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Movies 101

  • TA(P) this week looks at a new arts festival, a chamber concert, films and an improv show
  • Movies 101
    Movies are often seen as mere entertainment. Walt Disney, among others, made his fortune on that belief. But some of the best movies ever made don’t entertain so much as examine the social issues of their time. This week, Dan Webster, Mary Pat Treuthart and Nathan Weinbender discuss three movies that follow that latter formula: “Till,” the story of the lynching of the teenager Emmett Till, and its aftermath; “Descendant,” a documentary about the search for and salvaging of the last ship that carried enslaved peoples to America; and “Tár,” a narrative film starring Cate Blanchett as an embattled orchestra conductor.
  • Movies 101
    Love may make the world go round, as the song goes, but these days love is – as another song goes – a many-splendored thing. This week Dan Webster, Mary Pat Treuthart and Nathan Weinbender discuss two films that are different explorations of the classic love story. One is “Ticket to Paradise,” and the other is “Bros.” We’ll also tackle the recent adaptation of author Gregory McDonald’s second “Fletch” novel, “Confess, Fletch.”
  • Movies 101
    We try to find themes in the movies we review on Movies 101, but sometimes it’s just impossible. This week Dan Webster, Mary Pat Treuthart and Nathan Weinbender discuss a trio of streaming movies that couldn’t be more different in theme, tone and even style. All, though, are quality views. First up is the Sidney Poitier documentary “Sidney,” followed by Lena Dunham’s anachronistic comic study “Catherine Called Birdy,” and, finally, the woman-in-peril thriller titled, simply, “Watcher.”
  • Movies 101
    Rage is one of those emotions that makes for great movie storytelling. Traditionally a realm of men, rage these days is being expressed more and more in movies by women. This week Dan Webster, Mary Pat Treuthart and Nathan Weinbender discuss two movies, each of which explores a world defined by female rage. First up is the African history lesson "The Woman King," followed by the contemporary drama "God’s Country."
  • Movies 101
    Every generation of movie fans has its favorite era of filmmaking, often the very one it inhabits. Some of us, though, look to the past. This week Dan Webster, Mary Pat Treuthart and Nathan Weinbender discuss a pair of movies that, each in its own way, pays tribute to the past. The first is “Blonde,” an artistic – to some controversial – look at the life and career of the actress Marilyn Monroe. The second is “Dead for a Dollar,” which is a tribute to the school of the B-western.
  • Movies 101
    In his 1954 book “The Doors of Perception,” Aldous Huxley argued that psychedelic drugs allowed him to see life as it really is. But did they, really? This week, Dan Webster, Mary Pat Treuthart and Nathan Weinbender discuss three movies, each of which addresses differing perceptions of reality: In order, the three are “Don’t Worry Darling,” the documentary feature “Moonage Daydream” and the horror film “Barbarian.”
  • Movies 101
    This week, Dan Webster, Mary Pat Truthart and Nathan Weinbender discuss a few little known movies that deserve to be remembered.
  • Movies 101
    Good intentions don’t always work out, at least not in the way we hope. Just ask Blanco, the character played by Javier Bardem in the Spanish-language film “The Good Boss.” This week Dan Webster, Mary Pat Treuthart and Nathan Weinbender discuss “The Good Boss” along with the coming-of-age dark comedy “Funny Pages.”
  • Movies 101
    Actions, as the great philosophers often preached, have consequences. Some are good, some are bad and others … well, any or all of them can make for great cinema. This week Dan Webster, Mary Pat Treuthart and Nathan Weinbender discuss a trio of films focusing on characters who make decisions and then are forced to endure what comes next. The films are “Resurrection,” “Benediction” and “Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.”