The Mummy | Karl Freund
The opening of the King Tut exhibition at the Saint Louis Science Center put me in mind of the “Egyptomania craze” kicked off by the discovery of his tomb in 1922.* Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre in […]
Armchair Traveler
The Red Shoes | Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger
“Not even the best magician in the world can produce a rabbit out of a hat if there is not already a rabbit in the hat.”
Not One Less | Zhang Yimou
This story of a school set in a place you’ve never heard of becomes as important as the fate of the richest kingdom.
My Life as a Dog | Lasse Hallström
They spend their time doing stuff, however inexpertly, rather than sitting around watching other people do stuff.
Robert Wise | The Haunting (1963)
The total effect is to create a general sense of confusion and unease, even before the first ghostly elements make their presence known.
Peter Jackson | Heavenly Creatures (1994)
To Pauline and Juliet, this impending separation feels exactly like the end of the world.
Haifaa Al Mansour | Wadjda (2012)
The final scene is a celebration of the joy of cycling, of being young, and of knowing there are still good things in life worth treasuring.
Lewis Allen | The Uninvited (1944)
If you can read between the lines, there’s an extra layer in the story that makes the whole film just that much more satisfying.
Victor Sjöström | The Phantom Carriage (1921)
Ingmar Bergman was a huge fan of this film—and do you really think you know better than him?
Akira Kurosawa | High and Low
Japanese life is portrayed as a mix of sometimes clashing cultures, with characters each finding their own ways to reconcile Japanese traditions with modern Western values.