Racing Extinction

Documentaries are about achieving an artful balance of persuasion via engaging testimonials, revelatory visuals and the undeniabl…

VIDEO ESSAY: Pathways and Pathos: The Internalization of TRUE DETECTIVE Season 2

Coming on the heels of its majestic, Gothic and subtly supernatural debut season, the sophomore year of HBO 's True Detective…

Fantastic Four (2015)

With its over-long look inside 5 th grade life to the tacked-on CGI-heavy finale, the latest big-screen version of Marvel stalwar…

Leon, a.k.a., The Professional (1994) and The Fifth Element (1997)

Director Luc Besson was ambitious during the 1990s, hot off his French hit “La Femme Nikita,” about a troubled woman trained to b…

True Lies (1994)

I loved James Cameron’s “True Lies” when I saw it in a Philadelphia cinema 21 years ago with a friend. I cheered the openly tongu…

The Road Warrior, a.k.a. Mad Max 2 (1981)

Still on a high from “ Mad Max: Fury Roa d,” I caught George Miller’s “ The Road Warrior” on TV, my first viewing in maybe two …

Gimme Shelter (1970)

The Rolling Stones had an excellent 1969 with “Let it Bleed” and a tour that brought in Ike and Tina Turner, but all that good wi…

Hercules (2014)

Some sons of god can’t catch a break. Despite his name and rep, Hercules – son of Zeus – is weak on film. Twice in a row. Early i…

The Night of the Hunter (1955)

My Absolute Favorite Film has a new calling card. “The Night of the Hunter” is a stark black-and-white Southern gothic horror abo…

Wet Hot American Summer (2001)

A good friend has egged me on for years to watch “ Wet Hot American Summer,” a 2001 send-up of 1980s summer camp films that is s…

Batman (1989)

I saw Tim Burton’s highly anticipated “Batman” on opening night, in Philadelphia. I loved it, despite the early warning of Michae…

Visual & Sound Diary: Fanny and Alexander (1982)

Director: Ingmar Bergman DoP: Sven Nykvist Music by: Daniel Bell Prolific Swedish director Ingmar Bergman was a visual master, an…