John Frankenheimer’s “The Manchurian Candidate” illuminates timeless and timely truths about the relationship between freedom and authoritarianism, as well as the that between illusion and reality. It’s a perfect film for our times.
Post
‘The Whole Town’s Talking’ and Edward G. Robinson’s Case of Mistaken Identity
There isn’t one wasted moment in this tightly directed and acted 1935 John Ford screwball comedy featuring Edward G. Robinson and Jean Arthur.
Post
Moral Reckoning in ‘The Masque of the Red Death’
Edgar Allen Poe’s famous short story is a memento mori reminding us that we must one day face our Creator.
Post
The Ghost of Sherlock Holmes
In Sidney Lanfield’s 1939 production of The Hound of Baskervilles, we have a perfect ghostly reflection for spooky October viewing.
Post
The Faustian Bargain of Dorian Gray
Albert Lewin’s 1945 film, The Picture of Dorian Gray, is the perfect selection for this season of reflection about our mortality and the virtues we need to cultivate to make life worth living.
Post
Longing for the Sacred
Though his portrayal of the Catholic saint is superficial at best, Padre Pio director Abel Ferrara's at least accomplish something, accidentally, by leading the film's star onto a redemptive path.
Post
Being Human
Questions of transhumanism have been the subject of many dystopian and futuristic movies, but our fascination with the subject says more about ourselves than the machines.
Post
When Mules Go Ballot Trafficking
Dinesh D’Souza’s 2000 Mules offers an intriguing, if depressing, look at a massively well-organized system of vote fraud apparently executed during the much-disputed 2020 election.