2023 proved to be an unpredictable and testing year for cinema — a twelve-month stretch that unfolded very differently from what many expected. After the industry barely recovered from the pandemic shutdowns, tensions rose between studio leadership and creative talent. The year was defined in part by a prolonged stand-off as actors and writers walked … Read more
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)Director: Philip KaufmanScreenwriter: W. D. RichterStarring: Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Veronica Cartwright, Jeff Goldblum, Leonard Nimoy This 1978 adaptation of Jack Finney’s The Body Snatchers is at once a straightforward science-fiction horror film and a much subtler commentary on social and cultural anxieties. On the surface it tells the story … Read more
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)Director: Philip KaufmanScreenwriter: W. D. RichterStarring: Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Veronica Cartwright, Jeff Goldblum, Leonard Nimoy At its surface, Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a science-fiction horror about an extraterrestrial threat. At a deeper level it examines conformity, loss of identity, and the erosion of human feeling. This 1978 … Read more
The Muppet Christmas Carol first reached cinemas in December 1992 and returned modestly at the box office. Like other holiday films that grew in popularity through home video and syndication, the arrival of VHS and later DVD helped this adaptation become a staple of seasonal viewing. Over time it has become the definitive screen version … Read more
The Muppet Christmas Carol premiered in cinemas in December 1992 and initially returned modest box office results. Yet, like many holiday films that grew into classics through repeated home viewings, the arrival of VHS and later DVD cemented its place as a seasonal staple. Over the years it has become the definitive screen adaptation of … Read more
The Ten Commandments (1923)Director: Cecil B. DeMilleScreenwriter: Jeanie MacphersonStarring: Theodore Roberts, Leatrice Joy, Richard Dix, Rod LaRocque, Nita Naldi Cecil B. DeMille’s 1923 silent epic The Ten Commandments is a film that still astonishes. From its opening moments the movie demonstrates remarkable artistry—meticulous production design, striking cinematography, and ambitious technical effects all contribute to a … Read more
The Ten Commandments (1923)Director: Cecil B. DeMilleScreenwriter: Jeanie MacphersonStarring: Theodore Roberts, Leatrice Joy, Richard Dix, Rod LaRocque, Nita Naldi The opening 45 minutes of Cecil B. DeMille’s 1923 silent epic The Ten Commandments are breathtaking. The film’s art direction, cinematography and technical effects reveal a level of craftsmanship that still impresses a century later. Directed … Read more
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (2023) Director: Sam FellScreenwriters: Karey Kirkpatrick, John O’Farrell, Rachel TunnardStarring: Bella Ramsey, Thandiwe Newton, Zachary Levi, Imelda Staunton, Lynn Ferguson, David Bradley, Jane Horrocks, Romesh Ranganathan, Daniel Mays, Josie Sedgwick-Jones, Peter Serafinowicz, Nick Mohammed, Miranda Richardson The original Chicken Run (2000) made a lasting impression: a stop-motion animated caper … Read more
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (2023)Director: Sam FellScreenwriters: Karey Kirkpatrick, John O’Farrell, Rachel TunnardStarring: Bella Ramsey, Thandiwe Newton, Zachary Levi, Imelda Staunton, Lynn Ferguson, David Bradley, Jane Horrocks, Romesh Ranganathan, Daniel Mays, Josie Sedgwick-Jones, Peter Serafinowicz, Nick Mohammed, Miranda Richardson The original Chicken Run (2000) arrived as a near-perfect slice of stop-motion animation: sharp, … Read more
Godzilla Minus One / Gojira -1.0 (2023)Director: Takashi YamazakiScreenwriter: Takashi YamazakiStarring: Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada, Munetaka Aoki, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Sakura Ando, Kuranosuke Sasaki, Mio Tanaka, Sae Nagatani Takashi Yamazaki’s Godzilla Minus One returns to the emotional and thematic roots that made the original Toho Godzilla films enduring pieces of cinema. Unlike recent big-budget … Read more