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Review by Sean Boelman
Recent months have seen several strides towards diversification in the Criterion Collection, one of which is the inclusion of several Blaxploitation films. This month sees one of the most beloved films of the genre enter the collection — Gordon Parks’s 1971 action classic Shaft — and it is a must-own for any cinephile.
The film follows the story of a cool private eye who is recruited by a crime lord to find and rescue his kidnapped daughter. It’s a storyline that has been replicated ever since — hell, even Star Wars is doing it in their Obi-Wan Kenobi series — but there is a reason why this film has stood the test of time to become such a classic. No one would deny that a big part of this film’s success is Richard Roundtree’s performance as the eponymous private eye. In subsequent sequels, Samuel L. Jackson and Jessie T. Usher would take up the mantle as the descendants of Roundtree’s o.g. bad-mother-shut-yo-mouth, but no one can or will ever live up to his pure swagger. There is also no denying that the style of the film is a big part of its success. Shaft was one of the foundational films of the genre, with the stylish action and funky music that would come to define Blaxploitation. Isaac Hayes’s Oscar-winning music is certainly memorable, and is a joy to hear the new uncompressed mono soundtrack on a good at-home sound system. 
The new edition also features a new restoration of the film, and it’s very nice. Granted, there are still a few 35mm prints of the film circulating around, and that’s probably the best way of seeing this picture, but a crisp new 4K restoration isn’t a bad way to go. And this is the first time the film has been released on the format.
This edition also includes a Blu-Ray copy of the film’s first sequel, Shaft’s Big Score. While it’s not quite as good of a movie as its predecessor, it’s certainly more underseen and is still an interesting action flick. And who’s gonna turn down the chance to see Roundtree back in his role again. For a film that already has so many releases on home media, the bonus features with this edition are surprisingly strong. There’s a new behind-the-scenes documentary, a new interview with the film’s costume designer, and a new featurette. And if you’re a fan of the film like me, you could hear people talk about it all day. Shaft may not be the most preservation-minded addition to the Criterion Collection, but it’s still a fun and worthy Blu-Ray to add to your shelf. If I dare say, I can dig it. The Criterion Collection edition of Shaft is now available.
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By Dan Skip Allen  When I was a kid, my family sometimes didn't have enough money to eat, and we struggled to pay our bills. Even for an eight-year-old, I knew we were struggling financially. Every once in a while, we had enough money to do things together as a family. My brother, sister, and I would load into whatever car we had at the time, probably a station wagon, and go to the nearby drive-in theater. This was a big deal for us. Even a bigger deal was back in the summer of 1982; we did just that and got to see a film that helped transform me into the film aficionado I am today: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. E.T. wasn't just any film — it was a film that showed me what movies could really be for a child of eight years old. I remember as a kid that when E.T. and Elliot (Henry Thomas) road that BMX bike into the sky to escape men in black trying to get to them. It felt like they went right through the screen and into the air above the drive-in. It was a bit surreal to me at the time. I have held that memory with me ever since, and I'll never forget it. That famous line from the film uttered by an animatronic alien, E.T., will also be indelibly stuck in my brain forever. "E.T. Phone Home." Any kid or adult watching that film that didn't cry is just not human because I balled my eyes out when I watched it. Shows like Stranger Things have adopted a little of the nostalgia of what E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is, but nothing will ever replace this film in the annals of history. I loved the cast, from Dee Wallace as the overprotective mother to Thomas Howell as the big brother and who couldn't forget little, at the time, Drew Barrymore as the sister who dressed E.T. up as a girl and fed him Reese's Pieces. Now Reese's Pieces are synonymous with this film. Peter Coyote played the secret agent trying to capture E.T., and he did as great as this character. He played a good villain at the time.  Many people make a big deal about physical media editions of this film being altered because the guns were taken away, but no DVD, Blu-Ray, or 4K will ever take away what was etched in my memory as a child. At the time, the guns were necessary to help the story. I understand they may have been a bit overkill, but they worked in the context of the story. The producers and filmmakers made a tough choice, but I think it was right.
