On Monday, January 9, the Denver Film Critics Society—15 writers and broadcasters working in and around the Mile High City, of which I am one—announced their nominees for the best of 2022. In total, 38 movies received nominations, with Everything Everywhere … Continue reading And the nominees are…
The story of Pinocchio, first penned in 1883 by Italian writer Carlo Collodi, has long been a favorite of storytellers: A lonely man fashions a boy out of wood; the wooden boy becomes sentient; a cricket teaches the wooden child … Continue reading GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO
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
There’s nothing like a good fairy tale, especially one with teeth—and Mexican writer/producer/director Guillermo del Toro has plenty of teeth to go around. Not to mention lovers, monsters, and the overwhelming power stories have to connect. The Shape of Water is … Continue reading THE SHAPE OF WATER
Somewhere deep in the Oregonian woods, a creature lurks. The origins of the beast are not known, though a retired sheriff suspects it to be ancient and long-dormant. Why it decided to show up in 2019 is anybody’s guess, but … Continue reading ANTLERS
I think that 50% of the narrative is in the audio/visual storytelling. I happened to think the screenplay is the basis of it all, but definitely doesn’t tell the movie. It tells the story, but doesn’t tell the whole movie. … Continue reading Born On This Day — October 9, 1964
It would be a cliché to say that, because I am a Mexican, I see death in a certain way. But I have seen more than my share of corpses, certainly more than the average First World guy. I worked … Continue reading Born On This Day — October 9
Michael J. Cinema 