As an exploration of the gifts and curses of creative vision, nothing beats the short, snappy Happy Christmas. Written and directed by Joe Swanberg, the movie takes a hard look at what happens when archetypal Neptune – whose bailiwick is artistic inspiration, music, color and visual talents, as well as altered states, escapism, the unconscious, […]
Astrology: Film: Review: ‘Venus in Fur’ (2014)
June 18, 2014 by
If you couldn’t get enough of Jack Baker’s (Jeff Bridges) cinematic jaw-drop in The Fabulous Baker Boys, as soon as seemingly tone-deaf loser and gum-snapping chanteuse Suzie Diamond (Michelle Pfeiffer) starts to soulfully warble her heart out and blow him away, you’ll love that film’s brainy, French, cinematic stepchild, Venus in Fur. In fact, there’s […]
Astrology: Film: Review: ‘How to Train Your Dragon 2’ (2014)
June 12, 2014 by
Is every critter, human or otherwise, trainable? And, because training elevates the game and aptitude of the instructed, does the core essence of tutored trainees remain the same? Those questions – as well as Saturnine boundary issues about whether to label entities purely good or evil – are at the core of the How to […]
Astrology: Film: Review: ‘The Rover’ (2014)
June 12, 2014 by
Set in a post-apocalyptic world in the Australian Outback, The Rover is a Saturnine story about two archetypal loners, each having suffered a huge personal loss that needs to be rectified in a land where procedural justice is a thing of the past. Written and directed by David Michôd, the movie takes place after what’s […]
Astrology: Film: Review: ‘22 Jump Street’ (2014)
June 12, 2014 by
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: Review: ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ (2014)
June 5, 2014 by
The teen protagonists who fall in love in The Fault in Our Stars, based on John Green’s megahit book, are just like most adolescents, except for one huge difference. They’re cancer survivors, who somehow opt to weather their days with as much normalcy as they can muster, despite knowing how limited their remaining time is […]
Astrology: Film: Review: ‘We Are the Best!’ (2014)
May 27, 2014 by
Punk angst – often expressed in music through stripped-down political, anti-mainstream rants – always starts somewhere. In We Are the Best!, an innocent yet voluminously raucous film about three young punk-obsessed girls, that origination point is Stockholm, in 1982. Directed by Lukas Moodysson and adapted from a graphic novel written by his wife Coco, the […]
Astrology: Film: Review: ‘Night Moves’ (2014)
May 27, 2014 by
You cannot, as the saying goes, make a profit off a dead planet, and the three radical environmentalists who are the key players in Night Moves intend to ensure the earth’s survival in any manner possible. Directed and co-written by Kelly Reichardt, Night Moves revels in the trio’s low-key demeanor, their ease with silence and […]
Astrology: Film: Review: ‘Filth’ (2014)
May 26, 2014 by
The Mars archetype works overtime in Filth, directed and written by Jon S. Baird, and based on Irvine Welsh’s book. While over the top aggression, anger, abuse, sexual addiction and the infliction of pain of every sort dominate the life of Scottish detective sergeant Bruce Robertson (James McAvoy), the red planet that rules weaponry is […]
Astrology: Film: Review: ‘Cold in July’ (2014)
May 18, 2014 by
Watching Cold in July is like getting on a bus and quickly realizing the increasingly sweaty and foreboding ride isn’t remotely heading for the destination named on your ticket. In this East Texas tale set in 1989, director and co-writer Jim Mickle sure dishes out some unexpected and grim-tasting BBQ. Based on Joe R. Lansdale’s […]
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