My second favorite filmmaker is Steven Spielberg. As a kid, I got to see Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Raiders of the Lost Ark, but my favorite of his films will always be E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. He was able to bring something out in me no movie had ever done before: genuine emotion, from crying sadness to joyful happiness and, at times, anger. This film brought out every emotion in me as a child. That is what great filmmaking should be able to do. One of Spielberg's frequent collaborators is John Williams. At the time, he was the conductor of the Boston Pops. Another annual gathering for my family would be once again to load all the kids in the car, head to Boston, and get our spot on the grass at the Esplanade, where we would get to hear the Boston Pops perform for free every Fourth of July. And so I was very familiar with this man's work, but the E.T. theme was like magic to my ears, and it's still one of the most iconic themes of John Williams's career, in my opinion. On the week of the fortieth anniversary of E.T., I implore everyone young and old — if you've seen the film or not — to watch this absolute classic. Maybe it will bring you the emotions it brought me as an eight-year-old little boy looking for magic which I found on the big screen at that drive-in cinema. The cast, the filmmaker, and the composer brought me one of the most enjoyable cinematic experiences of my entire life, and I will never forget that moment in time.
By Sean Boelman
It may have only been around since 2017, but the Overlook Film Festival has earned its spot in the horror community as one of the best festivals there is to see great horror flicks. From traditional terrifiers to other genre pictures that run adjacent to the horror genre like pitch-black comedies, Overlook has plenty to offer for every connoisseur of the macabre.
We at disappointment media had the pleasure of covering the Overlook Film Festival this year in New Orleans, LA. At the festival, we saw a ton of awesome films, including a few we missed at other festivals and some awesome world premieres that we expect to make a big splash when they are released to general audiences. Here are some quick thoughts on some of the films we saw at the fest! Good Madam
Another in the recent trend of psychological horror films dealing with themes of race, Jenna Cato Bass’s Good Madam is undeniably a well-crafted film, but it does leave the viewer wanting more. Although some of the imagery in the film will create a sense of unease in the viewer, this never really builds into a feeling of tension. As a result, this turns into a movie that you admire more from afar — respecting its craftsmanship and the things it has to say in its social commentary, but never really immersed enough for this to be a great work of genre cinema.
Roger Corman, The Pope of Pop Cinema
In addition to being a showcase for genre films themselves, festivals like Overlook often serve as a way of shining a spotlight on some of the most influential voices in filmmaking history through documentaries. Bertrand Tessier’s Roger Corman, The Pope of Pop Cinema follows the career of one of the most prolific B-movie filmmakers of all time. While it may be a bit on the conventional side, its brief sub-sixty-minute runtime and the fact that Corman’s career is just so freaking extraordinary keep this documentary moving and make it a worthwhile watch for any horror cinephile.
Saloum
The Senegalese action-horror film Saloum picked up a lot of acclaim on the festival circuit last fall, and Overlook audiences got the chance to check it out this year. It definitely has some striking imagery, and the aggressive energy it has is undeniable, but this story of three mercenaries who must fight to survive in the mythical plains of Saloum is perhaps a bit too much on overdrive. Regardless, Jean Luc Herbulot clearly made exactly the film that he set out to make, and it should certainly be admired for that.
She Will
Charlotte Colbert’s feature debut She Will is very much a feature debut in that it throws a bunch of stuff to the wall to see what sticks, and while the result may be a total mess, the things that Colbert does with it are so fascinating that it’s easy to forgive some of its flaws. Following a woman who attends a mysterious retreat with her younger nurse, there are a lot of moving plot points here, and not all of them work, but those that do are extremely good, especially when coupled with Colbert’s fantastic eye behind the camera.
Zalava
Seeing horror movies from around the world is always awesome because each culture has a different perception of what “horror” should be. Zalava is less what we in the United States would consider a horror film, and more akin to a thriller, but this story of a community that is torn apart by paranoia surrounding a potential demonic possession is more unsettling than a lot of traditional horror movies. Co-writer/director Arsalan Amiri has penned several screenplays before, but this is his first time in the director’s chair, and it will be exciting to see what he does next.
The 2022 Overlook Film Festival ran June 2-5.
By Sean Boelman
After two years of being part of the streaming co-op Nightstream due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Overlook Film Festival is finally getting to hold another in-person edition again in New Orleans, Louisiana. Considered one of the most haunted cities in the United States, the setting of the Big Easy is perfect to get together with horror fans to celebrate some of the most exciting new films in the genre.
