Orson Welles needed money. That’s how this story begins. Back in 1946, Welles was putting the finishing touches on an ambitious stage production of Around the World in 80 Days—a musical!—and funds were running dry. So he called studio boss … Continue reading THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI
How many times can you watch a movie before you discover its secrets? I’ve probably seen Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane more than any other movie. That’s not something I set out to do; it just sort of happened that way. Ten years ago, … Continue reading Fun with aspects ratios in THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI
The year is 1918, and Red troops are rounding up the White guards. War is on, and the insurgents are to be executed. But as the victors take their time playing by the rules of engagement, a fresh batch of … Continue reading The Best in 2022 Home Video Release
The 45th Denver Film Festival (DFF) unspools across the Mile High City over the next two weekends. Sticking with the documentary theme, DFF offers quite a few worth your time, including Love, Charlie: The Rise and Fall of Chef Charlie Trotter (Nov. … Continue reading Picks for the 45th Denver Film Festival
Every year, the Australian-based online quarterly, Senses of Cinema, invites writers from all over the globe to submit their selections for the best movies of the year—including those seen for the first time regardless of the year of release. As I … Continue reading SENSES OF CINEMA: 2021 World Cinema Poll
Things are going well for Renesha (Brittany S. Hall). She’s found success working in the nonprofit sector, and her relationship with Evan (Will Brill) has lasted long enough that they feel comfortable with one another while still taking time to … Continue reading TEST PATTERN
Despite some hokey moments with swelling, triumphal music, Aaron Sorkin’s The Trial of the Chicago 7 (streaming on Netflix) successfully captures a fractured moment in American history and the growing frustration with representation in the Democratic Party. Similarly, Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and … Continue reading NATIONTIME
Divided into three sections: Fear, Flight, and Fate, Richard Wright’s novel, Native Son, took an existentialist approach to Blackness in America. It’s right there in the titles of the section, and it’s baked into every frame of the 1951 cinematic adaptation … Continue reading NATIVE SON
Hubert Sauper is in search of a utopia. The Austrian filmmaker has been searching for some time now, just not as bluntly as in his latest documentary: Epicentro. Here, he opens with a man leaving a cinema to stand on a … Continue reading EPICENTRO
Michael J. Cinema 
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