“Cube (1997), directed by Vincenzo Natali — Cube has found an international audience among hardcore fans of SF/dystopian thrillers, but according to my informal polling, it doesn’t seem to be well-known among the general population abroad. And that’s a shame—it’s a tight little package. Viewing Cube for the first time a decade after its release may not be giving the film its full due, however, considering how popular its premise has recently become. The “Lost” series and the Saw franchise are especially fond of the structure: seemingly random strangers awaking in a madman’s (?) constructed environment are forced to pool talents in order to survive.
Careful (1992), directed by Guy Maddin — Maddin is our Robert Wiene, our Georges Méliès, our Leni Riefenstahl—our expressionist surrealist –ist director whose work sadly won’t appeal to everyone, especially people averse to 1920s and 30s cinema, which he obsessively reproduces. The man is in love with diffusion filters, monochromatic washes, intertitles and overwrought dialogue—techniques which never obliterate the contemporary layer Maddin refuses to peel off entirely. The result is imaginative and utterly unique.”…… <More>
