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
You know he’s the one because he’s a movie star with piercing eyes, floppy hair, goth vulnerability, and untapped strength all in one. He’s Prince Hal making good. His name is Paul Atreides. It’s the name his parents gave him, … Continue reading DUNE: PART TWO
Long before Little Boy and Fat Man were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, even before he first glimpsed his creation two weeks earlier at Trinity, J. Robert Oppenheimer was haunted by the bomb. Played by Cillian Murphy and … Continue reading OPPENHEIMER
On this week’s edition of After Image, I chat with Metro Arts’ producer Veronica Straight-Lingo about movies new in theaters (Moonage Daydream and Don’t Worry Darling) and new to streaming (Blonde). And if that wasn’t enough, there’s a new doc … Continue reading
There’s a secret at the heart of Don’t Worry Darling, and that’s half the problem. You can glean that from watching the trailer, and even if you’ve skipped it, you pick up on it within the first five minutes of the … Continue reading DON’T WORRY DARLING
Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) has always searched for a family. First discarded, then abandoned, Natasha was raised as a brainwashed assassin, manipulated by the duplicitous Dreykov (Ray Winstone), a man who was seemingly everywhere without anyone ever noticing. Funny, with … Continue reading BLACK WIDOW
Earlier today, the Denver Film Critics Society — 16 writers and broadcasters working in and around the Mile High City, of which I am one — announced their picks for the year’s best. Of the 41 movies nominated, 1917 (above) … Continue reading And the winners are…
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
So it’s fare-thee-well, my own true love. We’ll meet an-other day, an-other time. It ain’t the leavin’ that’s a-grievin’ me, but my darlin’ who’s bound to stay behind. —Bob Dylan, “Farewell” Dani (Florence Pugh) is hurting. A family tragedy has … Continue reading MIDSOMMAR
Michael J. Cinema 