Talk about timing. The explosive Season 3 finale of “The Walking Dead” was broadcast on Easter Sunday, when resurrection, in the religious sense, gloriously triumphs. This show, however, has put an entirely different spin on resurrection, twisting the underlying archetypal theme of victory over death into something unthinkable. “The Walking Dead” has always been about […]
Astrology: Film: ‘My Brother the Devil’ (2013)
March 21, 2013 by
Siblings are notorious for checking out who got the biggest piece of cake. In My Brother the Devil, directed by Sally El Hosaini, there’s more than dessert at stake between two young adult Egyptian brothers who live with their aging parents in London’s Hackney, an edgy ethnic and cultural hodgepodge. Rashid (James Floyd), the handsome […]
Film: ‘ParaNorman’ (2012)
August 16, 2012 by
Norman Babcock, the 11-year-old hero in the stop-motion 3D animated feature “ParaNorman,” sees dead people. In addition to communing with the spirits of those who have passed on – he’s severely bullied and marginalized at school for his preoccupation – Norman has brand loyalty to Zombie-centric toothbrushes, posters and otherworldly paraphernalia. In other words, he’s […]
Movie: ‘Killer Joe’ (2012)
July 25, 2012 by
As a cop, a profession that exudes Mars-infused energy, Killer Joe Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) uses firepower to protect the community in his redneck Texan town. As a part-time hit man – a Mars-Pluto combo – Killer Joe turns families’ murderous fantasies into reality. The Smiths are one of those twisted clans. Chris Smith (Emile Hirsch), […]
Television: ‘Breaking Bad’: Destination Hell
July 16, 2012 by
“Breaking Bad,” now broadcasting the first half of its final Season 5, is as red-hot as hell. And it’s all because early on Walter White (Bryan Cranston) hatched a diabolical plan. The series’ inevitable trajectory to the underworld has been a brilliant exercise in watching White’s stunningly dark mind. And there’s no mistaking the contrast […]
Film: ‘Magic Mike’ (2012)
June 27, 2012 by
Whenever Pluto insinuates itself, something hidden typically goes on full display. Think about stripping bare. That’s the scenario in “Magic Mike,” directed by Steven Soderbergh, where more than male flesh will reveal itself. Magic Mike (Channing Tatum) is the headline act in a male dance revue that’s an ersatz choreographed depiction of raw Plutonian passion. […]
Film: ‘The Lovely Bones’ (2009)
November 29, 2009 by
“The Lovely Bones” features an adolescent lead protagonist, Susie Salmon (Saoirse Ronan) who, despite her youth, will miss out on an earthbound coming-of-age experience. Instead, what we get is Scorpio, death and a grueling aftermath. Based on Alice Sebold’s novel, the film obliterates hope of Susie’s return. Director Peter Jackson visually models the seduction that […]
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