Iron Man 3, which will be released in theaters this Friday, is already projected to break $1 billion in worldwide grosses. Consider it another victory lap for Robert Downey, Jr. The actor, who has become the face of the Marvel franchise, has now reached such heights of superstardom that it’s hard to believe that Jon…
I have now watched the trailer for Man of Steel, the Zack Snyder-directed Superman movie premiering June 14, twice and had two very different reactions. Watching it at home on my laptop, it looked like a solid, modern take on the world’s most famous superhero. But this trailer was not meant to be watched on…
I’m back in The Atlantic with an analysis of the recent change in the MPAA ratings system. Here is an excerpt: “If anything, advertising that a movie has “grisly violence” or “strong sexual content” could make teenagers want to see it more. As a child, I remember scanning the content descriptions beneath cable movie listings…
To create 42, the new biopic about Jackie Robinson that topped the box office this past weekend, writer/director Brian Helgeland fashioned the true and emotionally explosive story of a milestone in the struggle for racial equality – the integration of baseball – into a film certain to offend absolutely no one. Any story about the…
I’m back in The Atlantic today. discussing the new Terrence Malick film, To the Wonder, and why it marks such a dramatic shift from the great director’s earlier work. Here’s a taste: “Malick seems to have grasped something about a generation of young adults who have not yet grown up. Neil has never learned to…
It does not take much prompting to get me to talk about Sam Rockwell. I consider him to be vastly underrated as an actor, so I see it as my duty to pontificate on his brilliance when presented with the opportunity. That’s what happened last week, when a colleague popped into my office to ask…
Last week, Ashley Judd disappointed supporters when she officially declined to run for U.S. Senate in her “home” state of Kentucky. But her reluctance to jump into what would have been a very tough race won’t preclude other celebrities from considering running for office. In fact, it seems that celebrities are flirting with the idea…
I’m back in The Atlantic today with a new piece about Derek Cianfrance’s The Place Beyond the Pines and the pitfalls of autobiographical filmmaking. Here is an excerpt: Cianfrance, in being so upfront about his personal connection to the material, has found an effective way to address the issues of working-class America. By making abundantly…
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