A skull has turned up in the desert along the Texas-Mexico border, and near it lies a sheriff’s badge. So opens John Sayles’ 1996 Lone Star—newly restored and available on home video from The Criterion Collection—a magnificently constructed story combining history, … Continue reading LONE STAR
The king of the jungle, a London-based gangster and high-powered drug dealer, has been killed. Or, so says Fletcher (Hugh Grant), an investigative reporter who’s stumbled onto a scoop so good, he might as well parlay it into blackmail and … Continue reading THE GENTLEMEN
Kubo and the Two Strings—the latest stop-motion animation from the Portland-based Laika Entertainment—opens with a fantastic piece of advice: “If you must blink, do it now.” With that, director Travis Knight drops the audience into a fairy tale that races … Continue reading KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS
From jean to shining jean Proper cinema doesn’t highlight the differences that separate us, but the things that connect us. Blue Gold is one of those documentaries. It works hard to show us how tradition and culture can spread across … Continue reading Starz Denver Film Festival: Day 10–12
In a year where directors are inseparable from the subject of their movies (To The Wonder, Pain & Gain, Inside Llewyn Davis, Nebraska, and many more), one rises above the rest of the pack. The Wolf of Wall Street is about Jordan Belfort’s desire to … Continue reading THE WOLF OF WALL STREET
2012 was a magnificent year for the movies. They are more diverse, more personal, and more magical than ever. Yes, there was the onslaught of the usual blockbuster fare, sequels left and right, and the mighty flops that were John Carter and Battleship, … Continue reading 2012: A Year at the Movies
Michael J. Cinema 