Rod Bastanmehr
Film
'Matangi / Maya / M.I.A.' Looks at How M.I.A. Married Terrorism and Pop
All Stephen Loveridge's doc wants to do is *gunshots* and a *click* *cash register noise* and look at the pop star's groundbreaking politics.
Rod Bastanmehr
10.5.18
Film
'The Square' Is a Brilliant Takedown of the Art World
Ruben Ostlund's latest satire bites back at the limits of altruism.
Rod Bastanmehr
10.27.17
'Behemoth' Shines a Light on the Horrific Lives of Mongolian Coal Miners
We chat with the legendary director about his newest film, ghost towns, and the future of China.
Rod Bastanmehr
5.30.17
Film
Does 'Barb Wire' Actually Suck?
The much-maligned Pamela Anderson film takes place in 2017, so we look back to see if it holds new relevancy—or if it's still terrible.
Rod Bastanmehr
3.27.17
Film
Does 'The Artist' Actually Suck?
We look back on the French silent film that won 2011's Best Picture Oscar and see if it still holds up.
Rod Bastanmehr
2.28.17
Essays
To Be Real: The Enduring Queer Musical Legacy of ‘Paris is Burning’
Vogue culture has since infiltrated mainstream pop, but this iconic 1990 film stands as a monument to a time before everyone screamed "yas queen".
Rod Bastanmehr
2.28.17
Crime
The Heartbreak of Spending Christmas in Prison
Wrongfully convicted women recall the holidays they spent behind bars.
Rod Bastanmehr
12.25.16
Film
Being a Farmer Sucks
The new documentary 'Peter and the Farm' is an unflinching look at the highs and lows of being the only farmer on a one-man farm.
Rod Bastanmehr
11.4.16
Culture
How ‘Black Mirror’ Went from Being a Clever Show to a Televised Thinkpiece
Charlie Brooker's show has moved from TV to Netflix, bringing in an American sensibility that leaves you wondering what its underlying message achieves.
Rod Bastanmehr
10.22.16
Stuff
Fortællingen om historiens mest bizarre og stødende reality-program
Mere end ti år senere ser programmets deltagere tilbage på, hvad der gjorde programmet så surrealistisk.
Rod Bastanmehr
9.7.16
Stuff
How the Most Bizarre and Offensive Reality TV Show of All Time Got Made
FOX's 'The Swan' chronicled 16 women as they underwent extensive plastic surgery and weeks of intensive therapy. Over a decade later, the key players involved with the reality TV show look back at what made the show so particularly surreal.
Rod Bastanmehr
9.4.16
Culture
'Lady Dynamite' Is the Funniest Show About Mental Health That You're Not Watching Yet
Comic Maria Bamford sweeps her biographical story of mental illness into an absurdist, quick-fire comedy show that feels like a revelation.
Rod Bastanmehr
6.11.16
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