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  • Interviews
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  • Shorts & Vignettes
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  • Creative Corner
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  • Archives

cinephile, noun ~ cine·phile \ˈsi-nə-ˌfī(-ə)l\ a devotee of motion pictures

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alex.arabian89@gmail.com
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Making a CinephileMaking a Cinephile
Making a CinephileMaking a Cinephile

Cinephile, n


| cine·phile | \ˈsi-nə-ˌfī(-ə)l\ |


a devotee of motion pictures

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  • Reviews
    • RANDOM
        RANDOM
        • Candyman’s Use of Historical Black Puppetry as Narrative DeviceCandyman’s Use of Historical Black Puppetry as Narrative DeviceJanuary 24, 2022
    • RECENT
        RECENT
        • How Color Is The Key To Unlocking Netflix’s Subversive Cult Body-Horror Hit ‘The Perfection’

          How Color Is The Key To Unlocking Netflix’s Subversive Cult Body-Horror Hit ‘The Perfection’

          January 24, 2022
        • ‘The Velvet Underground’ review: Music doc from Todd Haynes brilliantly reintroduces important counterculture voices to a new generation [Grade: A] (Mill Valley Film Festival)

          ‘The Velvet Underground’ review: Music doc from Todd Haynes brilliantly reintroduces important counterculture voices to a new generation [Grade: A] (Mill Valley Film Festival)

          January 24, 2022
        • Why The Shimmer in ‘Annihilation’ is an allegory for the U.S.’s foreign policy [Retrospective]

          Why The Shimmer in ‘Annihilation’ is an allegory for the U.S.’s foreign policy [Retrospective]

          January 24, 2022
        • Martin Scorsese’s timeless ‘Boxcar Bertha’ and the Marxist undertones of his often overlooked early classic [Retrospective]

          Martin Scorsese’s timeless ‘Boxcar Bertha’ and the Marxist undertones of his often overlooked early classic [Retrospective]

          January 24, 2022
        • Free Guy’s Marxist Parallels To John Carpenter’s They Live

          Free Guy’s Marxist Parallels To John Carpenter’s They Live

          January 24, 2022
        Read More
  • Interviews
    • RANDOM
        RANDOM
        • Tiller Russell, Jason Clarke return to S.F. for ‘Silk Road,’ about the dark net marketplace’s demiseTiller Russell, Jason Clarke return to S.F. for ‘Silk Road,’ about the dark net marketplace’s demiseMarch 21, 2021
    • RECENT
        RECENT
        • ‘Entertainment right now can be sinister’: Jane Schoenbrun on ‘We’re All Going to the World’s Fair’

          ‘Entertainment right now can be sinister’: Jane Schoenbrun on ‘We’re All Going to the World’s Fair’

          May 30, 2022
        • Interstellar improv: Don Lake spills on the stars behind Netflix’s ‘Space Force’

          Interstellar improv: Don Lake spills on the stars behind Netflix’s ‘Space Force’

          May 30, 2022
        • Interview: Pamela Adlon on Bringing Out the Dead for the Final Season of Better Things

          Interview: Pamela Adlon on Bringing Out the Dead for the Final Season of Better Things

          May 30, 2022
        • Interview: Kristen Stewart on Channeling Princess Diana for Pablo Larraín’s Spencer

          Interview: Kristen Stewart on Channeling Princess Diana for Pablo Larraín’s Spencer

          May 30, 2022
        • Interview: Jane Campion on The Power of the Dog and the Myth of the American West

          Interview: Jane Campion on The Power of the Dog and the Myth of the American West

          May 30, 2022
        Read More
  • Other Publications
    • RANDOM
        RANDOM
        • An Ode to Souvenir Pint Glasses, the Most Nostalgic Form of Movie FandomAn Ode to Souvenir Pint Glasses, the Most Nostalgic Form of Movie FandomNovember 17, 2020
    • RECENT
        RECENT
        • Read an excerpt from an SF Indiefest award-winning local screenplay

          Read an excerpt from an SF Indiefest award-winning local screenplay

          May 30, 2022
        • 12 Best Original Netflix Movies, Ranked

          12 Best Original Netflix Movies, Ranked

          January 24, 2022
        • Jurassic World: Why There Can Never Be Another Park

          Jurassic World: Why There Can Never Be Another Park

          January 24, 2022
        • 13 Scariest Scenes from The Haunting Series That Terrified Us on Netflix

