The Box Office is Everything: In Praise of the Window at the Front of the Theater
The physical box office is the place where the movie theater meets the world beyond.
MZS
The Texture of Night: How Collateral Revolutionized Movies
Michael Mann’s 2004 thriller fully embraced digital filmmaking on a scale rarely seen before.
I Saw the Sixth Sense Knowing the Big Twist, and Loved It Anyway
Released 25 years ago, M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Sixth Sense” was reduced to a plot twist, but it’s more than that.
Losers Win: Guardians of the Galaxy Turns 10
Rock-‘n’-roll “Star Wars” turns 10 with a spring in its step.
The Hard Road: Alex Cox on Crowdfunding, Success, and a Life in Independent Filmmaking
Director Alex Cox (“Repo Man,” “Sid & Nancy”) talks about changes in the independent filmmaking landscape and his new crowdfunded Western
Bright Wall/Dark Room July 2024: No, Captain, My Captain: Crimson Tide and the Perils of Mutiny by Bryan Miller
An excerpt from the latest BWDR on Tony Scott’s Crimson Tide.
There Will be No Questions: The Parallax View, the Ultimate Conspiracy Thriller, Turns 50
A video essay on Alan J. Pakula’s “The Parallax View,” a perfect movie with a merciless ending
Big, Big, Big, Big Movies: Jon Landau (1960-2024)
Jon Landau was the secret ingredient in James Cameron’s innovative career.
The Artful Tenderness of A Quiet Place: Day One
A Quiet Place: Day One is the best of the series, in large part because its such a departure.
Some Material May Be Inappropriate: The PG-13 Rating at 40
How the PG-13 rating changed American cinema for the worse.
The Unloved, Part 127: Highlander II: The Quickening
The Unloved closes out a chapter on Sean Connery gems with Russell Mulcahy’s ambitious sequel to Highlander.
Furiosa Doesn’t Feel Like Any Other Mad Max Film, and That’s What’s Wonderful About It
George Miller’s fifth and presumably final “Mad Max” movie reimagines the world he created.
It’s Too Bad That Audience Pictures Like Ultraman: Rising Will Barely Be Seen in Theaters
Once again, Netflix leaves money on the table by limiting theatrical screenings.
What If a Movie Called IF Found an Audience?
Critics were mostly ho-hum about “If,” but it’s a sneakily powerful dream-logic movie
The Unloved, Part 126: Zardoz
The Unloved looks at the twisted brilliance of John Boorman’s Zardoz.
Far, Far Away: How to Get People Going to Movies Again
What’s broken in moviegoing, and some ideas for fixing it.
Life, the Videogame: Run Lola Run
In praise of Tom Tykwer’s ridiculous and thrilling “Run Lola Run”.
The Legacy of David Bordwell; or, The Memorial Service as Network Narrative
An account of the memorial service for film scholar David Bordwell.
Roger Corman’s Greatest Legacy Was Giving So Many People Their Big Break
A brief (yet still incredibly long) list of people who were given their first big break in the film business by the late Roger Corman.
