Homages in the arts can be tricky undertakings. When a musical act, author, filmmaker, etc., produces a work that is largely derivative of a previous creative effort from the same medium, how should critics and the general public view their output? Should it be taken at face value, experienced and judged only as to whether…
This adaptation of Haruki Murakami’s short story “Barn Burning” is either an off-kilter serial killer thriller or merely an eccentric case of arson. Either way, a young woman has still vanished under mysterious circumstances. The metaphors get rather ominous, but the lonely, detached nature of modern life is even more dangerous for the protagonist and…
There were two Joan Crawfords (1904-77). One was an esteemed actress who showed off her considerable skills as a thespian in classic movies such as Mildred Pierce (1945) and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962). The other was the “Mommy Dearest” head case who was known to be an exceptionally difficult person with mad mental…
It’s hard to believe it’s been a full decade and three presidential administrations since the summer of 2008, the movie season that bestowed upon us The Dark Knight. Honestly, the memories one can have of this time—both for fanboys and the uninitiated—still feel so fresh. Christopher Nolan’s second Batman film was accumulating massive amounts of…
In the months after the #MeToo movement—the social media campaign that outed a small legion of powerful men across the world of politics and media—the sense of shock is still lingering, but there’s also a gestation of thought that’s arisen: how will entertainment itself commentate on these accusations? There have already been high-profile announcements, including…
