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A review of Real Genius (1985)

Indiana University Cinema @iucinema.bsky.social · 2d

On @letterboxd.social: Jesse Pasternack looks back at the comedic work Val Kilmer brought to the screen in the ’80s with films like REAL GENIUS (screening 10/16) and how it precipitated his later movie stardom.

The Early Comedies of Val Kilmer, by Jesse Pasternack Val Kilmer was one of the most beloved American actors of the second half of the 20th century. Over the course of his decades-long career, he rece...

“Told You I’m Never Going Back:” Michael Mann’s Heat, by Chris Forrester You might expect the most enduring image of a three-hour crime epic from the genre’s most accomplished filmmaker since Martin S...

Indiana University Cinema @iucinema.bsky.social · 8d

Chris Forrester breaks down the mirroring between Al Pacino and Robert De Niro’s characters, the vicious cycle of the carceral system, and more in 1995’s cops-and-robbers saga HEAT (screening 10/9) on @letterboxd.social:

A review of Heat (1995)

A review of Riefenstahl (2024)

Indiana University Cinema @iucinema.bsky.social · 13d

Ahead of our 10/4 showing of RIEFENSTAHL, on @letterboxd.social Ben van Welzen considers how film was used to exalt and expose the evil of WWII, as demonstrated by the opposing approaches of Leni Riefenstahl and Alain Resnais.

Exploiting Artistry: Cinematic Propaganda and Documentary in World War II, by Ben van Welzen Film is propaganda. An effective film penetrates the mind, circumvents rational thought, and — in the words...

A review of My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

Indiana University Cinema @iucinema.bsky.social · 19d

Our @letterboxd.social latest: IU Cinema Founding Director Emeritus Jon Vickers discusses the pivotal role of nature in the Miyazaki classic MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO (showing 9/30) and the inspiring documentary about second chances CITY OF TREES (showing 10/7).

For Wonder and for Action, by Jon Vickers While most people understand the environmental aspects of individual trees and forests — trees are inherently good — many do not know the links to socio-econo...

A review of Some Like It Hot (1959)

Indiana University Cinema @iucinema.bsky.social · 20d

On @letterboxd.social: Ben van Welzen details how filmmaker Billy Wilder's past informed his work and subsequently elevated American cinema with films like SOME LIKE IT HOT (screening 9/27).

Billy’s Wild World: The Multicultural Irreverence of Billy Wilder and Some Like It Hot, by Ben van Welzen In 1906, a boy was born in a 10-square-mile town in a country that no longer exists, about to ...

A review of Y Tu Mamá También (2001)

Indiana University Cinema @iucinema.bsky.social · 23d

Jesse Pasternack explains why the use of voiceover narration excels in Alfonso Cuarón’s coming-of-age classic Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN (screening 9/25) on @letterboxd.social:

The Digressionary Delights of Y Tu Mamá También (2001), by Jesse Pasternack Y Tu Mamá También (2001) has one of the best uses of voiceover narration in the history of cinema. Writers Alfonso Cuarón (w...

A review of Mickey 17 (2025)

Indiana University Cinema @iucinema.bsky.social · 27d

New on @letterboxd.social: Alex Brannan extols the virtues of MICKEY 17 (screening 9/19 and 9/20), Bong Joon-ho’s unfairly maligned follow-up to his Oscar-winning smash PARASITE.

Two Beating Hearts in the Machine of Capitalism: Mickey 17 and Bong Joon-ho’s Humanism, by Alex Brannan Bong Joon-ho, the long-treasured South Korean filmmaker whose films whimsically dance around the...

A review of Pink Flamingos (1972)

Indiana University Cinema @iucinema.bsky.social · Sep 15

Underground Film Series curator Justin Bonthuys details how the John Waters trashterpiece PINK FLAMINGOS (screening 9/19) is still relevant over 50 years later on @letterboxd.social.

The Freedom to Be Filthy: Pink Flamingos at 51, by Justin Bonthuys Recently, I was talking to a friend from Brazil about screening Pink Flamingos at IU Cinema. After showing him a clip, he asked me wh...