We at disappointment media are excited to be covering this year’s festival on the ground in New Orleans, and we hope that you will be joining us! For those of you who are able to check out some films at the festival, we’ve had the chance to check out part of the lineup, and here are some spooky flicks we think you should check out. Jethica
For those looking to support independent cinema at the festival, Pete Ohs’s microbudget ghost movie Jethica is definitely worth checking out. Following a woman who is being followed by a ghostly stalker, this is basically a mumblecore movie with some horror elements. Having debuted in the fan-favorite SXSW Midnighters section earlier this year, the film is one of the most exciting independent genre discoveries on the festival circuit right now. The film’s budget is a measly $150,000, and Ohs makes the most of it, delivering a film that feels lovably rough-around-the-edges.
Mad God
Thirty years in the making, Oscar-winning visual effects pioneer Phil Tippet is finally releasing his feature debut, Mad God, a wild stop-motion animation film that is a sight to behold. Completely free of dialogue, the film follows an assassin who heads deep into a labyrinthian city full of monsters. Genre cinephiles are absolutely going to geek out about getting to see this technical marvel, although it is certainly more of an atmospheric piece than based in a strong narrative. Shudder will be releasing the film later this month, but you shouldn’t miss the chance to see this one on the big screen if you can.
Swallowed
What would a great film festival be without some exciting World Premieres? One of the higher profile films premiering at the festival is Swallowed, a queer body horror film written and directed by Carter Smith (The Ruins). Starring relative newcomer Cooper Koch and Jose Colon, the film follows two friends who, on their last night together, end up getting wrapped up in a drug smuggling operation, causing what was supposed to be a night of fun to turn into a nightmare. It’s not what you would expect, but the many twists of the film will leave you feeling unsettled. Add in an unforgettable supporting turn from LGBTQ horror icon Mark Patton (A Nightmare On Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge), and you have one film at the festival you don’t want to miss.
Who Invited Them
Another World Premiere at the festival that has more bubbling beneath the surface than it initially lets on, Who Invited Them is a darkly comedic thriller following two couples whose night begins to escalate into debauchery after a housewarming party. It’s the type of film that is best experienced blind apart from that basic premise, as it is fascinating to see things unfold over the course of the crazy night. And much of the film’s success can be attributed to the four leads — Ryan Hansen, Melissa Tang, Timothy Granaderos, and Avital Ash — who make the film tick.
Zalava
While most of the films playing in this year’s lineup are American genre pictures, there are a few international highlights that festival-goers can check out. We recommend that you see Zalava, an Iranian film exploring superstition. Arsalan Amiri’s film won the prestigious FIPRESCI Prize at last year’s Venice International Film Festival, and that is certainly a feat for a genre film like this given that horror films are rarely recognized like that at a major festival. Even though this may not be a horror movie in a traditional sense, it’s possibly even more unsettling than the “scarier” movies at the festival.
The Overlook Film Festival runs from June 2-5 in New Orleans, LA.
By Dan Skip Allen  I loved watching sports movies and gangster films when I was a kid. They were two different kinds of movies, but they both had their own way of inspiring me growing up. Sports films put you in the shoes of those heroes on-screen, whether it be Roy Hobbs hitting massive home runs or Shoeless Joe Jackson coming out of the corn, saying, "Where are we? Heaven?" Sports films have an imagination that can make you dream of something greater than yourself. Gangster films have a glamour to them that gives me chills. In Goodfellas, Henry Hill cooks an Italian meal in prison with the Don. You have to cut the garlic very thin, so it melts with the olive oil. It was a great scene of camaraderie between brothers. Gangster films showed a world that was just perfect sometimes.
Ray Liotta was in both of these films. In one, he played a ghost of Shoeless Joe Jackson teaching and playing baseball; in the other, he was Henry Hill, a young and impressionable man looking for something to be a part of and belong to. Both characters showed Liotta had acting chops. Both characters brought something to the table regarding my favorite kinds of films: a Martin Scorsese classic and a baseball classic. They are movies I would recommend to anybody. Liotta is excellent in both of them. The scene where he was high on cocaine, driving all over town trying to deliver the guns, but he believes the feds are following him, is brilliant. He's so paranoid in this whole sequence. You feel the paranoia he feels while watching him. Liotta has had a vast career besides those two iconic roles in those great films. He's played a corrupt policeman in Copland, an FBI Agent caught in the middle of a bunch of hitmen in Smokin' Aces, a police chief caught in a hostage situation in John Q, and Aldo Moltisanti, the father of Christopher in The Many Saints of Newark, the prequel to The Sopranos. He's even been in Bee Movie starring Jerry Seinfeld. He pretty much did it all in his fifty or so years in film. When people think of two of the most iconic films of the last generation, they'll talk about Goodfellas and Field of Dreams. That's what I think of when I think of the great career of Ray Liotta. These two films will cement him as one of the greats of his generation.
