sant’s second feature is a stylish but sensitive and non-judgmental look at drug addiction.

Tim Stevens Posted on June 4, 2020July 2, 2020

“Mala Noche”: A bad night makes for an auspicious beginning

Mala Noche
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Gus Van Sant’s gritty, low-budget debut lays the groundwork for a successful career. And 35 years on, the subject matter seems eerily relevant.

Theo Estes Posted on June 3, 2020July 2, 2020

June’s Filmmaker of the Month: Gus Van Sant

Gus Van Sant
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For Pride Month, we highlight the work of America’s poet laureate for dirtbags, dreamers, and disaffected youth.

Gena Radcliffe Posted on June 3, 2020July 2, 2020

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