The Huntsman’s Nicolas-Troyan on Cooking, Charlize Theron, & Highlander

Cedric Nicolas Troyan, who was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects on?Snow White & the Huntsman, directed?The Huntsman: Winter’s War?out now on Digital HD (and on Blu-ray on August 23). After directing Chris Hemsworth, Jessica Chastain, Emily Blunt, and Charlize Theron in his debut, Troyan shared his thoughts on conveying strong visuals,…

Read More

Facing the Father: LAST DAYS IN THE DESERT

?Father, where are you?? ? Jesus (Last Days of the Desert, 2016) Directed by Rodrigo Garcia (Albert Nobbs) and beautifully shot by three time Oscar-winning cinematographer, Emmanuel Lubezki (The Revenant, Gravity), Last Days in the Desert follows ?the holy man? as he ventures into the desert, seeking spiritual enlightenment. More specifically though, the ?holy man?…

Read More

The Boss: The Melissa McCarthy Pattern

Let’s consider the post-Bridesmaids?chart of Melissa McCarthy vehicles: Identity Thief?(good).?The Heat?(hilarious).?Tammy?(forgettable).?St. Vincent (good).?Spy?(hilarious). Of course, the next film is?The Boss… and it falls into the “forgettable” category, setting up McCarthy’s?next?film in the good-to-hilarious pattern. (Here’s looking at you,?Ghostbusters.) McCarthy stars as Michelle Darnell, a money-wrangling, speech-giving sociopath (okay, that’s a little strong), who tangles with…

Read More

The New World (2005) Criterion Collection: Malick’s Love Triangle #TBT

In 2005, Terrence Malick delivered a sweeping, epic vision of the seventeenth century love triangle inhabited by the singular Native American princess Pocahontas (Q’orianka Kilcher) and her two English explorers, John Smith (Colin Farrell) and John Rolfe (Christian Bale). Thanks to the experienced?filming eyes of cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki and Malick’s direction, the story beautifully appears…

Read More

Elvis & Nixon: The Odd Couple?

Elvis & Nixon?highlights the iconic collision of two, larger-than-life personas, as Elvis Presley (Michael Shannon) gains an audience with the thirty-seventh president of the United States, Richard Nixon (Kevin Spacey). Set in 1970, director Liza Johnson’s film has that “Crazy but True” featurette attached – but it’s just as much a tagline for the exploration…

Read More