A review of Velvet Goldmine (1998)

Indiana University Cinema @iucinema.bsky.social · Sep 11

Chris Forrester explains how filmmaker Todd Haynes expertly crafted a David Bowie biopic without actually making a David Bowie biopic with VELVET GOLDMINE (screening on 9/18) on @letterboxd.social:

Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide: Todd Haynes’s Velvet Goldmine, by Chris Forrester While much better known for his vivid invocations and reworking of classical melodrama — Safe (1995), Far From Heaven (2002), M...

A review of The Birdcage (1996)

Indiana University Cinema @iucinema.bsky.social · Sep 10

Our @letterboxd.social latest: Michaela Owens contextualizes the production history of the comedy classic directed by Mike Nichols and penned by Elaine May, THE BIRDCAGE (screening tomorrow, 9/11).

Piercing the Toast: How The Birdcage Changed Cinema, by Michaela Owens A hilarious farce about a gay couple and the outrageous ruse they’re willing to go through in order to convince their son’s futur...

A review of Sorry, Baby (2025)

Indiana University Cinema @iucinema.bsky.social · Sep 8

Noni Ford discusses the authenticity and friendship imbued in Eva Victor’s acclaimed feature debut SORRY, BABY (screening 9/12 and 9/13) on Letterboxd:

Passages of Time in Sorry, Baby, by Noni Ford Memories can be so strong that at times it can feel like there’s a mini movie theater in your mind replaying slivers of your past where you are both the v...

A review of The Pink Panther (1963)

Indiana University Cinema @iucinema.bsky.social · Sep 4

New on @letterboxd: Michaela Owens takes a deep dive into the various iterations of the iconic detective at the heart of the Pink Panther franchise, which kicked off with 1963's THE PINK PANTHER (screening this Saturday, 9/6).

The Many Lives of Inspector Clouseau, by Michaela Owens Although Peter Sellers’s career offers many, many chameleonic characters — some even in the same film — there is perhaps one who looms the large...

After Happily Ever After: How Shrek 2 Builds Upon Shrek to Become a Perfect Sequel, by Jesse Pasternack Shrek 2 (2004) is one of the best sequels ever made. The directors and writers brilliantly build...

Indiana University Cinema @iucinema.bsky.social · Aug 18

New on @letterboxd.social: Jesse Pasternack makes his case for why the second SHREK film is a terrific continuation of the original.

A review of Shrek (2001)

A review of Dial M for Murder (1954)

Indiana University Cinema @iucinema.bsky.social · Aug 14

After a brief summer hiatus, Establishing Shot is back! Check us out on @letterboxd.social as Chris Forrester delves into a trio of Alfred Hitchcock’s macabre masterpieces and the careful plotting—and unraveling—of their characters’ homicidal desires: letterboxd.com/iucinema/fil...

Three (Im)perfect Crimes: Hitchcock’s Murder Plots, by Chris Forrester Only a handful of filmmakers have remade their own films (Michael Haneke with Funny Games, George Sluizer with The Vanishing, Oli...

Hollywood icons, visiting filmmakers, festival favorites round out fall lineup at IU Cinema

Indiana University Cinema @iucinema.bsky.social · Aug 5

Babe, wake up, new IU Cinema programming season just dropped

news.iu.edu/live/news/46...

Movie buffs can anticipate an entertaining season this fall as Indiana University Cinema presents an eclectic lineup of film series, special guests and fe...

news.iu.edu

'Sorry, Baby' is a story about pain and healing you haven't heard before

Reposted by Indiana University Cinema

Brit Freeze @midwesttisbest.bsky.social · Jul 16

Very much looking forward to sharing this 2025 standout in @iucinema.bsky.social's New Americas Cinema series this fall.

Stay tuned for our full season drop in a few weeks!

#filmsky

NPR @npr.org · Jul 16

Eva Victor wrote, directed and stars in this tender film about a woman trying to make sense of life after sexual assault. Although very much a drama, Sorry, Baby showcases Victor's comic smarts.

