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“The Reagans” is as entertaining as it is damning

The Reagans
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Matt Tyrnauer’s docuseries is a swift, in-depth exploration of Ronald Reagan’s time in office and his family’s lasting impact.

Marshall Estes Posted on November 14, 2020November 14, 2020

“The Patriot” at 20: Yankee Doodle Dreary

The Patriot
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20 years later, Roland Emmerich’s Revolutionary War drama skewers U.S. history and Mel Gibson’s persona without trying to—or realizing it.

Tim Stevens Posted on June 30, 2020July 2, 2020

“The Great” rewrites history with tongue firmly in cheek

The Great
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The Favourite screenwriter Tony McNamara gives the same farcical treatment to Catherine the Great, to largely wry results.

B.L. Panther Posted on May 13, 2020May 14, 2020

“Capital in the Twenty-First Century” is a flashy trip through economic history

Capital in the Twenty-First Century
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Justin Pemberton adapts Thomas Piketty’s book on economics into an accessible (if overly neat) primer on capitalism throughout history.

B.L. Panther Posted on May 1, 2020May 1, 2020

In “Mrs. America”, Women of the World Aren’t United

Mrs. America
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FX on Hulu explores the early days of the feminist movement with a history lesson packed with stunning performances.

B.L. Panther Posted on April 15, 2020April 15, 2020

“The Plot Against America” Is Alt-History and Chilling Reality

The Plot Against America
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David Simon and Ed Burns’ adaptation of the Philip Roth novel paints a harrowing picture of an alternate America that feels all too prescient.

Sarah Gorr Posted on March 11, 2020March 11, 2020

March’s Filmmaker of the Month: Spike Lee

Spike Lee
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For the month of March, we look back at the vibrant, confrontational, incisive work of one of American filmmaking’s most iconic figures.

Clint Worthington Posted on March 3, 2020April 1, 2020

Doctor Who: “The Haunting of Villa Diodati” Gets Cyber-Spooky

Doctor Who Haunting of Villa Diodati
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A low-key historical ghost story turns into some lore-building terror for the Doctor. Okay, so the Oscars, a […]

Clint Worthington Posted on February 16, 2020February 16, 2020

Matt Morton on Using Old-School Tech to Score “Apollo 11”

Apollo 11 Music
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Apollo 11 composer Matt Morton discusses how he used period-appropriate synthesizers to craft a tense score to mankind’s first walk on the moon.

Clint Worthington Posted on January 7, 2020January 7, 2020

Watchmen Episode 7 Recap: “An Almost Religious Awe”

Watchmen Episode 7
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Memory and history collide in a startling episode that offers yet more interrogation of the show’s source material.

Clint Worthington Posted on December 3, 2019December 3, 2019

Watchmen Episode 6 Recap: “This Extraordinary Being”

Watchmen This Extraordinary Being
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Six episodes in, the show does its deepest, most formally daring look at historical prejudice, policing and American mythology.

Clint Worthington Posted on November 24, 2019November 25, 2019

“Gangs of New York” Bites Off More of the Big Apple Than It Can Chew

Gangs of New York
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Martin Scorsese’s 2002 historical drama is big, brassy and full of great performances, but its runtime and tone leave it unfocused.

David Rollison Posted on October 29, 2019October 27, 2019

Fantasia 2019: “Shadow” is Zhang Yimou’s Monochrome Wuxia Epic

Shadow
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The director of House of Flying Daggers and Hero drains the color from a Shakespearean take of double identities to crisply symbolic effect.

Clint Worthington Posted on July 18, 2019July 18, 2019

“Halston” Captures American History Through a Designer’s Rise and Fall

Halston
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America’s first celebrity fashion designer gets the documentary treatment in an insightful treatment that still occasionally gets in its own way.

Tim Stevens Posted on June 4, 2019August 11, 2020

Can You Ever Forgive Me? Review: Melissa McCarthy Compels in Awards-Hungry Journalism Drama

Can You Ever Forgive Me?
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While it’s patently hungry for awards, Melissa McCarthy’s biopic of infamous letter forger Lee Israel is compelling and […]

Marshall Estes Posted on October 24, 2018August 2, 2020

Film Review: Oscar Isaac Hunts Nazis in Compelling, if Spotty, Operation Finale

Operation Finale
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Despite two incredible lead performances from Oscar Isaac and Ben Kingsley, this dramatization of the Mossad extradition of […]

Clint Worthington Posted on August 22, 2018August 1, 2020
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