Breaks the Marvel formula where heroes acquire their powers at a great personal cost. As Rudd says, he’s expendable.
Ant-Man 2015
Directed by Peyton Reed. Starring Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Corey Stoll, and Evangeline Lilly.
![A still from The Canary Murder Case (1929)]()
The Canary Murder Case 1929
Directed by Malcolm St. Clair and Frank Tuttle. Starring William Powell, Jean Arthur, James Hall, and Louise Brooks.
William Powell’s second talkie and first leading role. He plays Philo Vance, a dilettante detective who uses “psychology” to solve the locked-room murder of a notorious showgirl. Continue reading...
![A still from The Black Watch (1929)]()
The Black Watch 1929
Directed by John Ford. Starring Victor McLaglen, Myrna Loy, David Torrence, and David Rollins.
John Ford’s first sound picture. Victor McLaglan plays a British Army Captain who decamps for India on a secret mission to infiltrate the forces of Yasmani, a mysterious figure threatening the Crown’s interests. Myrna Loy plays Yasmani, carrying over her silent-era typecasting as an exotic vamp. Continue reading...
![A still from Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)]()
Avengers: Age of Ultron 2015
Directed by Joss Whedon. Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, and Chris Hemsworth.
With the Infinity Saga done, it’s easier to forgive this entry for what it is: a plot-heavy middle chapter in a larger story that regulates the Ultron character to a McGuffin.
![A still from Blackmail (1929)]()
Blackmail 1929
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Starring Anny Ondra, John Longden, Sara Allgood, and Charles Paton.
Alfred Hitchcock’s first sound picture. A Scotland Yard constable covers for his girlfriend after realizing she’s implicated in a murder. The two then fall afoul of a blackmailer. Hitchcock shot this silent then added the sound scenes later and it shows, but his formal mastery is still amazing. Love the rack focus reflection shot in the opening sequence.
![A still from Behind That Curtain (1929)]()
Behind That Curtain 1929
Directed by Irving Cummings. Starring Warner Baxter, Lois Moran, Gilbert Emery, and Claude King.
Boris Karloff’s first talkie. His contribution comes via a bit part as lead Warner Baxter’s vaguely Arabian manservant. Though billed as a mystery, the film plays as a melodrama. Baxter and Lois Moran play would-be lovers kept apart by Moran’s murderous, philandering husband and the script’s insistence that Moran behave like an impetuous child.
