Screen
Up and Downey
Although traditionally necessary for filmmaking, the original Iron Man was rumored not to have had much of a real script, just an outline of key moments and the note “fill in gaps with Robert Downey Jr.’s swag.” Much to the chagrin of the Writers Guild of America, it...
Tight pants and raw power
For better or for worse, rock ‘n’ roll has always been a commodity. Before there can be a movement, there must be equipment, electricity...
Let them talk
It’s about time. For conductor Lydia Tár (Cate Blanchett), time is her job. Her right hand “starts the clock,” while her left shapes the...
Couldn’t put eggsy together again
When done well, a movie that simultaneously exists as a certain thing while satirizing that same thing resembles a Mobius strip, a tantalizing narrative...
‘Remember’ digs up a history of violence
William Faulkner wisely wrote, “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” No matter how hard we try to suppress and forget, the...
Beyond notorious
RBG, the latest documentary from Julie Cohen and Betsy West, opens with images of Washington D.C. accompanied by sound bites from conservative talk radio...
Funny or try
Vinny Thomas was only 15 years old when he first decided to give comedy a try. He was a high schooler at the Denver...
Turning rebellion into money
What is it about messianic men and the chaos they cause? They are almost always false prophets, yet time and time again, we fall...
Roll out the barrel
Martin has been immobilized. He’s only 40, but the life drained out of his face years ago. His wife barely talks to him, and...
Through a sparkling glass
Children’s movies are fascinating triumphs of simplicity and clarity. Often these movies render complex issues so succinctly that they become masterworks full of sophisticated...
The rhythm of storytelling
As the Master of Suspense Alfred Hitchcock said, “Drama is life with the dull bits cut out.” And who does the cutting? Editors. Sifting...
