Despite a divisive critical reception and box office numbers, Michael Mann’s Blackhat has spawned a number of video essays since its release in early 2015. In his essay, Federico Palmerini examines the spectral nature of the Internet and its relationship to the film.
by Marc Nemcik on Jul 13, 2016Here we have the first trailer for Michael Mann’s Blackhat, the Heat director’s first film since 2009’s lukewarmly received Public Enemies. Observe Chris Hemsworth as a hacker who enters government service to battle some really dangerous high-level computer shenanigans. The trailer plays adroitly on contemporary paranoia about the real-world fallout of technological malfeasance, and there’s gunplay galore in the director’s trademark digital-blur-at-night idiom. The vibe and visuals are very much in keeping with Mann’s 2005 update of his Miami Vice, complete with Hemsworth’s slicked-back, Colin Farrell-esque hairdo, though the music — Antony & The Johnsons covering “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” — […]
by Vadim Rizov on Sep 25, 2014