There is a phenomenon growing in the backrooms of the big Hollywood studios. In the world of the multi-million-dollar blockbuster, we live—as the Chinese curse goes—in interesting times. What marks these times? A distinct effort […]
The temptation to compare any installment in the current re-imagined Star Trek film franchise to the preceding series of shows or films is natural, given that both share the same name, the same characters, and, […]
The latest big superhero mash-up opened on Good Friday. Given the allusions hearkened to by one of the titular characters—allusions first played up in Mario Puzo’s script for the 1978 Richard Donner Superman film—it cannot […]
It’s hard to say what exactly happened here. When the Bond reboot of the Daniel Craig era began with Casino Royale there was a sense that while all the trappings of the cinema icon were […]
I have not seen the 1960’s series on which Guy Ritchie’s new film is based, so I have no grounds there for comparison. On its own, Ritchie’s remake is great fun at points and problematic […]
Nostalgia seems to be at an all-time high in Hollywood. Or at least there appears to be far less risk taking among production executives, who eagerly look back in time at past franchises with “brand […]
A good film about artificial intelligence is possible. But a good philosophical film about such a prospect may not be possible. At some point the concession is made that, yes, such a thing as artificial […]
I caught Gone Girl on the heels of a debate with another Catholic in the film industry about director David Fincher. “He’s too nihilistic,” says my friend, remarking on Fincher’s forte in the bleak and […]
Sports movies seldom deviate from the “underdog” scenario. Many of the true-life sports stories to which Hollywood gravitates involve the “little guys” rising to the occasion and defeating the “big guys.” The formula speaks to […]
Time travel is always a sticky plot device. You either accept it in spite of all its implausibility or you don’t. Watching Edge of Tomorrow, Tom Cruise’s latest sci-fi action flick, the viewer will want […]
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