The past is a distant country. The further away we travel from it, the more strange the customs feel and the more unlike our own times it becomes. Consider the life you lead right now, the things you take for granted and consider to be normal. Now consider how jarring it would be to time travel back to, say, 1951. The clothing, technology, standards, everything would feel odd, and 1951 was only 70 years ago. Take that sense of disconnectedness and multiply it. You probably have something close to the chasm between how we think about the Middle Ages and the lived experience of Europeans. From the... Read More

I made it through three seasons of The Walking Dead before I tapped out. Don’t get me wrong, I love zombies. I love survivalism. I particularly love stories about societal breakdowns and how people thrive or fail in a nihilistic new environment. The problem with the aforementioned television series is that it’s got one of the most repetitive narratives I’ve ever seen.* Every season I’d seen was, thematically, exactly the same. Our plucky band of survivors searches for a safe haven and tries to avoid legions of cannibalistic ghouls. They inevitably encounter another group... Read More

Remember that one gangster movie? You know the one. It’s the one where the main crook talks about loyalty, but proceeds to screw over everyone to save his own skin? Okay, you need more information. It’s the one where the gangster teaches his adorable child questionable life lessons. How about, it’s the one where the mobster embarks on a flamboyant act of vengeance in order to drive a point home? Pretty much every gangster movie ever made features those tropes. It’s a standard and immediately recognizable cliche. That’s okay, though, because often times cliches are... Read More

Joel Edgerton’s directorial debut, The Gift, isn’t just a Yuppies In Peril movie.* Not precisely. It’s got a number of the genre hallmarks. Conspicuous consumerism. A seemingly happy couple with secrets. A ridiculously cute pet that has caught the eye of a lunatic. But The Gift is something special. Not only is it a tightly plotted and well directed film, but unlike many American films, it pulls no punches. It’s not afraid to get really, really dark. I’m talking Korean Revenge movie/Japanese Horror movie dark. Robyn (Rebecca Hall) and Simon (Jason Bateman) are... Read More