Eva Victor wrote, directed and stars in this tender film about a woman trying to make sense of life after sexual assault. Although very much a drama, Sorry, Baby showcases Victor's comic smarts.

n.pr

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Indiana University Cinema @iucinema.bsky.social · Jul 9

Thrilled that Milestone Film's new restoration of QUEEN KELLY is premiering at La Biennale di Venezia, complete with a score from IU alum Eli Denson, commissioned as part of IU Cinema's Jon Vickers Scoring Award program. So proud that IU Cinema is able to contribute to cinema history in this way.

Biennale Cinema 2025 | Queen Kelly (1929) di Erich von Stroheim film di Preapertura della 82. Mostra

Martedì 26 agosto in Sala Darsena (Lido di Venezia) con musica dal vivo del Syntax Ensemble.

www.labiennale.org

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Indiana University Cinema @iucinema.bsky.social · Jul 8

We’re dark until mid-August but be sure to follow us here and on instagram (@iucinema) for sneak peeks of our upcoming schedule, special announcements, summer watchlists and more!

A review of GoodFellas (1990)

Indiana University Cinema @iucinema.bsky.social · Jun 27

Before our blog goes "dark" for the month of July, Jesse Pasternack praises the writing of GOODFELLAS scribe Nicholas Pileggi and its contributions to the iconography of the Martin Scorsese classic (screening tomorrow, 6/28) on @letterboxd.social:

GoodFellas (1990) Has One of the Best Screenplays Ever Written, by Jesse Pasternack Most people remember GoodFellas (1990) for its images and music. They think of the Copacabana scene, in which the ca...

A review of The Fifth Element (1997)

Indiana University Cinema @iucinema.bsky.social · Jun 23

Noni Ford reflects on her recent first watch of Luc Besson’s beloved cult sensation THE FIFTH ELEMENT (screening 6/26) and its depiction of humanity amidst its familiar story of good versus evil on @letterboxd.social:

Look, Up in the Sky! It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s The Fifth Element! by Noni Ford Is this a comedy? Is this a grand space romance? Is this an epic about the fight for the survival of the human race...

A review of Taxi Driver (1976)

Indiana University Cinema @iucinema.bsky.social · Jun 16

New on @letterboxd.social: Chris Forrester contemplates a handful of works by Paul Schrader, including TAXI DRIVER (showing 6/21), which reveal a debt to filmmaker Robert Bresson as they excavate the isolation, morality, and violence of their male protagonists.

Paul Schrader’s Lonely Men, by Chris Forrester If you’re more than passingly acquainted with the films of Paul Schrader, this is likely a familiar image to you: a man and a woman in a prison setting, ...

Masters of the West: The Updated Canons of the Coen Brothers, by Ben van Welzen A snowy Midwestern crime thriller, a comedic bowling neo-noir, a bluegrass musical Odyssey, a greyish New York character...

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Indiana University Cinema @iucinema.bsky.social · Jun 9

On @letterboxd.social: Ben van Welzen parses how the Coen Brothers reimagined such genres as the Western and film noir to create their own unique cinematic touchstones in films like FARGO (screening as a new 4K restoration on 6/14).

A review of Fargo (1996)

A review of Starship Troopers (1997)

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Indiana University Cinema @iucinema.bsky.social · Jun 2

New on @letterboxd.social: Alex Brannan explains how STARSHIP TROOPERS (screening 6/4), both Robert Heinlein’s book and Paul Verhoeven’s film adaptation, operates in a satiric mode that can make it easy to miss its darker implications.

The Only Good Bug: Reading Starship Troopers, by Alex Brannan The cover of my copy of Robert Heinlein’s Starship Troopers declares the novel “the controversial classic of military adventure.” Heinlein...

A review of Run Lola Run (1998)

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Indiana University Cinema @iucinema.bsky.social · May 19

Jesse Pasternack explains how the non-stop propulsion of RUN LOLA RUN (screening 5/29) is achieved through its music, editing, and more on @letterboxd.social:

“Off We Go!”: Why Run Lola Run (1998) is One of the Most Energetic Movies Ever Made, by Jesse Pasternack Run Lola Run (1998) is one of the most energetic movies ever made. Everything about it, from it...