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With Apocalypto, Mel Gibson has proven it's possible to create a compelling action/adventure film in almost any setting. Gibson's theme (which is only partially developed), as revealed in an opening caption, is that all great civilizations fail wh...

For those too young to recall the tragic events of November 22, 1963, one of the most stark and enduring images of a lifetime came on a frigid afternoon in January 1986 when the Space Shuttle Challenger blew up while skyrocketing heavenward. By th...

For Robert Duvall, The Apostle was a labor of love. It is said that every man or woman has at least one story to tell; this is Duvall's. The film was in the making for over a decade, and, when no studio bought into it, Duvall put up the money...

One of the most evident signs of the shift in movie-goers' tastes over the years has been the decline of the Western. Once among the most popular of film genres, it now ranks near the bottom. If there's a benefit to this downturn, it's that mode...

Aquaman is a reminder of the meager pleasures that can be gained from a generic superhero movie. Devoid of the complex plotting, comprehensive world-building, and narrative twists that defined Marvel’s two big 2018 superhero movies, Black Pa...

Ten years ago, with much fanfare, the DC Extended Universe was born. Warner Brothers, riding the wave of success from Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, decided that rather than stick with stand-alone titles featuring their best-loved supe...

It's not a stretch to say that I am not a member of Aquamarine's target demographic. It's a good bet that about 90% of the film's viewers will be girls between the ages of 8 and 14. I'm sure the movie works better for them than it did for me. St...

With a title like Arbitrage, it's reasonable to expect a story that navigates the byzantine labyrinth of the world's financial systems - perhaps a better companion piece to Wall Street than Money Never Sleeps. However, although there is a little of...

Are You Here is a character-based drama from writer/director Matthew Weiner, who is perhaps best known as the creative force behind Mad Men (he was also a writer and producer for The Sopranos). The film focuses on interpersonal relationships: frien...

In the 1970s, Judy Bloom broke onto the scene with several popular young adult books. Later in her career, she added mature novels to her resume (with frank depictions of adult sexuality that shocked some who were familiar with her preteen-oriente...