By Sean Boelman
Jûzô Itami’s Tampopo has long been a part of the Criterion Collection, so it is certainly a surprise that it has taken this long for his feature debut, The Funeral, to join the fold. However, now that it is in the collection, it is a must-add for any cinephile who is a fan of Japanese cinema.
With an episodic structure, the film follows a family who have a series of unusual interactions during the traditional three-day funeral of their patriarch. Although this is often over-said about films, this is the type of movie where you truly don’t know what is going to happen next, as the film expectedly gives no shits about your expectations. The comedy in the film is certainly unique. It’s seldom laugh-out-loud hilarious, but it’s quietly wry with a very dark undercurrent. The often weird and random nature of the film is a large part of its charm. Itami focuses on parodying the mundanity of everything that goes on in preparing for a funeral, and the result is something that is extremely relatable. With an episodic piece like this, it is important to have characters that are interesting, and Itami certainly delivers on that. The motley crew of family members that have congregated to “mourn” the death of their patriarch is full of quirky folks, and the dynamic between all of them is excellent and what makes the film work. 
The cultural aspect of the film here is certainly interesting, as this is a commentary on many of the practices that make up a traditional Japanese funeral. However, even the practices that are most sacred and dear — the honoring of a loved one who is passing on from this life — are not too high for Itami to skewer them.
From a technical aspect, it is astounding that this is Itami’s debut feature. His command of the visual craft here is already fantastic and feels fully developed. There are several shots in the film that are simply gorgeous, and others that are framed wonderfully for perfect comedic effect, all thanks to the work of cinematographer Yonezô Maeda. This Criterion edition features several bonus features, some new and some old. For the new, audiences can expect new interviews with actors Nobuko Miyamoto and Manpei Ikeuchi, which supplement a short program produced by the Criterion Channel and a booklet containing an essay by Pico Iyer and excerpts from Itami’s 1985 book Diary of “The Funeral” and a 2007 remembrance of Itami by actor Tsutomu Yamazaki. The Funeral is a Criterion that you are definitely going to want to pick up, especially if you are a fan of Japanese comedy. It’s sharp, witty, and still a phenomenal satire even after almost thirty years. The Criterion Collection edition of The Funeral is now available. By Tatiana Miranda  Before the creation of Studio Ghibli and its groundbreaking animated films such as My Neighbor Totoro, there were the early animated projects from Ghibli co-creators Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki‘s filmmaking careers. In 1974, they worked on the hit animated series Heidi, Girl of the Alps, and then nearly ten years later, they co-created Studio Ghibli, where they would create plenty of well-acclaimed animated features. Well before the height of their careers and after leaving Toei Animation, they worked together to make two animated shorts, Panda! Go, Panda! and Panda! Go, Panda!: Rainy Day Circus. For these shorts, Miyazaki debuted as a writer, and Takahata utilized his new skills in directing. Their collaboration on the Panda! Go, Panda! shorts paved the way for their eventual collaboration when creating Studio Ghibli. Made during the height of the panda craze in Japan during the seventies, Panda! Go Panda! took inspiration from many different popular influences at the time. The plot’s fairy tale themes are similar to that of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” particularly in the second short, Panda! Go, Panda!: Rainy Day Circus. The short film opens with circus employees searching the main character Mimiko’s house for their lost tiger. As they search, they grow increasingly anxious to discover who lives in the house as they come across the overly large items meant for the anthropomorphic panda character PapaPanda; this is similar to Goldilocks examining the different sized items in the three bears’ home.  Mimiko’s character design, such as her bright orange braids, take influence from Pippi Longstocking, which Takahata and Miyazaki had been working to adapt into an animated series. While some designs are remnants of scrapped projects, others would become an inspiration for later animated films. For example, PapaPanda, the large panda father to baby panda Panny and father figure to Mimiko, has very clear similarities to the design of Totoros from My Neighbor Totoro. Mimiko’s clothing is also very similar to that of Mei and Satsuki from My Neighbor Totoro.
