From ‘Cast Away’ to ‘Locke’: The Rise of the One-Man Movie
For every apparent innovation in the storytelling method, one-man movies from Cast Away to‘Locke are as conventional as they come.
Jon Lisi
Jon Lisi writes about film and television. He lives in New York City.
Tom Cruise: Hollywood’s Last Great Movie Star
Tom Cruise is the most consistent movie star Hollywood has, and when he stops making films, his absence will signify the end of an era.
Madonna’s ‘Rebel Heart’ Reinforces Her Relevance
Despite the detractors who insist that she gives it up, Madonna is determined to dominate the cultural conversation once again.
Enough with the Biopic: A Re-Examination of Cinema’s Least Interesting Genre
Life-spanning biopics are still the ultimate Oscar bait in 2014. Here’s hoping that no one will be biting in the future.
The Politics of Performance: Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping
Like many avant-gardists before them, Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping view their performances not as an artistic practice or profession, but as an orientation toward life.
The Magical Presence of Anna Karina: More Than Godard’s Muse
It’s not that Anna Karina couldn’t act, but that she didn’t have to. Her physical presence was the art, and her beauty, in and of itself, was a significant contribution to the culture.
How Women Dominated Pop Music in the ’00s
We owe it to ourselves to recognize the many women in pop music that made an undeniable impact on popular culture and the world at large in the ’00s.
The Power of Body Language: Michelle Yeoh, Action Cinema’s First Lady
Watching Michelle Yeoh fight on screen is like watching Fred Astaire dance: simply beautiful.
‘Room 237’ and The History of Cinematic Representations of Cinephilia
Room 237 is one of the only films that respects and even admires cinephilia and its various forms.
Linda Williams on the Melodrama of Black and White in ‘The Wire’
On The Wire is a must-read book for everyone who believes that the HBO series is life-changing fiction of the highest order.
Revisiting ‘Garden State’ 10 Years Later
Despite the film’s hipster soundtrack and depiction of twenty-something malaise, it ultimately embraces the human spirit and all of the sentimentality that goes with it.