If art is the beautiful lie, can love also be ushered into existence by duplicity? That’s the question at the center of Magic in the Moonlight, a movie inspired by early 20th century Europe’s fascination with spiritualism, seances and communicating with the dead. Directed and written by Woody Allen, Magic in the Moonlight is set […]
Astrology: Film: Review: ‘Happy Christmas’ (2014)
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, […]
Television: ‘Fargo’: The Slender Man, Seduction and Lorne Malvo
Last month, two 12-year-old girls from Wisconsin were accused of subduing and stabbing a classmate. They reportedly explained their actions by referring to Slender Man, a tall, reed-thin, dark-suited and faceless character that has fueled online interest. The duo suggested they wanted to serve and please this entity – to curry enough favor so that […]
Astrology: Film: Review: ‘Night Moves’ (2014)
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)
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: ‘Child’s Pose’ (2014)
The stunningly self-involved central figure in the Romanian movie Child’s Pose is Cornelia Keneres (Luminita Gheorghiu), the latest in a long line of cinematic devouring mothers who operate from terrifying, chthonic depths when unable to control offspring who’ve had enough of Mommy. Directed by Calin Peter Netzer, Child’s Pose is set in Bucharest, where the […]
Astrology: Film: Review: ‘Her’ (2013)
As mobile technological devices and their owners increasingly spend every waking minute together, they both eventually seem to exude a certain mated-for-life aura. So, exactly how far-fetched is the likelihood of genuinely falling in love with one’s companion-gadget? In the not so distant future of Spike Jonze’s Her, set in Los Angeles, the possibility is […]
Astrology: Film: Review: ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ (2013)
For many people, daydreams are the most grandiose source of faux reality they’ll ever experience. In The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, starring and directed by Ben Stiller, Walter has garnered considerable expertise in the art of Neptunian, zoned-out escapism which allows him to live an imagined life of derring-do in a universe of his […]
Astrology: Film: Review: ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ (2013)
Based on the true story of crooked broker Jordan Belfort, Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street is a three-hour evocation of the revelry-filled Roman festival known as the Saturnalia. At some point during that ancient manic carnival, the head reveler was put to death. This mythology-as-art winds up imitating life as Belfort’s (Leonardo DiCaprio) […]
Astrology: Film: Review: ‘Saving Mr. Banks’ (2013)
The title Saving Mr. Banks tells us this man will be saved. The person in charge of delivering the fellow from harm is another matter entirely. Learning the identity of that individual is at the weepy core of John Lee Hancock’s movie. Mention the word “save” and, archetypally, Neptune leaps to the fore. Neptunian energy, […]










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