“‘The Trojan Women’ is, on paper, exactly what they’ve been clamoring for,” @zvasquez.bsky.social of ‘The Odyssey”’s right-wing critics, “a traditionally classic and faithful adaptation of a related work of antiquity made by an actual Greek person.”

The late great American character actor Harry Dean Stanton was born 100 years ago. To honor his legacy, @zvasquez.bsky.social looks back on some of his smallest, yet most impactful roles.

The late great American character actor Harry Dean Stanton was born 100 years ago today. To honor his legacy, @zvasquez.bsky.social looks back on some of his smallest, yet most impactful roles.

Before ‘McCabe and Mrs. Miller’ and ‘Deadwood,’ Jacques Tournier's ‘Canyon Passage’ used the frontier mining camp as a microcosm for America, in all its violence and glory. On its 80th anniversary, @zvasquez.bsky.social looks back at this underrated Western classic.

In loving tribute to Harry Dean on what would have been his 100th, here's @zvasquez.bsky.social on some of his best cameos: crookedmarquee.com/one-scene-ki...

Before ‘McCabe and Mrs. Miller’ and ‘Deadwood,’ Jacques Tournier's ‘Canyon Passage’ used the frontier mining camp as a microcosm for America, in all its violence and glory. On its 80th anniversary, @zvasquez.bsky.social looks back at this underrated Western classic. buff.ly/t93HV1A

“Bleak Week acts as a kind of immersion therapy, one that, for me at least, can actually produce positive mental health effects,” @zvasquez.bsky.social writes. “These are bleak, despairing times we live in, and often, the only way out is through.”

Hey gang, @zvasquez.bsky.social wrote about Bleak Week!

“‘Pete Kelly’s Blue’s is not some ‘so-bad-it’s-good’ camp curio,” @zvasquez.bsky.social writes. “It’s the type of psychotronic mind-melter that’s best stumbled upon late at night on TV. But it is also legitimately and intentionally gorgeous, funny, moving, exciting, and strange.”

Also read @zvasquez.bsky.social! crookedmarquee.com/peckinpahs-e...

Today at @crooked-marquee.bsky.social: @zvasquez.bsky.social goes long on PETE KELLY'S BLUES and moves it to the top of my watchlist.

“‘Pete Kelly’s Blue’s is not some ‘so-bad-it’s-good’ camp curio,” @zvasquez.bsky.social writes. “It’s the type of psychotronic mind-melter that’s best stumbled upon late at night on TV. But it is also legitimately and intentionally gorgeous, funny, moving, exciting, and strange.” buff.ly/aKX9Ro6

Bill Duke's ‘A Rage in Harlem’ is a flawed but fascinating work of Black neo-noir from the early '90s. Thirty-five years after its initial release, @zvasquez.bsky.social looks at it as both its own film and as an adaptation.

Today at @crooked-marquee.bsky.social, a RAGE IN HARLEM anniversary piece from @zvasquez.bsky.social that's so good, it made me wanna revisit for the first time since theatrical: crookedmarquee.com/for-love-of-...

“Who wants to live forever? This was the question that was on several filmmakers' minds 40 years ago this March,” @zvasquez.bsky.social writes. “The answer: only monsters and punks.”

“By the berserk third act, both they and the motel where they’ve holed up have undergone monstrous transformations, and they find themselves trapped in a tinfoiled hell more frightening than anything in ‘The Exorcist,’” @zvasquez.bsky.social writes of William Friedkin’s “Bug”:

“Lynch, who passed away one year ago at the age of 78, was not as prolific a producer as, say, Martin Scorsese,” @zvasquez.bsky.social writes. “But the films he attached his name to are a fascinating if mixed lot, each one reminiscent of or directly connected to his own filmography.”

“Lynch, who passed away one year ago at the age of 78, was not as prolific a producer as, say, Martin Scorsese,” @zvasquez.bsky.social writes. “But the films he attached his name to are a fascinating if mixed lot, each one reminiscent of or directly connected to his own filmography.”

The San Gabriel Valley has a long history with Hollywood, but it rarely finds itself the subject of films shot within its borders. For the release of the dark new indie drama “Rosemead,” SGV local @zvasquez.bsky.social argues that it’s overdue for its closeup. crookedmarquee.com/the-other-va...

The San Gabriel Valley has a long history with Hollywood, but it rarely finds itself the subject of films shot within its borders. For the release of the dark new indie drama “Rosemead,” SGV local @zvasquez.bsky.social argues that it’s overdue for its closeup. crookedmarquee.com/the-other-va...

The characters brought to life by Benicio Del Toro “feel guarded in a way that lends them mystery,” @zvasquez.bsky.social writes, “even as we never get the sense that he’s holding anything back.”

Wrote about my favorite living actor for @crooked-marquee.bsky.social

“Nebraska,” the album at the center of the new “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere,” is “already deeply connected to American cinema, perhaps more so than any other album in the annals of rock n’ roll,” @zvasquez.bsky.social writes. crookedmarquee.com/springsteen-...

DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE stinks but it inspired this very good piece by @zvasquez.bsky.social!

“Nebraska,” the album at the center of the new “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere,” is “already deeply connected to American cinema, perhaps more so than any other album in the annals of rock n’ roll,” @zvasquez.bsky.social writes. crookedmarquee.com/springsteen-...

