Capturing the magic of our world — real or imaginary — is the ultimate challenge for animators. Studio Ghibli, an award-winning Japanese animation studio, has done just that for almost 40 years. In the confines of every hand-drawn frame, anything is possible, and I was...

“Hello, stranger / It seems so good to see you back again / How long has it been?” It is this melody, the soulful “Hello Stranger” by Barbara Lewis, that has the power to reunite lost lovers across state borders — in a quaint diner, no less. The tension between the...

The next time you have 12 hours to kill, why spend it sitting around when you can be sitting in front of a silver screen? If you’re seeking a challenge — a quest, even — then the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy is for you. It has had a special place in the hearts of fantasy...

This Valentine’s Day, it’s important to keep those we love in mind — some, however, may be inclined to disagree.  “Today is a holiday invented by greeting card companies to make people feel like crap,” Joel Barish (Jim Carrey) says in 2004’s “Eternal Sunshine...

The heart of a good thriller is in the genre’s name itself. It’s that sense of excitement complemented by a tinge of fear and anticipation for what is yet to come that leaves its audience gripping their seats. In director David Fincher’s “Seven” (1995, stylized as “Se7en”),...

Even over 50 years after its original release, “2001: A Space Odyssey” left the audience at my local theatre gasping, laughing and begging for more. During a brief intermission in the film, the audience roared with excitement. Some were confused, others were thrilled and...

This article is part of the “Retro Review” series. Each month, four films — united by a singular theme — are assessed. The theme for April 2024 is “literature adaptations.” Simple and sublime, Joe Wright’s 2005 adaptation of Jane Austen’s 1813 novel “Pride...

This article is part of the “Retro Review” series. Each month, four films — united by a singular theme — are assessed. The theme for April 2024 is “literature adaptations.” Too good. “Little Women” is a story beloved across generations. The original story,...

This article is part of the “Retro Review” series. Each month, four films — united by a singular theme — are assessed. The theme for April 2024 is “literature adaptations.” Harper Lee’s classic novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” is one of the most famous books...

This article is part of the “Retro Review” series. Each month, four films — united by a singular theme — are assessed. The theme for April 2024 is “literature adaptations.” Time for a deep breath. Baz Luhrmann’s 2013 adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic...

This article is part of the “Retro Review” series. Each month, four films — united by a singular theme — are assessed. The theme for January 2024 is “time loop.” “I just try to live every day as if I’ve deliberately come back to this one, to enjoy it, as if...

This article is part of the “Retro Review” series. Each month, four films — united by a singular theme — are assessed. The theme for January 2024 is “time loop.” Should the “time loop” genre exist? No clue. That’s what this month has come to. Christopher...