Josh O’Connor and Daniel Craig in Wake Up Dead Man Michaela Owens recommends a handful of films to check out that either influenced or go well with Rian Johnson’s latest murder-mystery masterclass. When it comes to the Knives Out films from writer/director Rian Johnson, I cannot be objective: I’m obsessed and I genuinely can’t understand… Read more »
Entries by Michaela Owens
Piercing the Toast: How The Birdcage Changed Cinema
Nathan Lane and Robin Williams in The Birdcage Michaela Owens contextualizes the production history of the comedy classic directed by Mike Nichols and penned by Elaine May. A hilarious farce about a gay couple and the outrageous ruse they’re willing to go through in order to convince their son’s future in-laws that they live a… Read more »
The Many Lives of Inspector Clouseau
Peter Sellers as Jacques Clouseau Michaela Owens takes a deep dive into the various iterations of the iconic detective at the heart of the Pink Panther franchise. Although Peter Sellers’s career offers many, many chameleonic characters — some even in the same film — there is perhaps one who looms the largest in the cultural… Read more »
Kneecap (2024): Be the Bullet
Still from Kneecap Michaela Owens sings the praises of the new, acclaimed quasi-biopic of the Irish hip-hop group Kneecap. It isn’t controversial to say that the musical biopic isn’t exactly the freshest genre out there. It’s easy enough to guess what the story beats will be, what songs will be highlighted, and what “fateful” moments… Read more »
Going for Broke with Grant and Gosling
Ryan Gosling in The Nice Guys Michaela Owens compares the comedic stylings of Cary Grant and Ryan Gosling in two of their most outrageous performances. When Ryan Gosling was first cast in Barbie and tidbits about the movie were steadily released, there was doubt floating around on the internet of whether or not the “somber”… Read more »
Food for Thought: Audrey Hepburn in Charade
Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn in Charade While there is much to love about Stanley Donen’s romantic thriller, Michaela Owens tucks into one specific aspect that makes Audrey Hepburn’s character so entertaining. Reggie Lampert is terrified. Her husband, Charlie, has been murdered. A trio of dastardly men are after the $250,000 he stole from them,… Read more »