Duras, Marguerite Duras: Two 1970s Musings from the Cinematic Mist
The women in Marguerite Duras’ India Song and Baxter, Vera Baxter present images and rumors to the world but retain a core of adamantine mystery.
fantasy
Director Léa Mysius on ‘The Five Devils’ Aromatic Mystery
Director Léa Mysius talks with PopMatters about her sophomore feature The Five Devils, a nuanced exploration of the primitive senses.
Will the TV-Adaptation of ‘The Power’ Persuade Viewers?
The characters’ prospects in the upcoming TV adaptation of Naomi Alderman’s The Power are dubious, considering it’s an idea-driven dystopian novel that fries them with an over-abundance of imagery and biblical allusion.
‘The Crane Husband’ Carries Its Origin Folktale to the Midwest
The Crane Husband is a harrowing meditation on perpetual cycles of abuse, the exploitation of women, and a vivid exploration of artistic obsession.
Jonathan Carroll’s Multiverse in ‘Mr. Breakfast’ Leaves Readers Hungry and Grumpy
There are seemingly infinite possibilities for how the ability to see into multiple lives might change a person; in Mr. Breakfast, Jonathan Carroll manages to avoid them all.
‘Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands’ Is a Spicy Brazilian Cinema Classic
Bruno Barreto’s romantic charmer Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands is rich with sensuous detail that fills every scene with dizzying amounts of culture, music, and atmosphere.
The High Before the Fall: Terry Gilliam’s ‘The Adventures of Baron Munchausen’
Stranger than Terry Gilliam’s 1990s hits and less aggressive than his later work, the glorious fantasy The Adventures of Baron Munchausen was the last film where his talents fully flowered.
Punk Literature 101: Recommended Readings
Stimulated by, then stimulating, certain writings, punk has been a change agent of literature, injecting energy and disruption into multiple genres.
Asian Representation in ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’
Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings tries to recontextualize its stereotypical origins into a highly-entertaining film. Does it succeed?
Baby Boomer Optimism and Regret in the Star Wars Trilogies
While the original Star Wars trilogy display George Lucas’ youthful optimism, the prequels reveal his dismay and regret at the world created by the Boomer generation.
Fantasy Series ‘Loki’ Introduces MCU to the Multiverse
The Marvel Studios Disney+ series Loki uses the multiverse to dive deep into its central character and explore interesting moral and philosophical ideas.
Neorealism Meets Fairy Tale in Vittorio De Sica’s ‘Miracle in Milan’
If the escapism in Vittorio De Sica’s Miracle in Milan seems simple-minded, even simpler is the cure to society’s ills.
