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It seems ironic that Tom George’s 2022 film See How They Run was released in England a day before Queen Elizabeth’s death. The film, a whodunit that follows the genre’s steps like following footprints in the snow, wants to be funny and breathe life into the old form. But, like recent events with the monarchy, this film is a kind of death watch on England and English culture, especially that middlebrow artifact known as the murder mystery. (more…)
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Introduction to The Batman
The new Gotham city, presented by director Matt Reeves and inhabited/stalked by Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne, is gothic and atmospheric. On the first of two viewings, I found myself so enamored by the backgrounds and music that I was less focused on the dialogue. Gotham is not merely a backdrop to the events taking place but is brought to life and is almost a character in its own right. Bruce Wayne’s “Batcave” is an abandoned subway station beneath Wayne Tower, which also houses his gothic-styled manor. (more…)
According to director Robert Eggers, The Northman is an attempt to overcome dangerous stereotypes about the Vikings, such as the idea that they were all-white rather than multicultural.
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After debuting in Europe last month, Viking historical action saga The Northman opened in the United States on Friday. At the film’s London premiere, director Robert Eggers said that he was trying to re-appropriate — or maybe the actual word he used was expropriate, dis-appropriate, inappropriate, or extricate — Viking history from the Nordicists and white supremacists and lovers of historical facts who would dare deny that Viking societies were multicultural, progressive, and perfectly in lockstep with everything that filmmakers in 2022 have been led to believe is righteous and pure. (more…)
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Denis Villeneuve’s Dune, Part I is now in theatres. I can’t recommend it. It isn’t terrible. It is merely mediocre. I found it dull to the eyes, grating to the ears, and a drag on my patience. Villeneuve spends 156 minutes and only gets halfway through the novel. David Lynch told the whole story in 137 minutes. Of course audiences are willing to sit through long movies if they are really good: Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, for instance. But this film isn’t in that league. (more…)
