The Magic Lantern

The Magic Lantern


Latest Episodes

Episode 162 – Vagabond
July 12, 2021

When we first see Mona, she is already dead. In Vagabond (1985), Agnès Varda then sets about to reconstruct the last days and weeks of this young woman’s life, as witnessed and retold through the eyes

Episode 161 – My Brilliant Career
June 28, 2021

Gillian Armstrong’s My Brilliant Career (1979) belongs to a special category of films in my personal canon. Sometimes a movie hits you like a bolt out of the blue and you know it is going to be a perm

Episode 160 – Rushmore
June 14, 2021

Is Rushmore (1998) your favorite Wes Anderson film? It is certainly mine. When I first saw it in the theater when I was about 22, it hit me where I lived. This rich vein of the blackest comedy combine

Episode 159 – Tremors
May 31, 2021

We owe a debt of gratitude to Tremors (Underwood, 1990). Its arrival kicked off another boom cycle for one of our favorite subgenres – the creature feature! About every twenty years we get a new permu

Episode 158 – Diabolique
May 17, 2021

Is Diabolique (Clouzot, 1955) a film noir or a thriller? We firmly assert that it is one of the most delectable, and yes, diabolical noir masterpieces to come out of the 1950s. That it manages to be t

Episode 144 – Macario
November 02, 2020

It’s Día de Muertos today, The Day of the Dead, and we could think of no better way to observe the occasion than to sing the praises of Roberto Gavaldón’s otherworldly parable, Macario (1960). Set against the backdrop of one of Mexico’s most holy days,...

Episode 143 – The Magic Jack O’Lantern 2020
October 31, 2020

It’s that most wonderful time of the year again! In this episode, The Magic Jack O’Lantern 2020, we once again bring you our list of viewing tricks and treats to celebrate the season. We watched one Halloween inspired title every day in October and now...

Episode 142 – Halloween
October 18, 2020

In Halloween (Green, 2018), it is forty years after the 1978 babysitter murders that destroyed the peace of Haddonfield, Illinois, and shattered Laurie Strode’s life. In this “recalibration” of the original,

Episode 141 – A Dark Song
October 04, 2020

It’s the best time of the year once again! Cole-o-ween 2020 is upon us and to kick off the proceedings I have chosen one of my favorite horror films from the last few years, A Dark Song (Gavin, 2016). This is a harrowing and incisive portrait of a woma...

Episode 140 – The Princess Bride
September 20, 2020

The Princess Bride (Reiner, 1987) is having a bit of a resurgence in the popular culture these days. In late 2020, the cast reunited for a fun, virtual table read as a benefit. In addition to that, various actors who are fans of the film produced their...