The western has long been a prism through which we inspect the changing American psyche. White hats and black hats battle on the open range, showing us how far (or often how little) we’ve progressed since. Times may change, and the westerns may change with them, but the form and its function have never really … Read more

When Pixar and writer/director Brad Bird unleashed The Incredibles on the world in 2004, the modern superhero craze was just getting started. It was rare to see an animated superhero story on the big screen, not to mention a wholly original one that became the centerpiece of Pixar’s “try anything” hot streak during the 2000s. Much has … Read more

In October of 2014, I left a screening of John Wick with a surprised smile on my face, amazed by how much I had enjoyed the little-marketed sleeper action hit. But as much as the smooth cinematography and fluid stunt work drew me in, I was most enamored with the world radiating in the film’s background. The … Read more

Imagine that you’ve just been interviewed for the nightly news on the 30th anniversary of your child’s disappearance. A day — maybe two days — later, you get a phone call. The woman on the other end of the line, whose voice you do not recognize, falters a bit and then drops this bombshell: “I … Read more