Holy Unknown

The Lorax (2012) is Illumination's vibrant animated adaptation of Dr. Seuss's classic environmental fable. To win the heart of his crush, a young boy named Ted (Zac Efron) leaves his completely artificial city to find a real tree. This quest leads him to the Once-ler (Ed Helms), who recounts how his own youthful greed destroyed the forest despite the warnings of the Lorax (Danny DeVito), the grumpy guardian of the trees. The casting of the Once-ler went through several iterations before Ed Helms was chosen. Danny DeVito was cast as the Lorax after the filmmakers decided the character needed a rougher, less sentimental presence. Zac Efron was brought in to voice Ted as part of an effort to give the character a straightforward, earnest tone. Taylor Swift’s role as Audrey was shaped to emphasize enthusiasm and idealism. The Lorax was a major box-office success and sparked widespread debate about how environmental themes are handled in mainstream animation. 2012 • PG • 1h 26m Ro...

Midnight Run (1988) is Martin Brest's classic buddy comedy thriller about a cynical bounty hunter chasing a high-stakes target. Jack Walsh (Robert De Niro) is hired to bring in Jonathan "The Duke" Mardukas (Charles Grodin), a mild-mannered mob accountant who skipped a $450,000 bail. What should be a simple flight from New York to Los Angeles quickly devolves into a chaotic cross-country road trip as Jack is forced to dodge the FBI, the mafia, and a rival bounty hunter. Robert De Niro was cast in part to play against his established dramatic persona, and he worked closely with Charles Grodin to develop the film’s rhythm, with Grodin deliberately underplaying scenes to contrast De Niro’s intensity. The role of Mardukas had previously been associated with Robin Williams , who was considered during development before Grodin was cast, shifting the tone away from improvisational comedy toward controlled, dialogue-driven exchanges. The film’s success redefined De Niro’s ran...

Inside Man (2006) is Spike Lee's stylized heist thriller about a brilliantly orchestrated Manhattan bank robbery. Mastermind Dalton Russell (Clive Owen) takes dozens of hostages, forcing them into identical clothes to blend in with his crew and confound the police. As tough NYPD detective Keith Frazier (Denzel Washington) tries to negotiate, the case turns volatile when a high-stakes fixer (Jodie Foster) steps in to protect a dark secret hidden inside the bank's vault. Clive Owen was not the initial obvious choice for Dalton Russell, but Lee was drawn to his ability to project calm certainty. Jodie Foster joined the project late in development after several high-profile actresses passed on the role. The film’s final reveal was designed to feel intellectually satisfying rather than emotionally explosive, a choice Lee defended during editing. Upon release, the film was praised for its restraint and craftsmanship and became one of Lee’s most commercially successful projects. 200...

The Departed (2006) is Martin Scorsese's intense crime thriller about a treacherous double-game between the Massachusetts State Police and the Irish mob. Rookie cop Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) goes deep undercover to infiltrate a syndicate led by Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson), unaware that the mob has embedded their own mole, Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), within the police department. With both sides hunting a traitor, both men face a frantic race to unmask each other before their covers are fatally blown. Leonardo DiCaprio pursued the role of Billy Costigan after years of wanting to work with Scorsese again. Matt Damon was cast after Scorsese saw him as a natural fit for Sullivan’s clean-cut exterior masking corruption. Mark Wahlberg’s role as Dignam was expanded after rehearsals proved how sharply his profane delivery cut through scenes. Jack Nicholson shaped Costello into an unpredictable menace, introducing unscripted props—like a real handgun—to rattle his co-stars. ...

By Cody Andrus  I was a proud, devout conservative for 40 years of my life. I voted for Bush twice. I never voted for Obama. I spent 8 years writing a conservative column for a newspaper. I planned to vote for Trump over Hillary. But when the Billy Bush recording surfaced, I decided to show an ounce of class and not vote for either candidate. After Trump won, I was defensive of him for 4 years. I liked that he didn’t “put up with any crap with the media.” He might not be perfect but he was getting things done, etc. All the usual stuff. My feelings changed on January 6th. This is when I saw the true colors of (the vast majority of) conservatives. I realized for the first time that these wacky liberals I’ve complained about my whole life are now the reasonable ones. And (the vast majority of) conservatives simply don’t stand for anything. If you keep up with the news and consider yourself a well-informed person and you’re okay with what Trump did on January 6th, there is something fu...