The Sugarland Express (1974)Director: Steven SpielbergScreenwriters: Hal Barwood, Matthew RobbinsCast: Goldie Hawn, William Atherton, Ben Johnson, Michael Sacks, Gregory Walcott, Steve Kanaly, Louise Latham, Dean Smith, James Kenneth Crone Steven Spielberg’s The Sugarland Express, released in 1974, stands as an intriguing and often overlooked debut feature in the director’s filmography. While his earlier work Duel … Read more

Discussing religious exploitation might seem out of place in an article about film, yet cinema and television have been powerful vectors for the misuse of Christian imagery and messaging. Over the years, the commercialization of faith on screen has contributed to the modern cynicism many feel toward Christianity. The rise of lucrative televangelists and for-profit … Read more

The idea that there are only a handful of fundamental story patterns—the so-called “Seven Stories”—remains a powerful force in art and storytelling. Contemporary films often draw on ancient myths and archetypes, and nowhere is this more evident than in cinematic portrayals of Jesus Christ. The narrative of the Chosen One—God made human who sacrifices himself … Read more

Austin Butler in ‘Elvis’ (2022) Caught Stealing will pair Austin Butler with director Darren Aronofsky for a new Sony Pictures crime thriller. Austin Butler, whose profile has continued to rise with acclaimed performances in recent years, has been confirmed to lead Darren Aronofsky’s next film for Sony Pictures, titled Caught Stealing. The announcement marks another … Read more

Kong: Skull Island (2017)Director: Jordan Vogt-RobertsScreenwriters: Dan Gilroy, Max Borenstein, Derek ConnollyStarring: Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson, John C. Reilly, John Goodman, Jing Tian, Toby Kebbell, Thomas Mann After Legendary Pictures revived Godzilla in 2014, the studio quickly followed up by reintroducing another titan of the monster cinema: King Kong. The intent was … Read more

Why do we love monsters? Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro suggests that “in fairy tales, monsters exist to be a manifestation of something that we need to understand, not only a problem we need to overcome… monsters are here in our world to help us understand it.” That idea resonates: monsters can be metaphors for fear, … Read more

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)Director: Gil KenanScreenwriters: Gil Kenan, Jason ReitmanStarring: Paul Rudd, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Carrie Coon, Kumail Nanjiani, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, Patton Oswalt, William Atherton, James Acaster The franchise returns with its second legacy sequel to the 1984 classic, aiming to balance the original’s spirit with modern blockbuster … Read more

Over the past two decades, largely thanks to the global success of the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies, New Zealand has become a busy hub for filmmaking. Although the country’s industry is relatively small and remote, a handful of internationally recognized directors have shaped film culture far beyond the island chain. Directors such … Read more

Immaculate (2024)Director: Michael MohanScreenwriter: Andrew LobelStarring: Sydney Sweeney, Álvaro Morte, Simona Tabasco, Benedetta Porcaroli, Giorgio Colangeli, Dora Romano, Giulia Heathfield Di Renzi Horror cinema has felt uneven this year, particularly among releases that reach mainstream theaters. Immaculate arrives amid that uneven crop, attempting to carve out its own identity while leaning heavily on familiar religious-horror … Read more

Ghostbusters (2016)Director: Paul FeigScreenwriters: Katie Dippold, Paul FeigStarring: Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Jones, Kate McKinnon, Chris Hemsworth, Neil Casey The 2016 Ghostbusters reboot revisits a familiar premise: a small team of brilliant but unconventional investigators tackle strange, supernatural disturbances across New York City. This version centers on Erin (Kristen Wiig) and Abbie (Melissa McCarthy), … Read more