Scenic Route: I’M NOT THERE (2007)
The formal climax of Todd Haynes’ I’m Not There consists of a long monologue by…
Scenic Route: FRENCH CONNECTION II (1975)
Action movies do not draw their unholy power from spectacle but from intensity, and I…
Scenic Route: CHASING AMY (1997)
Kevin Smith has been defined for so long by his inability to give a shit…
Scenic Route: DIE HARD (1988)
Die Hard is a perfect movie. “Perfect” does not equal “great,” although it’s that too;…
Scenic Route: ZODIAC (2007)
The best scene in the best movie of the 00s wasn’t shown in theaters; it…
Beat the Clock: Michelle MacLaren’s Action Scenes
Michelle MacLaren, director of the upcoming Wonder Woman, has done journeywoman work on many TV…
Scenic Routes: SHOWGIRLS (1995)
MAJOR Trigger Warnings Showgirls is a special failure. Very special. Verhoeven has the highest aspirations…
THE SHIELD, Scenic Route #3: POV
This essay analyzes a single scene from “Parricide” in terms of style; for the full…