looking back Archives — Crooked Marquee

05/27/202605/26/2026inLooking Backby Kayleigh Donaldson5 min read

Beyond the Black Rainbow is a Trippy Slice of Liminal Horror

Before “Backrooms”, we had “Beyond the Black Rainbow,” an intense and surreal take on the liminal horror genre that’s now part of internet lore.

05/22/202605/21/2026inHappy Birthday, Looking Backby Josh Bell5 min read

Justice on the Final Frontier in Outland

Peter Hyams’s distinctive 1981 thriller combines sci-fi and Western storytelling with a forward-looking takedown of predatory capitalism.

05/22/202605/21/2026inClassic Corner, Looking Backby Sara Batkie5 min read

Classic Corner: Au hasard Balthazar

Sixty years ago this week, Robert Bresson’s religious allegory premiered to mixed reviews. But time has been kind to it, even as (or perhaps because) the world itself grows more cruel.

05/21/202605/21/2026inLooking Backby Marshall Shaffer9 min read

Fosse/Fincher: An Unexpectedly Illuminating Auteurist Pairing

When you think about the disciples of Bob Fosse, you naturally think of … David Fincher, right? Here’s why their films pair more than you’d think.

05/20/202605/19/2026inHappy Birthday, Looking Backby Chloe Walker5 min read

On the Strange Poignancy of Embryo, Rock Hudson’s Weirdest Movie

On its fiftieth anniversary, we dive into the oddly poignant chaos that ensued that time Rock Hudson grew a lady in a lab.

05/15/202605/14/2026inHappy Birthday, Looking Backby Craig J. Clark5 min read

Surrender to the Chaos: Olivier Assayas’s Irma Vep

Olivier Assayas went behind the scenes of a troubled production with his breakthrough film, which debuted 30 years ago.

05/15/202605/14/2026inClassic Corner, Looking Backby Sean Burns5 min read

Classic Corner: The Big Easy

The New Orleans-set erotic thriller still sizzles with the scorching chemistry of stars Dennis Quaid and Ellen Barkin.

05/13/202605/12/2026inLooking Back, Reviewsby Steve Erickson5 min read

Aloïse (and Its Director) are Long Overdue for Praise

Liliane de Kermadec’s 1975 biopic, starring Isabelle Huppert and Delphine Seyrig, profiles outsider artist Aloise Coutaz in a subtly unconventional manner.

05/11/202605/10/2026inLooking Backby Zach Vasquez7 min read

Pizza, Guns and Cornets:
On Pete Kelly’s Blues

A forgotten ’50s musical noir melodrama is an unexpected gonzo masterpiece that deserves rediscovery and cult classic status.

05/08/202605/07/2026inHappy Birthday, Looking Backby Sara Batkie5 min read

Practice Makes Perfect in
The Piano Teacher

Twenty-five years ago, Michael Haneke’s shocker premiered at Cannes, giving Isabelle Huppert one of her greatest roles in a career with no shortage of them.