The Intimate Lens: Revisiting the Complicated Romance of ‘Unzipped’
In the realm of documentary filmmaking, the line between observer and participant is rarely as thin as it is when the subject is also a lover. It is a precarious ethical tightrope, one that risks collapsing the objective distance required for a…
Through the Lens of Intimacy: The Enduring Legacy of ‘Unzipped’
In the realm of documentary filmmaking, the line between observer and participant is often blurry, but rarely is it as inextricably intertwined as in Douglas Keeve’s 1995 masterpiece, Unzipped. As the film returns to theaters this weekend in a stunning…
Ed Helms: Finding Ground in the Chaos of Stardom
The lead-up to an interview with Ed Helms at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) was, to put it mildly, an exercise in absurdity. It began at a high-end hotel restaurant where the maître d’ attempted to levy a $75-per-person “sitting…
The Evolution of Alden Ehrenreich: From Blockbuster Expectations to the Craft of Character
The scene is a hotel suite in Toronto, where the air is thick with the ambient, swelling orchestral score of a high-stakes thriller. It is 10:00 AM—hardly the hour for Wagnerian crescendos—but for Alden Ehrenreich, it provides an ironic backdrop to a…
The Accidental Oracle: How ‘Idiocracy’ Transcended Cult Status to Become America’s Mirror
Last July, in an effort to capture the spirit of the United States’ 250th birthday, The New York Times posed a singular, provocative question to its readership: “What is the definitive movie about America?” The exercise was meant to elicit…
The Sound of Resilience: Inside Linkin Park’s Cinematic Rebirth, ‘Unshatter’
In the hyper-competitive landscape of 21st-century rock, few bands have faced a crossroads as daunting as the one encountered by Linkin Park. Following the tragic 2017 passing of their iconic frontman, Chester Bennington, the Southern California-based…
Beyond the Blood: Anna Biller and the Battle for Serious Cinema at TIFF
At the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), the Midnight Madness program—a sidebar traditionally reserved for the visceral, the kinetic, and the overtly transgressive—hosted the world premiere of Anna Biller’s The Face of Horror. While the…
The Long Road to Rebellion: Duncan Jones on the Eight-Year Battle for ‘Rogue Trooper’ and the Future of Independent Cinema
After an eight-year hiatus from the director’s chair, Duncan Jones has returned to the spotlight with Rogue Trooper, an ambitious animated adaptation of the legendary 2000 AD comic series. Premiering at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival…
A Global Vision from Okinawa: Inside the Making of ‘The Color of the Sun’
At the 2026 Venice Film Festival, a quiet revolution took place within the Orizzonti section. The Color of the Sun, a poignant and visually arresting coming-of-age drama directed by Xavier Tera, walked away with the FIPRESCI International Critics’ Prize…
The Audacity of the Absurd: Inside Saoirse Ronan’s Comedic Turn in ‘Bad Apples’
Editor’s note: This interview was originally conducted on September 5, 2025, during the Toronto International Film Festival. Republic Pictures will release the film in U.S. and UK theaters on Friday, September 18. For four-time Oscar nominee Saoirse…
