Craig J. Clark, Author at Crooked Marquee

08/13/202608/13/2026inLooking Backby Craig J. Clark7 min read

Ken Russell: Maestro of the Maniacal Music Biopic

Starting at the BBC, Ken Russell tested the boundaries of the music biopic, culminating in 1975’s “Lisztomania,” one of his wildest cinematic creations.

08/07/202608/06/2026inHappy Birthday, Looking Backby Craig J. Clark5 min read

Putting Nola Darling on a Pedestal: She’s Gotta Have It at 40

“That’s the way I became a filmmaker. You get tired of going to the movies and seeing stuff that you don’t […]

07/29/202607/28/2026inHappy Birthday, Looking Backby Craig J. Clark5 min read

There’s More to De Palma’s Obsession Than Mere Hitchcockery

Brian De Palma took inspiration from Alfred Hitchcock for his 1976 romantic thriller, but he more than made it his own.

07/22/202607/20/2026inLooking Backby Craig J. Clark6 min read

Daniel Clowes Takes Terry Zwigoff to Art School

Highlighting both of their collaborations, the Criterion Channel makes the case for cartoonist Daniel Clowes and director Terry Zwigoff being perfectly matched.

07/10/202607/09/2026inLooking Backby Craig J. Clark5 min read

The Coen Brothers Take the Long Way Homer

With Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” out this month, a look at a somewhat looser adaptation of Homer’s epic poem.

07/01/202606/30/2026inHappy Birthday, Looking Backby Craig J. Clark5 min read

It’s All in the Reflexes: 40 Years of Big Trouble in Little China

A commercial disappointment on its release in the summer of 1986, John Carpenter’s action comedy has proven to have remarkable staying power.

06/10/202606/09/2026inLooking Backby Craig J. Clark5 min read

Expiration Dating: Andrew Haigh’s Weekend

One of this century’s most touching and honest depictions of the gay experience, this 2011 drama is streaming on the Criterion Channel just in time for Pride Month.

05/29/202605/30/2026inLooking Backby Craig J. Clark5 min read

Cannon Fodder: 1987’s Masters of the Universe

With a big-budget ‘Masters of the Universe’ arriving in theaters next week, we look at the last such attempt, courtesy of the corner-cutting Cannon Films.