Steve Erickson

Film Review: “To a Land Unknown” — The Palestinian Refugee Blues

July 16, 2025
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No one argues about Israel or Hamas, or even mentions the words. All the same, caring this much about Palestinians’ lives is inherently political.

Film Review: “Eddington” — Grifter Nation

July 11, 2025
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The story’s surprising degree of feeling for Joaquin Phoenix ‘s Joe saves “Eddington” from simply serving as fodder for overheated social media discourse and crusading op-eds.

Film Review: “Ghost Trail” — Alienated Espionage

July 8, 2025
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Instead of living the life of James Bond, the spy hero of “Ghost Trail” copes with PTSD, the result of living in exile and surviving torture.

Film Review: “Caught by the Tides” — Innovatively Rearranging the Past

May 25, 2025
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“Caught by the Tides” eludes the narcissistic congratulation found in self-referential cinema because it absorbs Jia’s early work to create something that has the shock of the new, as much as it builds on the past. 

Film Review: “The Empire” — Gallic Alien Invasion, Lampooned

May 6, 2025
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Bruno Dumont has always been a divisive filmmaker, drawn to provocation, and the wacky sci-fi parody of the comedy-drama “The Empire” has proven to be no exception.

Album Review: The “Horror” of the Mekons

April 4, 2025
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The apocalyptic overtones of the Mekons’ music come across as alarmingly real as ever.

Film Review: Charles Burnett’s “The Annihilation of Fish” — An Odd Couple in Love

March 26, 2025
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Despite “The Annihilation of Fish”’s warmth and optimism, it’s a wonky film.

Film Review: “Eephus” — The End of the Season Cometh

March 12, 2025
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“Eephus” could’ve become a piece of conservative-leaning nostalgia but, to its credit, it refrains from making small-town sports great again.

Film Review: “Armand” — Drowning in Portent

February 10, 2025
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In his debut feature, director Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel mistakes gratuitous strangeness for genuinely uncanny adventure.

Film Review: “Presence” — The Spectre of the Middle Class

January 22, 2025
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More than the threat posed by the ghost, “Presence” is desperately terrified of ambiguity.

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