A MAGAZINE ABOUT STYLISH CINEMA
A monthly focus on the profound impact of film. Creative consultant Alban Adam selects his three titles
Paris born Alban Adam began his career in fashion after studying Theory of Arts at University Paris VIII, working closely with fashion designers on their communication and press relations.
FILM PICKS WITH
ALBAN ADAM
Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) Francis Ford Coppola
"Critics weren’t especially kind to Dracula on release, which, in hindsight, is baffling, given the sheer force of cinematic imagination that Coppola throws at every shot. It’s a sumptuous baroque spectacle, a last hurrah of the pre-CGI era, stuffed to the gills with in-camera process shots and transitions that pay homage to the Expressionist greats. A rare sight, indeed, to see a major studio production with early masters like F.W. Murnau and Carl Dreyer so clearly on its mind. Returning to the source novel to reinstate the complex narrative perspectives absent from previous adaptations, Coppola and screenwriter James V. Hart reassert the romantic tragedy of their ex-impaler, embodied with lugubrious grandeur by Gary Oldman. Special shout out to Eiko Ishioka’s costume design and Wojciech Kilar’s score." (Matthew Thrift, BFI)
Starship Troopers (1997) Paul Verhoeven
"One of the most merciless satires of its time, Paul Verhoeven’s gung-ho, bug-squashing Reich-fest confused critics and audiences when it hit theaters in 1997; from the gruesome effects and rousing battle scenes to the insidiously quotable script ('Would you like to know more?') and darkly stirring score, it’s just too damn well-made for its own good. Filled with violence, gratuitous nudity, and pretty young stars, the movie is as shameless as it is subversive, twisting sci-fi’s obsession with high-tech militaria into caricature, all the while rarely giving more than a wink as to its intentions." (Ignatiy Vishnevetsky AV Club)
What We Do in the Shadows (2014) Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi