Author: Ben McDonald

An avid moviegoer his whole life, Ben started writing about film as a teenager with a paper on the music of Stanley Kubrick’s work. His favorite directors include David Lynch, Claire Denis, and Lars von Trier. Ben attended the 71st and 72nd Cannes Film Festivals as part of the 'Three Days in Cannes' program.

by Ben McDonald July 17, 2018 0

Reviews

Sorry to Bother You ★★

If there’s one thing rapper Boots Riley‘s directorial debut Sorry to Bother You is, it’s political. Commenting with a coked-upContinue Reading

by Ben McDonald July 15, 2018 0

Restorations Reviews

2001: A Space Odyssey (70mm theatrical release) ★★★★

As I sank into my seat and the lights dimmed, the crimson curtains at the very front of the AFIContinue Reading

by Ben McDonald July 9, 2018 0

Articles

Ben McDonald’s Top 10 Criterion Films

This month, a number of our critics share their 10 favorite titles from the Criterion Collection in celebration of theContinue Reading

by Ben McDonald July 2, 2018 0

Reviews

Room to Dream (Book Review) ★★★

With David Lynch’s recently confusing comments on the Trump administration, those with even a passing familiarity with the director haveContinue Reading

by Ben McDonald June 22, 2018 1

Articles

Hereditary, and the Independent Horror Renaissance

“You know what Freud says about the nature of horror? He says it’s when the home becomes unhomelike. Unheimlich.” –Continue Reading

by Ben McDonald June 9, 2018 0

Reviews The Paragon

First Reformed

At the very center of Paul Schrader’s First Reformed is the inherent conflict between hope and despair. Is it naiveContinue Reading

by Ben McDonald June 2, 2018 0

Festival Coverage Reviews

Under the Silver Lake ★★★½

Under the Silver Lake steals Tarantino‘s guiding philosophy that homage can be original and sprints home with it, tossing classic Hollywood intoContinue Reading

by Ben McDonald May 31, 2018 0

Festival Coverage Reviews The Paragon

The Wild Pear Tree

David Lynch was right: words have failed me. As I left the Cannes premiere of Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s The WildContinue Reading

by Ben McDonald May 30, 2018 0

Festival Coverage Reviews

Cold War ★★★

“Who knew true love could be so chilly?” should read the tagline for Cold War, Paweł Pawlikowski’s 85-minute romantic epicContinue Reading

by Ben McDonald May 27, 2018 0

Festival Coverage Reviews

BlacKkKlansman ★★★½

There’s a chilling moment towards the middle of BlacKkKlansman where Ron Stallworth (John David Washington) laughs at the notion thatContinue Reading