Beyond being an insight into the development of later animated films by Miyazaki and Takahata, Panda! Go, Panda! is also an enjoyable watch in itself. These shorts make the most of their thirty-minute run time, with unique characters and adorable design choices matched with a simple but captivating plot premise. The first installment introduces Mimiko, a young orphan who is fiercely independent, as she creates a makeshift family with anthropomorphic pandas PapaPanda and Panny. These characters have an air of childlike wonder to them as they go on adventures, saving Panny and, in Panda! Go, Panda!: Rainy Day Circus, saving their new circus friends. Compared to later works by Miyazaki and Takahata, the plot of Panda! Go, Panda! is self-explanatory and straightforward, although one could infer something deeper about the forced entrapment of anthropomorphic animals that reoccurs in both shorts. Almost fifty years after its initial release in 1973, Panda! Go, Panda! has the same charm as modern animated shorts. Currently, a digital restoration of both shorts is being shown at select US theaters just in time for a new DVD and Blu-ray release on June 21.
By Sean Boelman
Regional festivals are awesome, especially those that focus on a specific theme and highlight films that support that message. Held in Dallas, TX, the EarthX Film Festival returns for a 2022 edition with the theme of “A Celebration of the Outdoors”. With a lineup encompassing everything from festival favorites to some exciting premieres from acclaimed filmmakers, this is an event not to miss.
Opening the festival is Ben Masters’s (The River and the Wall) new film, Deep in the Heart. Narrated by Academy Award-winner and iconic Texan Matthew McConaughey, this is the perfect local interest film to open a festival like this. Exploring the stories of several species of wildlife native to the ecosystems of Texas, this is the type of gorgeous nature documentary that just demands to be seen on the big screen. You will be in absolute awe of the natural beauty you see on screen. Another high-profile film playing the festival is Rachel Lears’s To the End. The filmmaker’s follow-up to the acclaimed Knock Down the House, Lears is again following Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (as well as two other subjects), this time as they fight for the Green New Deal and an overall shift in the way climate politics are done. It’s a very angry, timely film, and one that you will definitely want to see to ensure that you are part of the conversation. For those looking to take a chance on something more independent, check out Tigre Gente, directed by Elizabeth Unger. Telling the story of a Bolivian park ranger and a Hong Kong journalist who are investigating the illegal jaguar trade, the film does a great job of exploring this issue that you might not have known is much of an issue in the first place. Another hidden gem at the fest is Newtok, a documentary that explores an Alaskan community that is under threat of ending because of climate change. It’s a very different perspective of the climate crisis than you’ve probably ever seen before. Instead of inundating the audience with facts, directors Andrew Burton and Michael Kirby Smith show us the very real, human consequence of this ecological crisis, and it’s powerful. For the closing night of the festival, attendees can see the newest film from acclaimed director Stacy Peralta (Dogtown and Z-Boys), The Yin and Yang of Gerry Lopez. This biography of surfing legend Gerry Lopez is one of the more fun films to see in this year’s lineup — a nice break from some of the darker themes that many of the film’s in the festival cover. Other highlights in the lineup include Ron Howard’s We Feed People, Alex Pritz’s The Territory, and Sara Dosa’s Fire of Love, all films which premiered at the major festivals earlier this year to great acclaim. The festival aims to showcase the amazing planet we live on and the people who are trying to make a difference for the world, and all of these films do just that. The EarthX Film Festival runs from May 12-15. By Dan Skip Allen  Starting in the '40s and going through the '60s was the age of the big Hollywood musical. Sure, musicals trickled on through the rest of the decades, but not like the golden age of musicals. One of the era's biggest stars was Gene Kelly. Arguably his most famous and most important role was as Don Lockwood in Singin' in the Rain. It's a very influential film on many levels, some even considering it the best movie musical of all time. Lockwood (Gene Kelly) and Lamonte (Lina Hagan) are a very popular duo in Hollywood. They bring the crowds in by the droves for their silent pictures. While attending a party, the host shows them and the studio head a talking picture reel. The studio head gets the idea that talkies are the new-fangled thing that will bring the movie industry to the next level. When the picture he is making, The Dueling Cavalier, doesn't sound right, he doesn't know what to do. Singin' in the Rain has a great cast in addition to Kelly and Hagon. Debbie Reynolds, the mother of Carrie Fisher, is Kathy Seldon, an entertainer in her own right. She dances and sings at various parties. When Kelley's character's car breaks down, he gets a ride from her. This is the beginning of an on-again-off-again friendship between the two. Cosmo Brown (Donald O'Connor) is the best friend of Kelly's character. He is always there when he needs a friend to talk to or an idea. They work very well together on screen. Singin' in the Rain is an excellent film for many reasons, and one of them is that it has a great story of the transitioning of silent films into talking pictures. This was a story at the time that depicted something that actually went on in Hollywood a couple of decades before. Some people just couldn't cut it in talking pictures because they didn't have the proper accent or couldn't speak the English language, or have some other talent they needed. Dancing and singing were prerequisites now at this time in Hollywood. It's a big change.  Another thing that makes Singin' in the Rain so great is its great musical numbers. "Good Morning," "Make Me Laugh," the title track, "Singin' in the Rain," and so many more vibrant, entertaining songs kept this movie going from beginning to end. The songs are the heartbeat of this wonderful film about change in Hollywood. With Kelly, Reynolds, and O'Connor singing these songs, it was destined to be a success. They are easy to sing along with while watching the film. That's a key to why this was such a success.
