Why do once-beloved directors fall out of favor with the public, even when they feel that they have grown as artists? Welcome back to Blockbuster Bets, an Elements of Madness series exploring one of 2024’s biggest stories: the directors, established… Read More ›
In July of this year, Well Go USA released the historical fiction Before Dawn from director/co-writer Jordon Prince-Wright into theaters and on digital services. If you missed it then or just prefer your films on physical formats, get excited as Before Dawn… Read More ›
Growing up in Virginia, the stories of the War of Northern Aggression were about as common as statues, street names, and other memorials to Confederate leaders who died trying to prevent their state’s rights from being taken away. The legacy… Read More ›
Let’s begin with a brief historical recap: at the end of World War I, Germany was not in a good place (financially or spiritually) leaving them open to the ideas of a charismatic failed painter vegan coward who used the… Read More ›
“ZEPPELINS. BOMBS. BORDELLOS. BURIALS. RIGG. REED.” This is one of several taglines attached to the marketing for the Basil Dearden-directed (Dead of Night) action comedy The Assassination Bureau, a film adapted from a Jack London (The Call of the Wild)… Read More ›
Acts of aggression always come with unintended consequences. On the smaller scale, as when my children fight, it could be that the toy they’re fighting over takes a break for a bit and neither gets to use it. On the… Read More ›
Whiplash, La La Land, First Man — each one directed by Damien Chazelle, two of three written by him, and each one (love or hate them) makes a declarative statement regarding its subject. It shouldn’t surprise that the Oscar winner… Read More ›
Each country has their history and storytellers often find those histories ripe for the picking when trying to devise ways to entertain. In the U.S., for instance, audiences marveled at cinematic release The Patriot (2000) for its depiction of sacrifice… Read More ›
Berlin 1945, in an underground bunker shielded from the war, the would-be world dictator took a coward’s way out and shot himself in the head rather than face his crimes. Sadly, this supposed example of masculinity and human superiority which… Read More ›
Michael B. Chait is the director and producer for the World War II “What If” action-epic-drama Wolf Hound. On this episode of Open Dialogue, he shares behind the scenes stories of the making of this film. He offers which actor… Read More ›
Ordinarily, listing out who produced a film is never a promise of quality. It lets you know who helped create and shape the project, sure, but it’s not a guarantee that the new thing is as good as the previous…. Read More ›
Writer/director Zhang Yimou is many things, but subtle is not one of them. His projects often feature beautiful cinematography and elegant performances while exploring the complexities of humankind, resulting in films that are often far more poetic than narratively straight…. Read More ›
Consider the logline for Choi Jae-hoon’s feature film directorial debut The Swordsman (Geom-gaek) for a moment: a blinded swordsman comes out of hiding when his daughter is kidnapped by slave traders. With this type of description, one would presume a… Read More ›
It’s a tough conversation, but one that needs to be addressed head-on before jumping into actually talking about the film itself. Shadow in the Cloud, despite its best efforts, is written by Max Landis. Landis, the son of veteran filmmaker… Read More ›
World War II films are not that unusual, but A Call to Spy is not a typical period war film. Sarah Megan Thomas is the writer, producer and co-star of this film, and she shares why this film was important… Read More ›
The truth is often less exciting, less inspirational than fiction. My presumption for this is not because the truth lacks power, but that our individual imaginations build up ideas until they are larger than any one person or concept. It’s… Read More ›