          13 Scariest Scenes from The Haunting Series That Terrified Us on Netflix

          January 24, 2022
        • 10 Scariest Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked

          10 Scariest Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked

          January 24, 2022
        Read More
  • Shorts & Vignettes
    • RANDOM
        RANDOM
        • A Long December (Good Riddance 2016)A Long December (Good Riddance 2016)January 9, 2017
    • RECENT
        RECENT
        • Watch The Trailer For My New Short Film, “Dave’s Last Night on Earth”

          Watch The Trailer For My New Short Film, “Dave’s Last Night on Earth”

          November 19, 2018
        • The Berlinale 2017 Highlight Reel

          The Berlinale 2017 Highlight Reel

          June 8, 2017
        • “DISCREET” Berlinale Interview

          “DISCREET” Berlinale Interview

          June 8, 2017
        • Roasted Chicken Recipe (Trading Post, Cloverdale, CA)

          Roasted Chicken Recipe (Trading Post, Cloverdale, CA)

          June 8, 2017
        • LA LA LAND takes field-leading 8 ACCA wins, including Best Picture and Best Director for Damien Chazelle

          LA LA LAND takes field-leading 8 ACCA wins, including Best Picture and Best Director for Damien Chazelle

          February 9, 2017
        Read More
  • Creative Corner
    • RANDOM
        RANDOM
        • Jack Kilmer on ”Detective Knight: Independence,” ”Willow,” and His Impressive FilmographyJanuary 20, 2023
    • RECENT
        RECENT
        • Emily Mkrtichian on New Artsakh Documentary, “There Was, There Was Not

          Emily Mkrtichian on New Artsakh Documentary, “There Was, There Was Not

          December 17, 2024
        • David Dastmalchian Discusses Career, “Late Night with the Devil,” Dream Collaborations, and More

          David Dastmalchian Discusses Career, “Late Night with the Devil,” Dream Collaborations, and More

          August 22, 2024
        • June Squibb and Josh Margolin Dish on “Thelma”

          June Squibb and Josh Margolin Dish on “Thelma”

          June 29, 2024
        • Boots Riley Talks ”I’m a Virgo,” ”Sorry to Bother You,” Oakland, Gaza, & Leftist Politics

          Boots Riley Talks ”I’m a Virgo,” ”Sorry to Bother You,” Oakland, Gaza, & Leftist Politics

          November 9, 2023
        • Marc Turtletaub Talks ”Jules,” Sir Ben Kingsley, Producing, Directing, & More

          Marc Turtletaub Talks ”Jules,” Sir Ben Kingsley, Producing, Directing, & More

          September 1, 2023
        Read More
  • Archives

Film Reviews

"The scene here is characterized by less of a buffer between celebrity and audience in the form of obsessive fandom and paparazzi, but rather, a unique synergy between the filmmaker and the film lover, for which the SFFS has made an ideal platform for this relationship to blossom."

This section consists of a collection of my professionally published film reviews and unpublished film reviews original to Making a Cinephile™.

Scroll below to view my film criticism portfolio: ⇓

San Francisco International Film Festival 2019 Review: TRIAL BY FIRE

San Francisco International Film Festival 2019 Review: TRIAL BY FIRE

[Published at Film Inquiry] Director, producer, and screenwriter Edward Zwick‘s breadth of work may not be as plentiful as many...

By Alex Arabian October 9, 2019 Film Reviews, Professional Publications No Comments
Read More
‘Murder In The Front Row: The San Francisco Bay Area Thrash Metal Story’: Poseurs Take Heed & Hide, This Doc Bleeds With Pride

‘Murder In The Front Row: The San Francisco Bay Area Thrash Metal Story’: Poseurs Take Heed & Hide, This Doc Bleeds With Pride

The ’80s had arrived. Disco was dead, and for many, new wave synth wasn’t cutting it. People hungered for a...

