Being unlucky is often in the eyes of the beholder. That’s the conceit at the heart of Logan Lucky, a comedic heist movie directed by Steven Soderbergh, which takes a couple of brothers – their entire “simpleminded” family is nestled in Boone County, West Virgina and carries the generational “bad luck” stigma – and watches […]
Archetypes: Film: Review: Magic Mike XXL (2015)
Putting away the things of childhood is the extra-extra large theme behind Magic Mike XXL. Sure there’s plenty of male skin here. But the movie, directed by Gregory Jacobs, has its serious underside: a likeable bunch of strippers’ search for their self-identities. There’s a lot of archetypal Mars – males, physicality, energy, sex and sexual […]
Archetypes: Film: Review: ‘Foxcatcher’ (2014)
For many athletes, winning an Olympic gold medal opens countless doors, leading to personal growth, financial security, and a validation that all their hard work has value in a post-Olympics existence. As explored in Foxcatcher, this scenario was not the fate of the Schultz brothers, both wrestling gold medalists in the 1984 Olympics, in Los […]
Astrology: Film: Review: ‘22 Jump Street’ (2014)
Sequels are a dicey business, where a flavor too similar to the original can breed audience contempt. But in 22 Jump Street, co-directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller playfully make replication their creative launching pad. Lovable cops Jenko (Channing Tatum) and Schmidt (Jonah Hill), following the make-it-up-as-we-go-along style of law enforcement, are still basking in […]
Astrology: Film: ‘White House Down’ (2013)
They say you should dress for the job you want, not the job you already have. In Roland Emmerich’s White House Down, decorated Afghanistan war veteran John Cale (Channing Tatum) orchestrates a new-career move when he spontaneously takes on the mantle of a secret service agent during a large-scale attack on the nation’s capitol, saving […]