Festival Rewind
A SLIFF 2024 Recap
The 33rd St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF)
St. Louis International Film Festival ( or SLIFF if you’re cool) concluded its 33rd year with Nightbitch (2024), the Amy Adams body horror/comedy about a new mother who transforms into a dog. It takes an exaggerated look at the biological changes women experience during pregnancy and childbirth. This one would work better as a short film, but it has some funny moments and a nice, empowering message about motherhood. Plus, you get to see Amy Adams with eight nipples.
Those of you who vomited during The Substance (2024) need not worry. Nightbitch is pretty tame when it comes to body horror. Amy Adams grows a tail, pops some zits, and gains unwanted hair and those aforementioned nipples, but that’s really it. This movie is more about empowerment than body transformation. The audience loved it; lots of laughs and applause at the end. It came close to winning the audience award (I counted the ballots), but that honor was instead bestowed on September 5 (2024). Nevertheless, I think you guys will like Nightbitch.
A week earlier, SLIFF opened with A Real Pain (2024) - Jesse Eisenberg’s film about two cousins who take a trip to Poland after their grandma’s death. I really liked this one at Sundance, but I originally saw it the same night as The Zone of Interest (2023). Two Holocaust movies in one night is a lot and it forced unfair comparisons.
This time around, I really got to soak in the performances. Kieren Culkin will win an Oscar, although putting him in the supporting actor category shows a lack of confidence if you ask me. And even though everyone will talk about Kieren Culkin, don’t sleep on Jesse Eisenberg. His acting is very nuanced and it shines in subtle facial expressions and body language - usually in response to Culkin’s behavior. If I produced A Real Pain, I’d have Culkin compete in the best actor category and give Eisenberg the space to win a supporting actor statue.
SLIFF introduced me to Traumnovelle (2025), a German movie based on the same source material as Eyes Wide Shut (1999). However, director Florian Frerichs does not try to emulate Kubrick. Instead he goes hard on the surrealism; it even turns to animation a couple times. The movie is more Lynchian than Kubrick. A fellow movie-goer called it a reverse-Belle du Jour (1967). I kinda see it. This isn’t one I’d recommend unless you think adding app-controlled vibrators to Eyes Wide Shut is a good idea.
Last but certainly not least, I saw The Brutalist (2024), a $10,000,000 epic set in New England after WWII. I love how Brady Corbet utilizes light and shadows to fill the screen. See it on film if you can. I got to see this one on 35 mm and it looked beautiful. The story is expansive and compelling, but its a lot to take in. Frankly, I need to see it again to understand it. So, for today only, let’s just focus on how pretty this movie looks.
Corbet shot the whole thing in VistaVision, which is essentially 35 mm film flipped on its side to create widescreen shots. That’s why Paramount invented VistaVision in 1954 - to create wide moving images in high definition. It’s a great way to make small movies look huge, which is exactly what Corbet did here. Check out the video above and this Letterboxd List for more VistaVision fun.
I wanted to see Nickel Boys (2024) and September 5 (2024) at SLIFF, but my schedule wouldn’t support it.
Merch Store Memo
A few weeks ago, I polled substackers to see if I should include the occasional segment on movie merch. You responded with a resounding “YES.” I’m glad because I also like merch. For example, here’s the merch on my office bookshelf:
Today, I’m using this segment to create awareness on a serious issue. People keep bringing blankets to the movie theater. That’s disgusting. Sit like a normal person, you’re in public. You may as well be cuddling and caressing yourself in public.
So, as you can imagine, I got a little annoyed by Alamo Drafthouse’s merch for Musfasa (2024) (I thought it was Mustafa or maybe Mufasta until now).
Anyway, it’s disheartening that the advertising is marketed to kids. Do we really need to reinforce this behavior? Alamo, I know you’re better than that.
On the Horizon
My wife, Bunny Mintz, spent the past ten days in Thailand and Malaysia. I usually watch movies set where Bunny travels to feel closer to her while she’s away. This time, I watched a lot Hong Kong movies (they always end up in Thailand in those movies). So thank Bunny for next issue’s topic: Hong Kong Category III Films.
Murray’s Top Four
Here’s four good movies I saw since publishing last issue:
Conclave (2024): I took my mom to see this at Alamo Drafthouse. She loved it! This may be a good holiday pick for the family.
Dagger Eyes (1983): A stylish giallo starring Carole Bouquet as Mystere, a high-end call girl in possession of the only clue connecting an assassin to a high-profile murder.
Anora (2024): Sean Baker’s new twisted love story will pull you in and won’t let go until the credits roll. Maybe my favorite movie released in 2024.
Seizure! (1974): Oliver Stone’s directorial debut is a wild nightmare starring Tattoo from Fantasy Island and the stunning Bond girl, Martine Beswick. An excellent midnight movie.
Happy watching!
Really looking forward to The Brutalist and Nightbitch. Glad to hear the latter isn't super crazy body horror for this movie lover with a weak stomach.