By Alex Arabian May 15, 2019 Film Reviews, Professional Publications No Comments
Read More
UNICORN STORE: Larson’s Directorial Debut Oozes With The Thaumaturgy Of Childhood

UNICORN STORE: Larson’s Directorial Debut Oozes With The Thaumaturgy Of Childhood

[Published at Film Inquiry] A Sacramento, California native, at the age of six, Brie Larson became the youngest person to attend...

By Alex Arabian May 15, 2019 Film Reviews, Professional Publications No Comments
Read More
‘The OA Part II’: The Ambitious Series Returns With A Superior Second Season That Gives Plenty Of Answers & Even More Questions [Review]

‘The OA Part II’: The Ambitious Series Returns With A Superior Second Season That Gives Plenty Of Answers & Even More Questions [Review]

Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij left audiences speechless when they ended the first season of their groundbreaking Netflix sci-fi series, “The OA,” on...

By Alex Arabian March 24, 2019 Film Reviews, Professional Publications No Comments
Read More
Last Month On THE FLASH: Nora’s Reverse-Flash Secret, Defeating Cicada…Again & Where’s Joe?

Last Month On THE FLASH: Nora’s Reverse-Flash Secret, Defeating Cicada…Again & Where’s Joe?

[Published at Film Inquiry] Joe West’s (Jesse L. Martin) absence from The Flash has become too obvious not to address. As...

By Alex Arabian March 24, 2019 Film Reviews, Professional Publications No Comments
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Last Month On SUPERGIRL: Sisters Apart, Dream Girl’s Coming Out & Agent Liberty’s Deputization

Last Month On SUPERGIRL: Sisters Apart, Dream Girl’s Coming Out & Agent Liberty’s Deputization

[Published at Film Inquiry] When we last visited Supergirl, before the Arrowverse annual crossover event, Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) was fired from the...

By Alex Arabian March 24, 2019 Film Reviews, Professional Publications No Comments
Read More
Netflix’s ‘The Punisher’: A More Character-Driven, Albeit Uneven Path To Redemption In Season 2 [Review]

Netflix’s ‘The Punisher’: A More Character-Driven, Albeit Uneven Path To Redemption In Season 2 [Review]

The knob on the proverbial stove of Marvel’s “The Punisher” on Netflix steadily rotates clockwise in Season 2, and the flame spreads...

By Alex Arabian January 20, 2019 Film Reviews, Professional Publications No Comments
Read More
Last Month On THE FLASH: Mysterious Father Figures, More Time Travel, A Familiar Foe, & Cicada’s Downfall?

Last Month On THE FLASH: Mysterious Father Figures, More Time Travel, A Familiar Foe, & Cicada’s Downfall?

[Published at Film Inquiry] In the four episodes of The Flash leading up to the holiday break (excluding part one of the...

By Alex Arabian January 20, 2019 Film Reviews, Professional Publications No Comments
Read More
THE LEISURE SEEKER: For Those Seeking A Leisurely Viewing Experience

THE LEISURE SEEKER: For Those Seeking A Leisurely Viewing Experience

[Published at Film Inquiry] Directed by Paolo Virzì (La prima cosa bella, Tutta la vita davanti), written by Virzì, Stephen Amidon (Il capitale umano), Francesca Archibugi (Mignon è...

By Alex Arabian January 20, 2019 Film Reviews, Professional Publications No Comments
Read More
This Month On SUPERGIRL: The Children Of Liberty, Dreamer, Manchester Bad, & A Drunk Brainiac!

Last Month On SUPERGIRL: The Children Of Liberty, Dreamer, Manchester Bad, & A Drunk Brainiac!

[Published at Film Inquiry] Recently, Two and a Half Men star Jon Cryer was cast as Lex Luthor on Supergirl, with executive producers Robert Rovner and Jessica Queller planning...

By Alex Arabian January 20, 2019 Film Reviews, Professional Publications No Comments
Read More
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  • Emily Mkrtichian on New Artsakh Documentary, “There Was, There Was Not
  • David Dastmalchian Discusses Career, “Late Night with the Devil,” Dream Collaborations, and More
  • June Squibb and Josh Margolin Dish on “Thelma”
  • Boots Riley Talks ”I’m a Virgo,” ”Sorry to Bother You,” Oakland, Gaza, & Leftist Politics
  • Marc Turtletaub Talks ”Jules,” Sir Ben Kingsley, Producing, Directing, & More

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