You just never know. So much of the writing and discussion around cinema these days focuses exclusively on what will attract the most eyeballs. It’s all about the biggest sequels, the most famous stars, the most intricate cinematic universes. Smaller films, international movies, and indies from lesser-known directors and unknown casts get written off by so many … Read more
There’s an old expression in sports, one that’s often repeated by longtime ESPN anchor Chris Berman: “That’s why they play the game.” In other words: It doesn’t matter what the oddsmakers say, it doesn’t matter how things stack up on paper. On any given day, any team can beat another. That’s why they play the game. The … Read more
The landscape of television is shaped by its failures just as much as its successes, networks and creators learning by trial and error what kinds of things last for 20 seasons and what kinds of things are risks that never pay off. For every Mad Men or Seinfeld or The Sopranos there are a hundred … Read more
DNR vs Grain: Star Wars: The Phantom Menace 25th anniversary screening prompts debate over how the movie is supposed to look. Star Wars: The Phantom Menace recently returned to theaters to celebrate its 25th anniversary, and while it was a real treat to see the first prequel movie on the big screen once again, some … Read more
I rewatched Christopher Nolan’s Tenet shortly before Oppenheimer opened in theaters and felt, somewhat strangely, that I understood the film less than the first time I saw it. Maybe the first time I got swept up in the overall story of a mysterious organization protecting our present from time “inverting” interlopers from the future. Seeing it again and knowing … Read more
Some people look down their noses at happy endings. They dismiss them as pat, or formulaic, or saccharine. Personally? I like them, and I understand why others do too. Life is unhappy enough — and every single life eventually closes with the same unhappy ending. So why not embrace happy endings in fiction? Sometimes, that’s precisely … Read more
The Flash director Andy Muschietti says that the movie’s strange VFX shots are supposed to look like that. Most blockbusters, particularly of the comic-book variety, are packed with visual effects these days. But some of the biggest movies in recent years have come under fire for the quality of their VFX shots, and The Flash … Read more
While there are plenty of aspects that go into making a good movie, the overall “tone” is certainly one of the most important. This goes beyond the overall genre of a film — for example, a romance movie can be playful or serious, while a comedy can be silly or rife with cynicism. Therefore, any … Read more
Frank Grillo, who played the supervillain Crossbones in multiple Marvel Studios movies, has stated that the character was supposed to be in the MCU longer. In an interview with ComicBook, Grillo lamented that the MCU never told a story about his character and that the character was “supposed to be there longer,” but that Marvel … Read more