Before the Syrian Civil War in 2011, an estimated 2 million souls called Ghouta home. Less than 20% now reside in the suburb of Damascus. The rest either fled, were evacuated, or were killed. A few remained to help those … Continue reading THE CAVE
The year was 1978, and China’s future did not look promising. The country had survived wars, depression, and famine. Plus, a cultural revolution was taxing the nation. Resources were tight, but as the population neared 1 billion, things went from … Continue reading ONE CHILD NATION
Monroeville, Alabama, 1987: A man is condemned to death for a crime he did not commit. Do you need to know the color of his skin, or can you already guess? He is Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx), and recent Harvard … Continue reading JUST MERCY
If you’ve finished The Mandalorian on Disney+ and still have a hankering for a Western/Sci-Fi mashup, then you needn’t wait for the new chapters coming this November: Cowboy Bebop is streaming on Hulu. Concocted by the minds of Sunrise animation, … Continue reading COWBOY BEBOP
In 1964, Britain’s Granada Television charged researcher Michael Apted to select 14 7-year-olds from disparate backgrounds for the documentary program, Seven Up! Their aim: to get a glimpse of England in the year 2000. “Give me a child until he is 7,” … Continue reading 63 UP
There’s a scene halfway through Ford v Ferrari where Carrol Shelby (Matt Damon) takes Henry Ford II (Tracy Letts) for a spin on the test-track in their newest GT40 prototype. It’s been a long time since Ford—derisively nicknamed “The Deuce”—spent time in … Continue reading FORD V FERRARI
A man has been killed on a train bound for Berlin. But it turns out that the man dead was not who he says he was, and his enemies are still out there and looking for revenge. Set and filmed … Continue reading BERLIN EXPRESS
Before he was a filmmaker, Peter Bogdanovich was a critic and historian par excellence. Coming of age as the first wave of Hollywood filmmakers were being put out to pasture, Bogdanovich sat at the feet of the men who made … Continue reading THE GREAT BUSTER: A CELEBRATION
Nothing is easier than to denounce the evildoer; nothing is more difficult than to understand him. —Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment His name is Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler), and he deals in jewels, watches, gems—all that glitters is gold to him. … Continue reading UNCUT GEMS
Michael J. Cinema 
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