Tag Archives: Todd Solondz

Spring Breakers + Dark Horse

Spring Breakers + Dark Horse

Harmony Korine and Todd Solondz come together again (whether they like it or not). Spring Breakers is a seriously amazing intellectual piece, even though you’d never believe it. News on the Cage Match, as the massive Nicolas Cage project draws to a close. Spring Breaks demonstrates criticism of a culture by letting the culture speak for itself. The most horrifying vantage point may be inside the party. Classics vs songs of the summer. The relatively short shelf life of particular artists and singles. Call for a dubstep do-over. Alice’s favorite film opening uses self-discovery to work on multiple levels. Who’s riding the Dark Horse? Todd Solondz makes a kid-friendly film. Not that kind of kid-friendly. Michael wants people to do things with their lives, for their own good at the good of those who surround them. Continue reading

Storytelling + Mister Lonely

Storytelling + Mister Lonely

Two filmmakers who love similar themes but don’t get along with each other. Pretending all films are totally approachable and that you’re not worried people on the internet will think you’re an idiot. Every week, Double Feature talks about two films as if they’re the best films ever made. Truth and fiction in Storytelling. Every story-writing workshop that ever happened. Sexuality and youth. The return of American Movie. A life of impersonation in Mister Lonely. Looking too deeply into a film. Harmony Korine at face value. When a movie takes the right path. Continue reading

Palindromes + Female Trouble

Palindromes + Female Trouble

A completely fucked look at pregnancy and sexuality in America. Super young kids having sex. Dawn. Aviva. Henrietta Aviva. Many actors playing one character! Talking about the thing you’re supposed to talk about. Mama Sunshine’s house of horrors. Where to buy zip disks. Palindromes are like characters are like Palindromes. Jesus music and true believers. Richard is back! Are abortion picketers monsters? Divine creates some Female Trouble. Literally fucking yourself. The Female Trouble theme song! What this one should be known for. Mink Stole, Edith Massey, and the glorious Dreamlanders. Spending some time in the backyard. An ending you’d never expect unless you thought about it literally at all. Continue reading

Happiness + Kids

Happiness + Kids

NC-17 films. Perhaps not the optimistic double feature you hoped for. Would it be ok if the notes just said “bag cat?” Todd Solondz returns! Michael uses a mentally unstable Alice for his own amusement. Happiness is not just a trick. The title Happiness. Jon Lovitz. Actual childhood obsessions. Manipulation through sound. Aren’t you going to eat the sandwich? Difficult questions about pedophilia. Kids. Larry Clark, old man photographer. Tulsa. Harmony Korine. Finding hooligans. Rosario Dawson and Chloe Sevigny. Returning to the human experience. Bad people. And dirt. Telly. What creates an adolescent monster? Fast acting bag cat! Continue reading

Welcome to the Dollhouse + Beyond the Valley of the Dolls

Welcome to the Dollhouse + Beyond the Valley of the Dolls

Dollhouses on cult film day. Heather Matarazzo. There’s apparently titular songs too. What the fuck is going on with that cover? Contrasting the dark humor in Welcome to the Dollhouse with Re-Animator. Subtle comedy. Music. Steve’s band. Worse than worse: mundane! Todd Solondz loves the suburbs. Directors fascinated with suburbia and the themes typically addressed in these films. Kids are having sex, they just don’t know what the fuck they’re doing. The repercussions of sheltering children from sex. Dealing in extremes. What Roger Ebert’s doing headlining the credits of Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. Other Russ Meyer films Roger Ebert has worked on. Studio project selection. The marketing concept. Differences from Russ Meyer’s other work. Genre bending. The editing. The fucking editing. The moral of Beyond the Valley of the Dolls as opposed to The Valley of the Dolls. Continue reading