Singin' in the Rain also had technical aspects that made it look and sound so good. Technicolor was a relatively new thing at the time that was used to bring this film to life. The various dance numbers are very vibrant. Colorful costumes and sets jumped off the screen. The remastering for the 70th Anniversary didn't hurt the film — it made it better. This film has never looked better than it does now, 70 years later. That's saying a lot for a movie this old to still stand up this far from when it came out originally. Gene Kelly was a massive star when Singin' in the Rain came out. He'd done An American in Paris, Brigadoon, and Hello Dolly, but his biggest and most famous role ever was as Don Lockwood. Kelly danced and sang his way to stardom. He had a charisma and personality that made him a star. Kelly was a talent that has rarely been seen before or since. One of my influences as a film critic is Roger Ebert. His favorite film of all time was Singin' in the Rain. I understand why he loves this film so much. "Singin' in the Rain pulses with life; in a movie about making movies, you can sense the joy they had making this one." This says it all. Once I saw it, I instantly loved it. Seventy years later, it holds up as one of the great musicals and films in general of all time. MGM made a film that will probably influence filmmakers and be enjoyed by film fans like me for decades to come.
Review by Sean Boelman
One of the great things about the Criterion Collection is that they re-release films that aren’t as widely available. Their new high-definition transfer of The Girl Can’t Help It, a genre-defining jukebox musical from 1956, is a welcome addition to the collection that will help prevent this seminal movie from fading into obscurity.
In the film, a gangster hires a down-and-out press agent to turn his girlfriend into a singing star, but issues arise when they realize she isn’t as talented as they had thought. It’s a movie that plays a lot of delicate balancing acts — wholesome yet edgy, progressive but familiar — but it’s a wonderful comedy that went underappreciated at the time and has this second chance to be discovered. The film stars Tom Ewell, who was in some of the most acclaimed comedies of the era (such as The Seven Year Itch and Adam’s Rib), and Jayne Mansfield, who Hollywood tried their best to make their next Marilyn Monroe. Upon release, Ewell and Mansfield were criticized for their lack of chemistry in the movie compared to its contemporary comedies, but it works given that this isn’t like the charming screwball comedies that came decades before it. Yes, the plot of the film is absurd and ridiculous, but it is also edgy and satirical in an almost mean-spirited way. It’s reminiscent of The Producers, even though this movie predates Mel Brooks’s musical comedy by over a decade. It’s ahead of its time in terms of the plot and tone, but it was also very progressive as a jukebox musical. 
Ewell opens the film with a monologue that breaks the fourth wall and brings the audience into this “story of music” in “lifelike color by DeLuxe” (which looks absolutely gorgeous in this transfer, by the way). It’s a gimmick that we can look back at today and observe with amused admiration, but was likely a hoot back in the day.
The movie features several rock and roll performances throughout, making it a celebration of some of the most iconic music stars of all time. Cameo performances by Little Richard, Eddie Cochran, and Fats Domino, among others, give the film an undeniable and infectious energy and would come to make it one of the most influential movies in all of music history. The bonus content that has been released as part of this Criterion Collection edition is fantastic, including new essays, interviews, and commentaries on the film. The insert is also great, with an essay by Rachel Syme and excerpts from director Frank Tashlin’s book How to Create Cartoons, offering a glimpse into the mind of its creator. The Girl Can’t Help It is an important moment in music and film history, and is an important addition to the library of any cinephile. The Criterion Collection has outdone themselves with this wonderful transfer and release of a movie that is dying to be rediscovered. The Criterion Collection edition of The Girl Can’t Help It is now available. |