The Magic Lantern

The moment Sandra wakes up from her sleep, I knew Two Days, One Night (Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, 2014) had me. I knew what that sleep meant. I have also slept during the day, clothed, while others around me worked, lived, and thrived. Maybe you have too. I knew what…

The post Episode 063 – Two Days, One Night appeared first on The Magic Lantern.

Barbara Loden is a unique figure in American independent cinema. Before directing her lone feature film, she was a Tony winner on Broadway and appeared in a couple of Hollywood productions. None of these endeavors seemed wholly satisfying, though. That was our good fortune, as she was driven to helm…

The post Episode 062 – Wanda appeared first on The Magic Lantern.

It’s that time again! In this episode, The Magic Jack O’Lantern 2017, we once again bring you our list of viewing tricks and treats to celebrate the season. We watched one Halloween inspired title every day in October and now pass the list and our impressions on to you in…

The post Episode 061 – The Magic Jack O’Lantern 2017 appeared first on The Magic Lantern.

“You have to embrace the darkness,” film editor Todd Ramsay told director John Carpenter. “That’s where this movie is. In the darkness.” The Thing (Carpenter, 1982) is bathed in darkness, even though it happens to be set in a landscape of blinding whiteness. Whether it’s the black and blue palate,…

The post Episode 060 – The Thing appeared first on The Magic Lantern.

Terence Fisher and Hammer Films introduced the world to its first truly modern vampire with Horror of Dracula (1958). Known in its native UK as simply Dracula, it was a technicolor explosion of blood, sex, and fury the likes of which the world had not yet seen. It was shocking…

The post Episode 059 – Horror of Dracula appeared first on The Magic Lantern.

After repeated viewings, contemplation, and discussion, I don’t know what drives the main character of Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (Akerman, 1975). And I’m not just talking about the ending. Even after feeling a deep kinship with what I see on the screen, I don’t know that…

The post Episode 058 – Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles appeared first on The Magic Lantern.

Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood (2007) came to me at a difficult time in my life, and I find myself returning to it during difficult times as well. This might seem odd, because it’s not what you might think of as a comforting film. In fact, I reckon…

The post Episode 057 – There Will Be Blood appeared first on The Magic Lantern.

Rear Window (Hitchcock, 1954) has always been one of my favorites, and having too much time on one’s hands while the summer heat drives one crazy was really speaking to me. I’ve seen the film over a dozen times, and I can fall into the habit of watching it, but…

The post Episode 056 – Rear Window appeared first on The Magic Lantern.

The dog days of summer are here! To celebrate, we thought we would devote a little time to my all time favorite cinematic canine, Carlos Sorín’s Bombón: El Perro (2004). I discovered this thanks to a series that Austin Film Society did back in 2008 called More Than Buenos Aires:…

The post Episode 055 – Bombón: El Perro appeared first on The Magic Lantern.

Patricia Highsmith’s creation Tom Ripley has had an extensive life. In addition to her novels, many film iterations have been made, and Purple Noon (Clément, 1960) stands as my favorite (The American Friend comes in a very close apples-and-oranges second place). Purple Noon towers over the rest of the competition…

The post Episode 054 – Purple Noon appeared first on The Magic Lantern.