Slow-burn ‘Dune’ illustrates imperial machinations
Movie review: Villeneuve’s film is homework more than entertainment. But it’s interesting to see how “Star Wars” was influenced by “Dune.”
Oscars
Slow-burn ‘Dune’ illustrates imperial machinations
‘Alice’ (1990) luxuriates in the lifestyle it criticizes
Woody Wednesday (Movie review): Mia Farrow is outshone by the supporting cast, but “Alice” is wonderful to look at under Carlo di Palma’s lens.
‘The Sixth Sense’ (1999) invigorates meditative horror
A Week of Night (Movie review): “The Sixth Sense” put M. Night Shyamalan on the map, but the film’s quality goes beyond the twist.
‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona’ (2008) is sumptuously Spanish
Woody Wednesday (Movie review): Allen’s tropes smoothly translate to Spain in this romance yarn featuring a standout Javier Bardem.
At 50, Roundtree’s ‘Shaft’ (1971) is still a cool cat
Throwback Thursday (Movie review): Beyond “Shaft’s” music and stylish look, its main value is historical rather than entertainment.
Besson’s ‘Fifth Element’ (1997) an art-design paradise
Throwback Thursday (Movie review): Deliciously designed with a funny and adventurous story, this remains writer-director Luc Besson’s standout film.
In ‘Blue Jasmine’ (2013), there are no shortcuts
Woody Wednesday (Movie review): Cate Blanchett steals the show from a stellar ensemble in one of Allen’s best straight dramas.
Allen loves another city in ‘Midnight in Paris’ (2011)
Woody Wednesday (Movie review): Allen has shown the beauty of New York in several films. Here, he makes Paris magical.
Bay’s ‘The Rock’ (1996) is deliciously dumb fun
Throwback Thursday (Movie review): Here’s a 25th anniversary look back at an all-time great collection of muscular one-liners and explosions.
‘Contact’ (1997, 1985) makes science accessible, lovely
Throwback Thursday (Movie, book reviews): In the late-1990s gamut of space-visitor movies, “Contact” is the mainstream one – in a good way.