Head Out on the Highway: Of Motorcycles and Men in ‘Easy Rider,’ ‘The Wild One’ and ‘The Bikeriders’ [Retrospective]
There are things that feel like American originals, even if the truth reveals something different entirely. The motorcycle, for instance, has its roots in Germany,... Read More
Reviews
‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’ Review: The Heat is Back On as Eddie Murphy Returns to His Movie Star Roots
It has been 30 years since Axel Foley’s last trip to the west coast, and Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F is a welcome return to... Read More
‘Despicable Me 4’ Review: Super Minions, Gru Jr, and a Cockroach Man Clear the Low-Quality Bar Set by this Hyperactive Franchise
Let this review serve as a warning to you, your friends, and your family: Despicable Me 4 is out, and the Minions have returned to... Read More
‘MaXXXine’ Review: Ti West Builds a Detailed Playground of Sex and Violence for Mia Goth to Shine but Can’t Quite Seal the Deal
There is a lyric from the “Candle in the Wind” that came into my memory as the events of Ti West’s MaXXXine were unfolding; “Hollywood... Read More
‘A Quiet Place: Day One’ Review: Lupita Nyong’o Dodges Aliens with Her Cat While Looking for Pizza in Competent Yet Unremarkable Prequel
The A Quiet Place franchise is the poster child for enjoyably competent yet unremarkable studio horror. With the first two films spearheaded by John Krasinski,... Read More
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes: The Invention and Deconstruction of the Femme Fatale in ‘Double Indemnity’ (1944) and ‘Chinatown’ (1974) [Retrospective]
I. My Sister/My Daughter When I reflect on the films that truly shaped my taste, it’s impossible not to think of Double Indemnity and Chinatown.... Read More
‘Janet Planet’ Review: Annie Baker’s Mother-Daughter Dramedy Strikes the Perfect Balance of Humor and Melancholy
Shot in Amherst, Massachusetts, Janet Planet (2023) focuses on eleven-year-old Lacy (Zoe Ziegler) and her mother, Janet (Emmy winner Julianne Nicholson of Mare of Eastown,... Read More
20 Years Later, ‘Spider-Man 2’ is Still the Most Human Superhero Movie Ever Made [Retrospective]
In a recent red carpet interview, Sam Raimi was asked about the possibility of Spider-Man 4—that is, a continuation of Raimi’s own Spider-Man series with... Read More
The Enduring Horror of ‘Alien’ on its 45th Anniversary [Retrospective]
Forty-five years after Ridley Scott directed, and Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Schusett wrote Alien, it is still terrifying. With Escape from Alcatraz trailing close behind,... Read More
‘The Imaginary’ Review: Creative Anime World-Building Bumps Up Against an Often Too Frantic Energy
There are two worlds that we live in. One is driven by friendly creations and limitless possibilities that are only limited by a child’s imagination,... Read More
Frontrunner Friday: First Take on 2026 Oscar Winner Predictions 
Director Watch Podcast Ep. 136 – ‘Rules Don’t Apply’ (Warren Beatty, 2016) 
2026 Oscar Nomination Reactions from Timothée Chalamet, Rose Byrne, Wagner Moura and More 
AwardsWatch Podcast Ep. 329 – 98th Oscar Nominations Reactions: For Good