Poster for His Girl Friday Jesse Pasternack explains what makes Cary Grant’s work so dazzling in the indelible rom-com His Girl Friday. His Girl Friday (1940) is full of great performances. There’s the iconic and hilarious one given by Rosalind Russell, the sweet and subtly funny one given by Ralph Bellamy, as well as a… Read more »
Jesse Pasternack explains how the new Mad Max prequel Furiosa enriches and informs its predecessor Mad Max: Fury Road. When I finished watching Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024) for the first time, I had a lot of thoughts. I marveled at the scale and inventiveness of its worldbuilding, the intensity of its action sequences,… Read more »
Poster for Chungking Express Famous for its use of the Mamas & the Papas’ song “California Dreamin,’” Jesse Pasternack interprets how Chungking Express evokes the feeling of pop music. When I think of films about pop music, some familiar titles come to mind: A Hard Day’s Night (1964), Stop Making Sense (1984), That Thing You… Read more »
V (Hugo Weaving) in V for Vendetta Jesse Pasternack considers the echoes of 2020 that can be found in 2005’s intense — yet still hopeful — dystopian drama V for Vendetta. When people think of 2020, certain words come to mind, like “pandemic,” “quarantine,” “protest,” or “change.” It was a year where people grappled with… Read more »
Poster for Rudy Jesse Pasternack defines why audiences cheer for the Hoosier classic and its deep humanity. There’s a lot to admire about Rudy. I adore its brilliant structure and memorable dialogue by screenwriter and Indiana University alum Angelo Pizzo, the fantastic blocking and imagery by director David Anspaugh (who also graduated from IU and… Read more »
DVD cover for Lord of the Flies Jesse Pasternack delves into what makes Peter Brook’s interpretation of Lord of the Flies such a terrific example of the filmmaker’s talent. While Peter Brook is best known for his groundbreaking contributions to theater such as his iconic productions of the many plays that he directed and his… Read more »