On Friday, Jan. 5, the Denver Film Critics Society—19 writers, broadcasters, and bloggers working in and around the Mile High City, of which I am one—announced their nominees for the best of 2023. In total, 33 movies received nominations, with … Continue reading And the nominees are…
What’s your level of interest here? It’s been 15 years and 30-plus features—not to mention TV and streaming series—since Iron Man kicked open the doors to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), arguably the most significant, if not financially successful, franchise … Continue reading THE GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3
Geeks are not found; they are made. This is the lesson Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper), a drifter in 1940s America, learns first hand at the Ten-in-One traveling carnival. Ten-in-One is a carnival like any other: A strong man, a contortionist, … Continue reading NIGHTMARE ALLEY
“I am a sick man… I am a spiteful man. I am an unattractive man.” —Notes From the Underground, Fyodor Dostoyevsky Who makes the monster, and where do they come from? We’ve been asking those questions for far too long … Continue reading JOKER
Our fathers were our models for God. If our fathers bailed, what does that tell you about God? —Tyler Durden, Fight Club When journalist Bill Moyers interviewed narratologist Joseph Campbell in 1988, he asked why hero stories could be found … Continue reading GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2
Cinema feeds on cinema. No cinematic work is crafted in a vacuum, and contemporary works refer back to previous ones. Sometimes in very inventive ways, other times for nothing more than pure derivation. They say imitation is the highest form … Continue reading WAR DOGS
David O. Russell’s latest, Joy, tells the story of Joy Mangano, an American inventor best known for her self-wringing Miracle Mop. Well, sort of. Joy is partly about how Joy Mangano became Joy Mangano, but it’s also about how family just likes to … Continue reading JOY
If names were enough to equal box office, Serena would be a bonafide hit. “Serena! Starring Academy Award® Nominee Bradley Cooper, and Academy Award®-winning Jennifer Lawrence! Directed by Academy Award®-winning director Susanna Bier! Two desperate souls lost in North Carolina’s Smokey Mountains. See … Continue reading SERENA
Michael J. Cinema 