film criticism by maryann johanson | celebrating 25 years: 1997–2022
What would human civilization look like after a billions-dead catastrophe? “End of the world” movies almost universally fail to confront that. Do we need to do better?
If you’re okay with certain ambiguities and artistic licenses in historical depictions but not others, maybe take a look at which ones bother you. Why are some facts more acceptably malleable than others, and what value do you find in which bendings of the “truth”?
This would-be faux-70s paranoid thriller piles on too-obvious intrigue and embarrassing clichés, and lacks suspense, thrills, and a protagonist to care about.
What is intended to be a suspenseful period drama of paranoia and conspiracy is far too slow-moving and meandering to truly engage.
My tweets from Murch’s informative and inspirational talk…
Do you guys like lists? I tried doing a daily list a while back, and it never seemed to connect with you all. Plus it was a lot a work because I tried to be too comprehensive, too definitive. But maybe a quicker hit of a list — and ones that didn’t pretend to be … more…
Corruption! High finance! Political murder! Clive Owen!
Director Tony Scott (Crimson Tide, Top Gun) has crafted such a thrilling, edge-of-the-seat roller-coaster ride that you won’t realize till after the end credits roll how ridiculous it is, how much it relies on outrageous coincidence, and how it cops out in the end with a clever but cheap finale.
