Every single ‘Star Wars’ movie has trafficked in goofy, slapstick comedy. As such, I’m relatively astonished by the backlash ‘The Last Jedi’ is receiving for its sense of humor. Fundamentally, these are family features that provide a range of emotional experiences for audience members of all ages. You laugh with these…

Sometimes a story just doesn’t need to do that kind of heavy-handed explaining for its audience. A lot of people talk about what Leia could or couldn’t do circa ‘Return of the Jedi,’ but a significant amount of time has passed since then. If the movie shows Leia summoning the power of the Force, then the audience can…

I don’t know. Maybe war can just exist “over there.” America has been in a constant state of war for decades. Does it affect the average American much,? Those who serve and those whose family member’s serve are surely affected, but as for the rest of us? We’re pretty insulated. After we crested the peak of the “War on…

“We see their maturation AND their realization that war isn’t just about fighting the enemy, it’s about figuring out in the process what you want to stand for and what you want to build when it’s all over.”

I LOVE that Ackbar bit it with no ceremony whatsoever. ‘Star Wars’ fans have managed to build up and elevate every minor character in their minds across the last few decades. Ackbar was just one leader among many who fought for the rebellion. That he’s become a meme of sorts in the online age doesn’t change the fact…

I think, given the realities of a galaxy-wide community, the answer is fairly simple: there will always be an evil waiting in the wings to supplant the evil that came before. With despots and authoritarians (and wanna-be authoritarians) aplenty here on Earth, I don’t have a hard time imagining an entire galaxy full of…

WARNING: lots of thoughts, lots of text.

I thought Toomes was such a great villain that had such compelling reasons for his villainy, but was so underserved by the plotting of the film. Casting Michael Keaton was a masterstroke, but without that fantastically tense car scene, I would have said they wasted him entirely.

Startlingly absent from this list is either the “threesome” scene from ‘Blade Runner 2049’ or the climactic sea wall fight from the same film.

Rogen was quite good as Wozniak in ‘Steve Jobs.’ It was a small role, but I thought he was remarkably effective. I don’t know that he’s necessarily among those comic actors who have hidden dramatic depths, but I’d be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt in a casting scenario like this one.

Indeed. A witcher’s neutrality in matters of politics is actually an important component of the series’ lore.

As far as apologies go, that was about as good as it gets. But as the article points out, it’s still rather difficult to square the apology with the realities of consent and with CK’s previous denunciations of rumors that have turned out to be true.

Roger Deakins’ work on ‘Skyfall’ struck me as rather indebted to ‘Blade Runner,’ particularly during the scenes set in Shanghai. And the Villeneuve/Deakins pairing was, without question, an aesthetic success for ‘Blade Runner 2049,’ from a purely visual standpoint. If both could be signed on for the next Bond film, it…

Quicksand’s new album is sonically immaculate. Will Yip just has a way of making guitar bands sound significant again. What Mike Sapone did for Brand New’s ‘Science Fiction,’ Will Yip did for ‘Interiors.’ If you are or have ever been a fan of post-hardcore, both albums deserve the careful listening of your ears.

It’s pretty rad that Lucasfilm is thrilled enough with Rian Johnson’s work in ‘The Last Jedi’ to entrust him with an entirely new trilogy. And I must admit, a new set of films split apart from the expectations and fan service that must inevitably accompany any film set within the larger Skywalker saga is rather…

I recognize that this is a sarcastic response to the popular notion that art must comment on the political, but there must be a worthy middle ground, where a story can be a story that’s “about something” without the baggage of political messaging, and also without being confused for escapism. Great art, great stories…

This article reads rather strangely to me, in that it focuses so intently on the tradition of monster-as-metaphor in order to cast John Carpenter’s ‘The Thing’ as NOT belonging to that tradition, that it sort of misses an opportunity to discuss what ‘The Thing’ manages to accomplish thematically regardless of…

Wow. They’re really leaning into the “go bigger” and “go darker” thing with this trailer. I’m a bit skeptical that they’ll be able to pull it off, but I’m excited nonetheless. At the very least, I expect the score to be fantastic.

Hm. I’m certainly not the biggest Star Wars fan at AVC, but nor am I indifferent to the pleasures the franchise can bring at its best. And I must say that I’m pretty excited about the visual stamp Rian Johnson is putting on Ep VIII. Whatever flaws Ep VII may have had, at least JJ Abrams attempted to inject the film…

You’re being unnecessarily defensive. If you don’t find my point valid, that’s fine. But why the hostility? Personally, I don’t consider myself a hero or an anomaly for giving basic consideration to my own bladder control before I enter a theater. But if you want to thrust yourself into this conversation with all the…