Madison Wolfe in The Conjuring 2. The visual and aural infrastructure of James Wan’s The Conjuring 2 is as familiar as sense memory — the creak of doors, the china that flies across the room, the autonomous movements of a rocking chair, electronics on the fritz, close-ups of teary children cowering under covers. If we haven’t seen this specific movie before, we’ve ingested … [Read more...]
Almodovar sees the sickness beneath the skin
In order to appreciate the latest triumph by Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar, The Skin I Live In (La Piel que Habito), two things are necessary: eyes and heart. No need for thick skin, unless you are sensitive to surrealism, non-linear plots, sharp razors and the color red -- as in blood. The eyes will follow a brilliant plastic surgeon/scientist (Antonio Banderas) carefully … [Read more...]