I DJed a party for VICE in New York and took home a copy of the film issue and it’s actually quite good. It kinda offers an entrypoint to the uninitiated of what is currently being obsessed about in film. There are interviews with many great and/or controversial filmmakers, a piece on the classic teen-rebellion movie “Over the Edge,” and there’s an excellent piece by amateur art and film critic Sam McPheeters (a key member of the 90s hardcore outfit Born Against) where he discusses a canon of films (Death Wish, Escape From New York, Warriors) that discuss the urban decay of late 70′s New York.
He describes the ways in which the films interpret the hostile environment of Ed Koch era NYC and discusses the changes that the city has undergone since gentrification. The article is humorous and illuminating, and it explores the current idea that “New York is dead now that it is safe and expensive” which is a concept that people really can’t get enough of these days – here at least. It also has amazing pictures of Roman Polanski during the making of “Pirates.” It is not comprehensive by any means but really goes beyond what you might expect a “Film Issue” to actually cover.