What Makes Special Effects Work? What Makes Special Effects Work?
In Empire of Effects, Julie Turnock examines how George Lucas and Industrial Light & Magic transformed the way we make and view movies.
May 30, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Malcolm Harris
The Indulgences of Rainer Werner Fassbinder The Indulgences of Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Ian Penman’s study of the German filmmaker’s work elucidates his “cocaine communism”—an aesthetics and politics of revolution and pleasure.
May 18, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Andrew Marzoni
Is There Anything Below the Surface in “Beau Is Afraid”? Is There Anything Below the Surface in “Beau Is Afraid”?
When mothers and dreams are involved, it is hard not to think of Freud. But in Ari Aster’s latest, very little is left to the imagination.
May 16, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Jorge Cotte
AI and the Hollywood Writers’ Strike AI and the Hollywood Writers’ Strike
Creative workers are fighting to preserve the human factor in the entertainment industry.
May 8, 2023 / Ben Schwartz
Writers Like Me Have Shut Down Hollywood. Here’s Why. Writers Like Me Have Shut Down Hollywood. Here’s Why.
The Writers Guild of America is on strike because Hollywood bosses have treated our demands for fair and sustainable working conditions with contempt.
May 4, 2023 / Editorial / Josh Gondelman
Sean McElwee’s Betting Against Democracy Sean McElwee’s Betting Against Democracy
The Data for Progress founder’s gambling isn’t just a bad habit. It’s a symptom of the decay of solidarity.
May 1, 2023 / Jeet Heer
Donald Trump Sinks to a New Low by Dog-Whistling an Old Racist Tune Donald Trump Sinks to a New Low by Dog-Whistling an Old Racist Tune
Insinuating that special prosecutor Jack Smith changed his name might seem like an odd tactic for someone whose family name was Drumpf—unless you know the history.
Apr 14, 2023 / David Margolick
The First Great Action Movie About Climate Justice? The First Great Action Movie About Climate Justice?
A conversation with Daniel Goldhaber about adapting Andreas Malm's How to Blow Up a Pipeline into a politically-minded thriller.
Apr 13, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Sam Russek
St. Clair Bourne’s Cinema of Solidarity St. Clair Bourne’s Cinema of Solidarity
The Black and the Green, which follows Black American activists who travel to Northern Ireland to learn from Irish allies, documents the necessary messiness of political organizing
Apr 6, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Yasmina Price
M. Night Shyamalan’s Strange Renaissance M. Night Shyamalan’s Strange Renaissance
After watching his latest, Knock at the Cabin, one can't help but wonder: What is fueling his career revival?
Apr 5, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Stephen Kearse