filmmaking
Are We Living in a Simulation? The Director of ‘Room 237’ Decided to Find Out
Documentarian Rodney Ascher talked to everyday people who are convinced the world around us is an illusion. But as he tells MEL, he’s more interested in the mystery of why we believe what we believe.
Ralph Fiennes Was Having an Amazing ’90s. Then Came ‘The Avengers.’
The notorious 1998 flop could have derailed a promising career. But in hindsight, we can now see how it helped shape the remarkable performances he’s given us since.
‘Malcolm & Marie’ Takes Aim at the Myth of the Male Genius
This Netflix romantic drama, made entirely during the pandemic, can be terribly self-indulgent. But it’s smart about how insecure and needy egotistical men can be — and how their significant others can cut them down to size.
How ‘Lord of the Rings’ Shaped a Hopeless Generation
Two decades ago, our blind optimism dissolved as the real world fell into war. ‘Lord of the Rings’ became the ultimate millennial comfort viewing: a fantasy world in which the good guys actually win
