Contributor Justine Smith

Silhouetted figure in rainy landscape, distant structures, grey tones.
Festivals

Can a movie exist without images?

by Justine Smith

A new ‘sound movie’ called Le Brasier Shelley represents a curious development in post-image cinema.
Woman wearing blue top and sunglasses, sitting on colourful blanket.
In Praise Of

Why I love Patricia Arquette’s performance in True Romance

by Justine Smith

Her role as lovestruck sex worker Alabama is among the most compelling characters of the 1990s.
A group of people making exaggerated facial expressions and hand gestures, with intense, almost alarming, expressions on their faces.

Dawn of the Dead had an alternate ending that’s even bleaker than the original

by Justine Smith

George A Romero originally had a different fate in store for the protagonists of his zombie classic.
A person sitting in a chair before a red curtain, with a computer screen and studio lights visible in the background. The image has a vibrant colour palette of reds, blues, and pinks.
Festivals

The best new genre films from Fantasia Film Festival 2018

by Justine Smith

Our complex relationship with technology came under the spotlight at this year’s festival.
Two young children, a girl with long hair and a boy in a white shirt, standing in a wooded outdoor setting.

Did the Olsen twins ever make a great film?

by Justine Smith

Fourteen years after Mary-Kate and Ashley stepped away from acting, we reflect on the siblings’ on-screen legacy.
A woman in a grey dress with arms outstretched dancing in a field of yellow flowers, with snow-capped mountains in the background.

Joan Didion vs Pauline Kael vs The Sound of Music

by Justine Smith

Did their scathing reviews of the hit musical costs these revered female film critics their jobs?
Two people sitting at a bar, engaged in conversation, with warm, colourful lighting.
In Praise Of

Re-examining the challenging eroticism of In the Cut

by Justine Smith

Jane Campion’s much maligned 2003 thriller offers a vital subversion of the male gaze.
Three men in suits, one with glasses, seated at a table.

The year revolution brought the Cannes Film Festival to a halt

by Justine Smith

The events of May ’68 had a profound impact on the film world.
Close-up hands of person covering their face, monochrome image.

The Columbine massacre still echoes through cinema

by Justine Smith

As a school shooting survivor, films like Elephant and Polytechnique have a special resonance for me.
Dark, menacing rabbit-like figure with large ears and a sinister expression, against a dimly lit background.

A cinema is paying tribute to sinister screen bunnies this Easter

by Justine Smith

Donnie Darko, Inland Empire and more are screening at Cinémathèque Québécoise this weekend.

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