Monday, March 23 2009
Part 1: The Thin Red Line to Star Wars Episode I (January - May 1999)
The first part of PopMatters' look back at the films of 1999 is bookended by the long awaited return of two cinematic auteurs of wildly different styles, Terrence Malick and George Lucas.
Friday, June 22 2007
Part 5: The Return of the Auteur
That noise you heard near the start of the new millennium was the creative din of a brash new breed of filmmakers tearing down the traditions of mainstream moviemaking. Their motion picture mission statements -- including the ones featured on this list -- remain the rulebook for new generations of anxious film artists.
Wednesday, June 6 2007
Kids’ DVDs: June 2007
Given that babies and young children love nothing more than repetition, repetition, and... um.... repetition, I can't understand why even the pointiest of heads would think children between the ages of six months and three years could possible need 23 different Baby Einstein DVDs.
Tuesday, May 29 2007
Future Shock: The Death of Serious Science Fiction
The serious Science Fiction film genre is dead or at least on cinematic life support. As the new millennial marches forward, and an omnipresent production paradigm that substitutes spectacle for smarts, futurist filmmaking is definitely gasping for breath.
Tuesday, November 21 2006
Happy Feet (2006)
The penguins learn to refine their engrained vocal skills not in the interest of spiritual uplift or any such, but, basically, to get laid.
Wednesday, August 2 2006
V for Vendetta (2006)
"He's a pretty complex man," says Hugo Weaving of V. "He's been imprisoned and tortured and abused mentally and physically... and then burnt in fire."
Friday, March 17 2006
V for Vendetta (2006)
The Natalie Portman film is an earnestly angry, vaguely philosophical, but ultimately generic action movie.
Tuesday, February 28 2006
Little Fish (2005)
Jacquelin Perske's script delivers Tracy's story in a series of snapshots, brief, highly detailed moments, comprised of close-ups or bits of dialogue.
Thursday, December 18 2003
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
No in-betweeners in this reductive view of the world: characters and choices are good or evil.
Monday, November 10 2003
Matrix Revolutions (2003)
'Why, Mr. Anderson?'asks Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving), for what seems the umpteenth time.
