MEGALOPOLIS – Review by Susan Granger

Francis Ford Coppola’s passion project Megalopolis is a futuristic fable about the downfall of the American Empire. The 85 year-old auteur envisioned the dystopian concept 40 years ago, writing, revising and re-casting it, spending $120 million to make it, using funds he’d made from Apocalypse Now, The Godfather, etc. and his California wine business. Archaic references to the fall of Rome are everywhere, along with Shakespearean dialogue, peppered with quotes from Greek/Roman/Sapphic poets. Adam Driver even delivers Hamlet’s famous “To be or not to be…” soliloquy in its entirety.

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DESPERATE SOULS, DARK CITY AND THE LEGEND OF MIDNIGHT COWBOY – Review by Valerie Kalfrin

The documentary is an immersive kaleidoscope of reflections from the people who helped Midnight Cowboy come to be. Director Nancy Buirski blends insightful interviews and archive footage to craft a picture of the era when Midnight Cowboy debuted, touching on the Vietnam War, New York City’s financial troubles, and attitudes toward homosexuality. Shots from Midnight Cowboy fade in to real-life New Yorkers, anti-war footage, or scenes from director John Schlesinger’s documentaries, enhancing the film’s feel as a product of those times.

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AWFJ Movie of the Week, November 14 – November 18: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

If anyone knows a thing or two about beasts and monsters, it is J.K. Rowling. Opening Nov. 18, AWFJ’s Movie of the Week is Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Read on….

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