Patrick Ciccone

Four Years of Cinema

I'm not sure if François Truffaut said "If you love life, you go to the movies" or "If you go to the movies, you love life," but in either case, the formulation is wrong.

By Patrick Ciccone | May 2 12:00 am ET

God's Vision: The Last Films of Stan Brakhage

The most famous Christian view of photography and cinema is Andre Bazin's 1946 essay "The Ontology of the Photographic Image," in which the great Catholic critic compares the reproduction of physic

By Patrick Ciccone | Apr 11 12:00 am ET

Diary of a Madman: One Writer Watches 20 Films Over Break

While other Columbians headed for warmer climes, Spec's Patrick Ciccone decided to commit himself to voracious moviegoing. Here is his log:

By Patrick Ciccone | Mar 28 12:00 am ET

A Masterful Work of Trashy Filmmaking

Brian De Palma is Columbia University's greatest filmmaker.

By Patrick Ciccone | Nov 8 12:00 am ET

Documenting a Deconstructionist

As every Columbia student who has finished Contemporary Civilization knows, the history of philosophy reaches a point where much of the writing (or shall we say discourse) becomes impenetrable.

By Patrick Ciccone | Oct 25 12:00 am ET

From Here to Solaris: A Space Odyssey

The voracious remake machine called Steven Soderbergh has finally reached a sacred cow: Andrei Tarkovsky's 1972 Solaris, which is slated for a James Cameron-George Clooney upgrade this Thank

By Patrick Ciccone | Oct 18 12:00 am ET

Totally, Tenderly , Tragically

In Jean-Luc Godard's 1979 film Every Man for Himself a scrawl on a blackboard in the background reads "Cain + Abel = Cinema + Video." Even at the time of the film's release, the logic of th

By Patrick Ciccone | Sep 6 12:00 am ET

Climbing Up an Imaginary Corporate Ladder

One of the better ways to waste time is to imagine how aliens would recreate our lives given only the remnants of our popular culture.

By Patrick Ciccone | Mar 29 12:00 am ET

Finding Real American Images Abroad

The American flag, omnipresent since Sept. 11, is an odd national symbol.

By Patrick Ciccone | Mar 14 12:00 am ET

Chiseled from Rushmore’s Stone: Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaaums

The New York City of Wes Andersonís new film, The Royal Tenenbaums,
remains unnamed, and it features a 375th Street Y and a 22nd Avenue subway

By Patrick Ciccone | Dec 7 12:00 am ET

MOST VIEWED