Auteur theory is debatable, but it’s a prominent feature of film theory with a cache of connotations. In the opening scenes of The Disaster Artist, James Franco’s endearing tribute to infamous director Tommy Wiseau and his film The Room, none other than J.J. Abrams refers to Wiseau as an “auteur.” The word conjures guffaws from […]
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Darkest Hour is about a controversial leader’s steadfast refusal to engage in peace talks in favor of going to war. Not the sort of message you’d expect people to support these days — but I should mention that the leader is Winston Churchill and the war is the one to stop the Nazis. We’re not […]
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Everyone knows that Santa Claus sees who’s been naughty and who’s been nice, and while that’s creepy enough, there’s some comfort knowing that it ends there. The good get presents, and the bad get nothing. (Sorry America, coal isn’t coming back.) Other countries, though, particularly European ones, long ago added a wrinkle to the legends […]
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Lapsed Catholic though he is, Martin McDonagh, the Irish (by way of London) playwright-turned-filmmaker loves to explore the interconnected themes of guilt, penance, and, most importantly, grace. This has been the case with most of his work to date, on stage and on screen, and never has it been more central than in his latest […]
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Like many fairy tales, The Shape of Water is a fantastical story about a lonely person who finds fulfillment through interaction with a magical creature. Unlike most fairy tales, The Shape of Water lets its sex, violence, and cruelty fall out casually, no sugarcoating. You’re being charmed by the Amelie-like musical score and the whimsical characters […]
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Movie theater loyalty programs certainly aren’t new, but the larger chains have split in terms of how to keep you coming. AMC’s Stubs program promises free refills on a large popcorn or going into a “Stubs Premiere” line at the concession stand for preferred service. And then there’s Regal, which has a similar program (free […]
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(As far as you know, this is a transcript of a secret audio recording at the Pixar offices in Emeryville, Calif.) PIXAR EXEC #1: Congratulations, everybody! Coco is finished, and it’s great! PIXAR EXEC #2: After 18 movies about toys, insects, monsters, cars, seafood, rats, robots, and several types of caucasians, the Pixar name will […]
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For as long as I can remember, the holiday season means more than just family, friends, and goodwill toward men; it means James Bond marathons on remote cable channels. TNT and then Spike TV used to pick either Thanksgiving or Christmas and bombard the week surrounding it with nothing but 007. The resulting days-long fever […]
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The opening sequence of Die Another Day is a litmus test for James Bond fans. After surfing into a North Korean military base (presumably after watching Point Break for the tenth time), Bond uses his watch to set off a bomb after an arms deal goes south, then engages in a hovercraft chase. He then […]
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There are plenty of cartoons about holidays like Christmas and Halloween, but the genius-nerds at Pixar saw an unfilled need and came up with Coco, the first major animated film about Día de Muertos, or Day of the Dead, observed in Mexico and by Mexicans everywhere. Making a film to appeal to an untapped market […]
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Cinema is all about reflecting the human experience, and whether we think about it or not, eating is a large part of our lives. There are many instances of characters eating on film, but what about those times when the food is just tantalizingly talked about, glimpsed, nearly eaten, or even completely unseen? Consider this […]
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Confession time: Despite coming of age in the ’80s and landing in the heart of the target audience for John Hughes’ teen comedies, I never identified with the teenage characters in them — or aspired to be like them, really. Part of this has to do with being gay in the suburbs, an environment where […]
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