Kathryn Bigelow

From her breakthrough with Near Dark, a contemporary vampire movie featuring undead who roam the West in a van, Kathryn Bigelow has broken new ground for female movie directors. Simply following her instincts for atmosphere and suspense, she’s become a specialist in fable and adventure. Even skeptics acknowledge her knack for splashy action-film iconography in movies like Point Break , which turned Keanu Reeves into a Gen-X version of the strong, silent type and showcased Patrick Swayze as a specialist in tough-guy karma while mixing surfing and grand larceny. She displays a mesmerizing talent for capturing mood, emotion and atmosphere, in gesture as well ... Read Full Story

The last time I tried to watch Near Dark , I failed miserably. This time I suppose I made it through the running time–I think that still image at the end is supposed to be some profound statement–but not all of my brain cells made it with me. They abandoned ship as the film progressed. The only conceivable reason I can come up with for Near Dark ’s popularity is its mid-1990s rarity. It was a reuniting of memorable Aliens cast members and it wasn’t readily available on video–there was an old HBO Home Video release and I’m not sure it got another release ... Read Full Story

rrhobbs: #indieWIRE #news: “Locker,” “Fan” Lead Gotham Nods: Kathryn Bigelow’s “The Hurt Locker” and Ro.. http://kl.am/4bYy Read Full Story

Uncategorized By J.R. Hudson ⋅ September 17, 2008 ⋅   Email This Post ⋅   Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment She’s better than most dude directors. In the long list of great directors and favorite filmmakers, a woman’s name isn’t often, hell, ever brought up and I confess I do find it hard pressed to name some that raise the bar for me and inspire me in my own pursuit and dream of filmmaking. Immediately coming to mind are Sofia Coppola (Marie Antoinette, Lost in Translation, The Virgin Suicides), Kimberly Pierce (Stop-Loss, Boys Don’t Cry) and Mimi Leder (Deep Impact, The Peacemaker ... Read Full Story

When The Hurt Locker gets predictable, it gets into trouble. Of the super predictable events, there was only one thing I didn’t get right. The Hurt Locker , which uses its recognizable faces in bit parts better than any film in a while (I don’t know the last time Ralph Fiennes was so good–he ought to do a spin-off), eventually falls victim to its traditional, melodramatic narrative. It’s too bad, because as it plays out in vignettes, The Hurt Locker is incredibly impressive. Maybe it hiccups too when Brian Geraghty’s character, who’s something of discreet protagonist (he gets his own scenes while Anthony Mackie ... Read Full Story