John Otteni

I made a mockumentary about hunting vampires

Criterion Month Day 27: Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)

A few weeks ago, I read John Cameron Mitchell was taking his film Hedwig and the Angry Inch on a tour of screenings for the film’s 25th anniversary. I wish I’d gone, but it’s tough going into something cold that’s been celebrated by so many people for so many years. Are fans going to sing along? Are there Rocky Horror Picture Show-esque traditions I need to know about?

I once took a film class where we watched The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and one guy did all the audience participation bits along with the movie. It was one of the most embarrassing movie-watching experiences I’ve ever had. On the other hand, I love it when films build a sense of community, especially when it’s a community of outsiders. And there’s no bigger outsider than Hedwig Robinson.

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Criterion Month Day 26: Lone Star

Lone Star (1996)

For the longest time, I’d only ever seen two John Sayles movies. My first, weirdly enough, was the 2004 political satire Silver City, starring Chris Cooper as an inept Republican running for governor of Colorado. My dad thought it looked funny, this was the peak of the Daily Show, after all, but the film turned out to be far more serious and complex than my underdeveloped teenage brain was prepared for.

The second John Sayles movie I saw was what I imagine is his best-known film, Eight Men Out, about the 1919 Black Sox Scandal. Everybody likes a solid baseball movie, and it had some big names for the time, including John Cusack, Charlie Sheen, Christopher Lloyd, and John Mahoney.

And now I’ve seen three John Sayles movies. So what do I think?

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Criterion Month Day 24: Naked Lunch

Naked Lunch (1991)

Today marks the 12th time this site has covered David Cronenberg, who kids today might know from his chilling monologue on the latest Charli XCX album. Why do we feel the need to keep picking and prodding at the King of Body Horror and his many oozing orifices? One, because Canada’s favorite son has a whopping eight films in the Criterion Collection, and two, he makes a lot of creepy crawlies well suited for Shocktober every fall.

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Criterion Month Day 21: Sid and Nancy

Sid and Nancy (1986)

A few months ago, I noticed the 2022 FX show Pistol floating around Amazon Prime. I love punk and Danny Boyle (he directed every episode), so naturally I enjoyed it. Adapted primarily from guitarist Steve Jones’ autobiography, the show was criticized for falling into typical biopic pitfalls, overexplaining and simplifying events. Regardless, I loved the performances, the tone, and the frenetic sound and visual style of the show. It’s everything I could want in a Sex Pistols biopic.

Sid and Nancy is everything I don’t want in a Sex Pistols biopic.

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Criterion Month Day 19: The Killing of a Chinese Bookie

The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976)

“There’s nothing I despise more than being entertained.” This is a quote John Cassavetes told scholar and author Ray Carney, later published in Carney’s 2001 book Cassavetes on Cassavetes. John Cassavetes didn’t make films to transport us. He made films to turn the mirror on ourselves, showing us the grit and drama of relationships, success, failure, and violence.

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Criterion Month Day 17: Murmur of the Heart

Murmur of the Heart (1971)

Last year, I dedicated an entire Criterion Month to “Horny Movies.” I reviewed films like Luis Buñuel’s Belle de Jour, Nagisa Ōshima’s In the Realm of the Senses, and Louis Malle’s The Lovers. I had a blast exploring not just sexuality in cinema, but how different countries and different eras portrayed it. So when I heard Malle had another “horny” movie in the Criterion Collection, I immediately added it to my list. I just wish I’d known the sexuality in Murmur of the Heart was centered around a teenage boy… and his mom.

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