BOTD Jim Thompson!! MCCT5 JT/film 5)Série noire 4)Getaway 3)Coup/Torchon 2)After Dark, My Sweet 1)Grifters @fantomas2go.bsky.social w/key bio More @mollsotov.bsky.social: nebraskapublicmedia.org/en/news/news... @zvasquez.bsky.social / @crooked-marquee.bsky.social: crookedmarquee.com/inside-the-f...

David Fincher’s brilliant serial-killer drama ‘Seven’ debuted 30 years ago. But @zvasquez.bsky.social doesn’t want to write about that. He wants to write about all the movies that ripped it off:

“Given how indebted ‘Saw’ is to ‘Seven,’” @zvasquez.bsky.social writes, “I think its more than fair to say that the former is the true progenitor of torture porn, loathe as those of us who love it but can’t stand that category are to admit it.” crookedmarquee.com/copycat-kill...

David Fincher’s brilliant serial-killer drama ‘Seven’ debuted 25 years ago. But @zvasquez.bsky.social doesn’t want to write about that. He wants to write about all the movies that ripped it off: crookedmarquee.com/copycat-kill...

For its ongoing re-release, @zvasquez.bsky.social looks back at ‘Who Killed Teddy Bear?’, a little-known but highly influential '60s cult classic neo-noir of psycho-sexual menace. crookedmarquee.com/classic-corn...

Some essential film critics/writers to read/follow: @katiewalshstx.bsky.social @aheartofgould.bsky.social @bilgeebiri.bsky.social @roxana-hadadi.bsky.social @brndnstrssng.bsky.social @jasondashbailey.com @812filmreviews.com @oldfilmsflicker.bsky.social @carlosfilm.bsky.social @zvasquez.bsky.social

The late, great Stuart Gordon was born on this day in 1947. @zvasquez.bsky.social pays tribute to his late period: crookedmarquee.com/the-fascinat...

“Mixing the more traditional murder mystery elements of gialli with the supernatural drama of his Three Mothers trilogy, Argento creates a movie that, even by his usual batsh*t standards, flies by the seat of its pants,” @zvasquez.bsky.social writes of PHENOMENA: crookedmarquee.com/classic-corn...

“One month after ‘Back to the Future’ hit theaters, audiences were treated to back-to-back teen comedies that similarly focused on beleaguered eggheads and blended teenage comedy with science fiction,” @zvasquez.bsky.social writes. crookedmarquee.com/everybody-wa...

“What makes ‘Dirty Work’ stand out from the pack, what ensured its status as a cult classic even as it was bombing at the box office, was the singular comedic stylings of its star and co-writer,” @zvasquez.bsky.social writes. crookedmarquee.com/dirty-work-a...

“While less ideologically shaky than the ‘Dirty Harry’ movies, ‘Walking Tall’ is still very much a reactionary and authoritarian film,” @zvasquez.bsky.social writes. “It is also, as with so many cop/vigilante movies of its day, completely awesome.” crookedmarquee.com/walking-tall...

The print edition of @noircitymag #43 is now available from Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B0FBX91D66 Zach Vasquez breaks down David Lynch’s seminal neo noir contributions; Eddie Muller revisits, and reconsiders, "The Big Heat", and much more! @eddiemuller.bsky.social #noiralley @tcmparty.bsky.social

With the release of his latest feature, "The Phoenecian Scheme," Wes Anderson continues to follow in the footsteps of the greatest of all auteurs, Federico Fellini. crookedmarquee.com/the-unexpect...

Now available: digital version of the latest Noir City magazine, featuring my cover story on the noir legacy of David Lynch. It was a great honor to write about my hero’s work in my favorite genre. Print edition coming soon. surl.li/zxbglk @noirfoundation.bsky.social

Watching The Swimmer at my bar, realizing how good a double feature this would make with After Hours. Day/night Suburban nightmare/urban nightmare WASP/New York ethnic NO ONE GETS LAID

Opening page of my upcoming Noir City cover story on David Lynch:

Extremely excited to share that I wrote the cover story for the upcoming issue of Noir City. It was a great honor to be able to pay tribute to the noir legacy of my hero, David Lynch. Can’t wait to see it in print! @noirfoundation

“One of the reasons that ‘Possession’ is so deeply loved, the reason I hold it as my favorite film of all time, is because of how deeply personal and singular a work of art—art, not content—it is,” @zvasquez.bsky.social writes:

When @zvasquez.bsky.social asks to write about POSSESSION, you let him write about POSSESSION

“‘Crossroads,’ like ‘Sinners,’ embraces the myth of the tramping musician in all of its rugged individualism,” @zvasquez.bsky.social writes. “You’ve got to follow your muse, even if she brings you face to face with the devil.” crookedmarquee.com/dancing-with...

Thirty years ago, Terry Zwigoff's documentary about the troubled life of underground comix legend R. Crumb hit theaters. @zvasquez.bsky.social looks back on the film's enduring, disturbing power. crookedmarquee.com/art-wont-sav...

Our pal @zvasquez.bsky.social is on it crookedmarquee.com/nostalgia-an...

The newly streaming baseball comedy “Eephus” is one of several recent indies that use shuttering locales to examine life in 21st-century America. crookedmarquee.com/nostalgia-an...

Wrote about 3 of the best movies in recent years—Eephus, Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point, and Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets—what they mean for indie film, and what they have to say about the way we live now.

The new Waterboys concept album about the life Denis Hopper is pretty cool. But then Fiona Apple comes in and drops a nuclear missle of a song in the middle of it.