Listen: Billy Pilgrim has come unstuck in time. That’s the line that opens the story Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut. The story of Billy Pilgrim, World War II, sexual desire, post-war suburban malaise, the firebombing of Dresden, Germany, free will vs. fate, and … Continue reading SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE
When Anna Karina died on December 14, so did the spirit of the French New Wave. Born Hanne Karin Bayer in Denmark, Karina (Sept. 22, 1940-Dec. 14, 2019) modeled, acted, directed, wrote, and danced. Her career spans nearly five decades, … Continue reading Anna Karina
Franz Jägerstätter’s arm would not rise. It couldn’t, not for Der Führer or any man, for that matter. His life belonged to the Lord. To the land. And his conviction condemned him to death at the hands of the Nazis … Continue reading A HIDDEN LIFE
When Star Wars debuted in 1977, it was an immediate revolution of cinema and culture. Audiences voted with their wallets: This is how we want our stories delivered, and these are the stories we desire. Four decades later, Star Wars is less a cinematic … Continue reading STAR WARS IX: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER
Jo March is elated. A few moments earlier, she was in excruciating pain: Another pie-eyed scribbler stranded on the non-editorial side of the desk. Too shy to admit the truth, Jo (Saoirse Ronan) claims the story is a creation of … Continue reading LITTLE WOMEN
Silent pictures are the purest form of cinema. —Alfred Hitchcock For many, he was the Master of Suspense. The eyes and hands behind Rear Window, Vertigo, North By Northwest, Psycho, and The Birds. The droll voice and the rotund figure behind the popular TV show, Alfred … Continue reading Hitchcock: British International Pictures Collection
When Jose Bergoglio was elected pope in 2013, it was the first time a Jesuit held the position, the first time a priest from the Americas was elected, and the first non-European to serve as the bishop of Rome since … Continue reading POPE FRANCIS: A MAN OF HIS WORD
Truth is one, but the sages speak of it by many names. —The Rig Veda The Two Popes, one of the most anticipated movies of the holiday season, arrives on the silver screen Dec. 13 before heading to Netflix on … Continue reading THE TWO POPES and THE BELLS OF ST. MARY
Before the 1990s, animated family films were in the gutter. Deemed too expensive, too labor-intensive, their demise was certain. But then came The Little Mermaid, and a decade-long renaissance of hand-drawn and computer-generated animation followed. It culminated with 1999’s, The Iron Giant, … Continue reading THE IRON GIANT
Michael J. Cinema 
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