There is nothing quite so thrilling as a revisionist theory of a well-known story when it works, and no better example of that than WICKED. First a book, then a theatrical musical, it has now made its way to the silver screen giving us The Wizard of Oz from the point of view of the… Read More »
THE APPRENTICE
THE APPRENTICE takes as its focus the relationship between Roy Cohn and the young and hungry Donald Trump of the 1970s. This would be the callow Trump who was stifled by the long shadow cast by his father, Fred (Martin Donovan), and the utter cluelessness about how to play an all too easily rigged system… Read More »
SPEER GOES TO HOLLYWOOD — Vanessa Lapa Interview
Click here to listen to the interview. As someone who considers herself fairly well-read and well-informed, I found Vanessa Lapa’s documentary, SPEER GOES TO HOLLYWOOD, a revelation. Albert Speer, Hitler’s architect. took great pains to present a carefully whitewashed version of himself after World War II, writing a best-selling memoir, INSIDE THE THIRD REICH, and… Read More »
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, PART 1
It might be hard for someone unfamiliar with the Harry Potter universe to catch the nuances of HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, PART 1. Fortunately, the larger themes are intact, despite some liberties taken with the chronology of the books and the usual necessity of streamlining a richly plotted novel into a workable screenplay.… Read More »
Richard Linklater Richard & Christian McKay on ME AND ORSON WELLES
ME AND ORSON WELLES is a fascinating glimpse of what it might have been like to work with Welles during his enfant terrible period. The film, interesting though the subject matter is, succeeds because of the way Christian McKay become Welles in all his brilliant, infuriating glory. The first thing I wanted to know when I talked… Read More »