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An Introduction to Hong Kong and Taiwan Cinema
Carlo and East Asian literature/film academic Jessica Siu-yin Yeung talk about their mutual love for Hong Kong and Taiwan cinema – including the best five films to get you started on your own cinematic journey.
Revenge of the Cream of the Crud
Carlo & Dan are back with another Cream of the Crud episode, so strap in for a potpourri of podcasting for the cinematically deranged.
Return of Cream of the Crud
Carlo and Dan are back with another hang-out, news-talkin' episode of Cream of the Crud! It's a potpourri of podcasting for the cinematically deranged.
Trauma, Forgiveness and the Root of All Evil in Mickey Reece’s Agnes
Mickey Reece’s Agnes is a religious horror film that spends more time ruminating on trauma than it does on jump scares. Which isn’t to say it doesn’t lean hard into the horror aesthetic – expect some fright wigs and flesh tearing.
The Last Days of DVDisco (Feat. Bart D'Alauro of Bart & Greg's DVD Explosion)
Carlo, Dan and Jenna sit down with Bart D'Alauro to talk about his previous life as the owner of rental store Bart & Greg's DVD Explosion. They talk physical media, the shortcomings of streaming age, and the glory of owning every movie.
'Together Together' in the Loneliest Generation
Nikole Beckwith's platonic-romantic comedy Together Together, about a single dad and his surrogate pregnancy, is surprisingly meditative – honing in on social pressures, generational struggles and the inherent loneliness of navigating both.
Double Feature: You Meta Believe It (Keep an Eye Out & In Action)
Our latest double feature centers on the idea of movie making, performance and the blurred line between art and real life – featuring two new releases Quentin Dupieux's Keep an Eye Out and Eric Silvera & Sean Kenealy's In Action.
Cream of the Crud
Carlo and Dan are stretchin' their legs out for a chilled chat about whatever the heck they've been watching lately – from Mortal Kombat to Mortal Kombat: Annihilation.
The Evolution of Election
Veronica writes an ode to Alexander Payne’s Election – a perfect microcosm of the US, our inherent mistrust of ambitious women, and the gross reality of being a human.
Post-Anime Club: Jigoku & Blind Beast
Carlo and Jenna go to HELL in the latest episode of Post-Anime Club with a double feature of two horror films from 1960s Japan – Jigoku (1960) and Blind Beast (1969)
Hoser Horror: An Interview with Allan Levine (Emmeritus Productions & More!)
On this episode of Hoser Horror, Dan talks to Allan Levine about their history with Emmeritus Productions, their long career in the Canadian film industry, and so much more!
Lights, Camera, Make It Pop: A Review of Quentin Dupieux's Keep An Eye Out
Quentin Dupieux's Keep An Eye Out is a smart mashing of the worlds of commercial art versus personal art. It's surprisingly straight foward but, in the surreal world of Dupieux, making sense does not always land you where you thought it would.
A Conversation with Lynn Novick on Hemingway, Masculinity, Mythos & Filmmaking
Emmy award-winning filmmaker Lynn Novick talks with Jenna about her latest documentary Hemingway, including how to read his work, the prison of his masculinity and Hemingway’s relevancy for modern day audiences. They also touch upon being a female filmmaker and her collaborations with Ken Burns.
Reevaluating Toxic Genius in Ken Burns and Lynn Novick's Hemingway Documentary
At a time when giving toxic male personalities a second look may feel almost like a step backwards, Hemingway makes a strong case for trying. Novick and Burns tackle Hemingway's troubled legacy by looking at his life through his wives, working to separate the myth from the decidedly more interesting man.
Criticism, Critiques, People & Perfection: A Discussion with Jenna & Veronica
Jenna & Veronica discuss an essay by Pauline Kael reflecting on people's hostile responses to her writing while they reflect on their own experiences as female film critics. They touch upon multiple topics–from hate mail, the concept of perfection and how to give and receive criticisms–so stop NAGGING us already GOD retweet sideye #lame
Female Anxiety Films: Women's History Month Edition
Anxiety is what bonds us women together, even more than that sisterhood junk or whichever biological grossness, because it exists inside every type of woman there is. If you’ve spent a minute of your life as a woman, you’ve experienced female anxiety. That’s just the way it goes.
Get Rollin' to Big Fun at the House Party
On Notes from the Back Row, Carlo and Dan dive into a trio of hip-hop and music based feature films that span from the early eighties and into the nineties–Get Rollin (1980), Big Fun in the Big Town (1985) and House Party (1990)
The 3rd Annual Back Rowsie Awards: Overcoming This Fraught Future
For this 3rd Annual Back Rowsie awards we are keeping it loose and riffing on all that the world of cinema in 2020 had to offer us. We're talkin' movies, we're talkin' documentaries, we're talkin'... Wesley Snipes movies? Doctor Sleep? Making funny eyyy ohhhhh New Yawk accents? Why not. 2020 broke us.
Keith Thomas' The Vigil Review: Jewish Demons Can Possess Too, You Know
Finally, a movie that acknowledges how Jewish mysticism can freak people out just as well as any ol’ Christian folk horror. L’chaim!
Back Row's Fourth Year in Movie Reviews, Podcasts & Lists
Back Row turns four on Saturday! This past year we shifted focus a bit more to reviewing new films as they came out, but judging from our most popular articles it seems the audience wants what their hearts want: MORE BLOOD.