It’s often been joked that if the title wasn’t already taken, most of Robert Mitchum’s movies could’ve been titled Out of the Past. That 1947 drama has become emblematic of the noir cycle popular in the 1940s and early-50s thanks … Continue reading PURSUED
Reporting from the 47th Denver Film Festival. Shot in Estonia back in 2013, the world wasn’t ready for Chainsaws Were Singing, so the filmmakers waited 11 years to release it. Frankly, the world may still not be ready. Winner of … Continue reading CHAINSAWS WERE SINGING
A man has suffered a terrible loss. His wife and child were killed in an automobile accident in front of him, and what was the makings of a happy memory one moment now is the horror that will shape the … Continue reading THE CHANGELING
Her name is Anora, but she goes by Ani. She can understand Russian, but she’s too embarrassed to speak it. “I can’t roll my R’s,” she tells Ivan. His English is okay, but using it out loud embarrasses him, too. … Continue reading ANORA
You know something tragic is going to happen, or someone’s gonna die before the opening titles are finished. The two lovers in embrace, soft light, gentle music, pacing that is in no rush to get anywhere—all are hallmarks of a … Continue reading WE LIVE IN TIME
Destined to be the most talked about movie at the 47th Denver Film Festival—if not the 2024 award season—Nickel Boys is a textbook example of how the telling of a story can sometimes be more significant than the story itself. … Continue reading NICKEL BOYS
It’s not always what the story is but how you tell it. Piece by Piece, directed by documentarian Morgan Neville, is the story of musician Pharrell Williams. Most probably know Pharrell for his ubiquitous 2013 single, “Happy.” The song was … Continue reading PIECE BY PIECE
There were action comedies before Jackie Chan, and there were action comedies after Jackie Chan. The ones that come after are better. Technically, the ones with Chan are the best. He’s the Fred Astaire of his genre, a transformative presence … Continue reading The Project A Collection
These movies may take you as far away as a dilapidated house deep in the heart of Texas, a disappearing glacier in Iceland, or even as close as a wildlife refuge in Rocky Flats. But they all have one thing … Continue reading Locally Grown: Previewing the 2024 Denver Film Festival
Michael J. Cinema 
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