Category: Documentaries

Documentaries, Horror, Movie Reviews, Spanish Cinema, TCM

On Vampyres and Other Symptoms (2011)

ON VAMPYRES AND OTHER SYMPTOMS (2011) is the clever title of a new documentary directed by Celia Novis focusing on the reclusive Spanish filmmaker, writer, and artist José Ramón Larraz. If Larraz’s name doesn’t ring any bells don’t be alarmed. Despite the fact that the 83-year-old director is well regarded by his peers which include Quentin Tarantino, Steven Spielberg, and author Stephen King, Larraz remains relatively … Continue reading On Vampyres and Other Symptoms (2011)

Kimberly Lindbergs
Directors, Documentaries, Federico Fellini, Italian Cinema, Movie Reviews

Looking for Fellini: HOW STRANGE TO BE NAMED FEDERICO (2013)

Ettore Scola might not be as renowned as his lifelong friend and fellow filmmaker Federico Fellini but before he died in 2016, Scola’s work had earned him ample critical acclaim and numerous Academy Award nominations for Best Foreign Language Film. Four of Scola’s films are currently streaming on FilmStruck including UGLY, DIRTY AND BAD (’76), A SPECIAL DAY (’77), LA NUIT DE VARENNES (‘82) and … Continue reading Looking for Fellini: HOW STRANGE TO BE NAMED FEDERICO (2013)

Kimberly Lindbergs
Actors, Actresses, Books, Composers, Directors, Documentaries, Horror, Movie Reviews

The Doors Are Always Open at The Phantom Playhouse

A gentle reminder that The Phantom Playhouse – Cinebeats’ sister site focused on horror cinema – is open for business and the tickets are always free. Its been updated recently and collects articles or links to all of my horror focused writing. If you know me you know that horror is my favorite film genre and I’ve spent a considerable amount of my time researching … Continue reading The Doors Are Always Open at The Phantom Playhouse

Kimberly Lindbergs
Actors, American Cinema, Anthony Perkins, Documentaries, Gay Interest, Movie Reviews, Tab Hunter, TCM, War, Westerns

OUT OF THE CLOSET: TAB HUNTER CONFIDENTIAL (2015)

On September 19 TCM is airing a Tab Hunter double feature. More info about programming can be found at the end of my post. Everyone loves a Hollywood tragedy. The violent murders of Sharon Tate and Sal Mineo generate more press and web articles than the body of work they left behind while the estates of Marilyn Monroe and James Dean continue to benefit from … Continue reading OUT OF THE CLOSET: TAB HUNTER CONFIDENTIAL (2015)

Kimberly Lindbergs
Documentaries, Movie Reviews, Politics

Knock Down the House (2019)

Knock Down the House is a sobering and uplifting account of four formidable grassroots female candidates (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Paula Jean Swearengin, Amy Vilela and Cori Bush) running for office against Democratic incumbents during the 2018 primary. This intimate documentary illuminates the obstacles these working-class women faced on the campaign trail while trying to navigate a political system that is openly hostile towards progressives advocating for real change. … Continue reading Knock Down the House (2019)

Kimberly Lindbergs
Actors, Akira Kurosawa, Documentaries, Japanese Cinema, Movie Reviews, Toshiro Mifune

MIFUNE: THE LAST SAMURAI (2015)

A quick search of Filmstruck brought up an impressive 24 films featuring the late great Toshirô Mifune including Drunken Angel (1948), Stray Dog (1949), Rashomon (1950), Seven Samurai (1954), Throne of Blood (1957), The Bad Sleep Well (1960), Yojimbo (1961), Red Beard (1965) and Samurai Rebellion(1967). Mifune was a giant in the world of Japanese cinema and although I’ve written a little bit about his background in the past in pieces such as Toshiro Mifune, Japan’s John Wayne and in my review of his first film, Snow Trail (1947), … Continue reading MIFUNE: THE LAST SAMURAI (2015)

Kimberly Lindbergs
Actresses, Directors, Documentaries, FilmStruck, Movie Reviews, Women

CREATIVE COLLABORATION: JANE B. PAR AGNÈS V. (1988)

When Jane Birkin (Blow-Up [1966], Wonderwall [1968], La Piscine [1968], Don Juan (or If Don Juan Were a Woman) [1973], Je t’aime moi non plus [1976], Death on the Nile [1978], La Belle Noiseuse [1991])) was getting ready to celebrate her 40th birthday in 1986 she confessed to filmmaker Agnès Varda, that she had reservations about growing older. Varda, who was almost 60-years-old at the time, told Birkin that she was about to enter a wonderful phase in … Continue reading CREATIVE COLLABORATION: JANE B. PAR AGNÈS V. (1988)

Kimberly Lindbergs
American Cinema, British Cinema, Documentaries, French Cinema, Horror, Japanese Cinema, Modern Mondays

My Favorite Films of 2017

I contributed a list of my 20 Favorite Films seen in 2017 to the annual Senses of Cinema World Poll in the form of an illustration scanned & cleaned up in Photoshop. I wanted to have fun with the process this year and didn’t feel much like writing about all the films on my list although there are a few I’d like to discuss further … Continue reading My Favorite Films of 2017

Kimberly Lindbergs
Directors, Documentaries, Federico Fellini, Italian Cinema, Movie Reviews

Looking for Fellini: HOW STRANGE TO BE NAMED FEDERICO (2013)

Ettore Scola might not be as renowned as his lifelong friend and fellow filmmaker Federico Fellini but before he died in 2016, Scola’s work had earned him ample critical acclaim and numerous Academy Award nominations for Best Foreign Language Film. Four of Scola’s films are currently streaming on FilmStruck including UGLY, DIRTY AND BAD (’76), A SPECIAL DAY (’77), LA NUIT DE VARENNES (‘82) and … Continue reading Looking for Fellini: HOW STRANGE TO BE NAMED FEDERICO (2013)

Kimberly Lindbergs
Documentaries, Horror, Jose Ramon Larraz, Spanish Cinema, TCM

On Vampyres and Other Symptoms

I recently had the opportunity to view Celia Novis’ new documentary, ON VAMPYRES AND OTHER SYMPTOMS (2011), about the life and work of director José Ramón Larraz. Larraz is one of Spain’s most fascinating horror filmmakers but his work is hard to get a hold of and I’ve only managed to see a handful of his films myself including VAMPYRES (1975), DEVIATION (1971), THE HOUSE THAT … Continue reading On Vampyres and Other Symptoms

Kimberly Lindbergs