Chris Barsanti's Blog, page 26
March 17, 2023
Screening Room: ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’
Back when he was just Ted Theodore Logan, who would have guessed that Keanu Reeves would eventually become the last true action star? If that still seems strange to you, check out the epic epicness that is John Wick: Chapter 4, which opens March 24. My review is at PopMatters: The air was charged at …
March 12, 2023
Writer’s Desk: Take Readers on a Journey
Nigerian writer Ben Okri frequently blurs lines between reality and the beyond. His breakout novel, The Famished Road, is about the spirit of a child (named for Lazarus) who has never quite left the physical world but is being enticed to do so by other spirits. Often categorized as an African magic realist, Okri has …
March 5, 2023
Writer’s Desk: Read, Read, and Read Some More
At some point, the writer has to get up out of their reading chair, move to the desk, and get to work. But before they do that, maybe they could read another book? To the untrained eye (as well as the trained, if we are being honest), this looks like procrastination. But really it is …
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March 1, 2023
Screening Room: Berlinale Film Festival Redux
My full writeup of the 2023 Berlinale Film Festival just went up at Eyes Wide Open. In short, I’m a fan. Also, there’s a lot of great movies (and some mediocre ones) coming to theaters and screens near you very soon. Keep your eyes open.
February 26, 2023
Writer’s Desk: Making Up the Truth
John Rechy, who scandalized and thrilled with his vividly scabrous novel City of Night, drew heavily from his own life. That does not mean that he felt bound to the record of what actually happened or how: When you use ‘real people’ as characters, there may come a time when the real person and the …
February 22, 2023
Screening Room: Berlinale Film Festival
Back from this year’s Berlinale Film Festival, which was packed with celebrities, retrospectives (Spielberg), buzzy premieres (Sean Penn’s Ukraine documentary for Vice), and a very strong lineup. I wrote up a few movies for Slant, each of which should (hopefully) be hitting a theater near you in the coming year.
Screening: Berlinale Film Festival
Back from this year’s Berlinale Film Festival, which was packed with celebrities, retrospectives (Spielberg), buzzy premieres (Sean Penn’s Ukraine documentary for Vice), and a very strong lineup. I wrote up a few movies for Slant, each of which should (hopefully) be hitting a theater near you in the coming year.
February 19, 2023
Writer’s Desk: Get Outside Yourself
Though William S. Burroughs’ writing frequently left reality behind (Naked Lunch‘s Mugwumps and whatnot), a surprising amount of it was based on his life. The details of his Midwestern upbringing and years as a wastrel flâneur were frequently reworked in his fiction. Still, Burroughs found it crucial for his writing to get past the limitations …
February 14, 2023
Screening Room: ‘Pacifiction’
Albert Serra’s latest film, Pacifiction, played some festivals last year (including Cannes, where it was raved about). It is opening this week in limited release. My review is at PopMatters: The first images in Albert Serra’s slippery and satirical film Pacifiction are not what comes to mind for many when thinking of Tahiti. Yes, the film’s background is …
February 13, 2023
Reader’s Corner: Quentin Tarantino, Author
I wrote about Quentin Tarantino’s new sideline writing books for The Millions: His first book was 2021’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, based on his 2019 film. Released as a mass market paperback and printed on appropriately dubious paper stock, it was made to look like the kind of quick-and-dirty film novelizations that once composed …
