At the Movies

Director Steven Spielberg has had a career-long interest in aliens, as witness "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (1977), "E.T." (1982) and "War of the Worlds" (2005). HCC film professors Marie Westhaver and Mike Giuliano discuss Spielberg's latest close encounter with alien life forms, "Disclosure Day," in this podcast episode. Josh O'Connor and Emily Blunt star in a paranoia-driven story about a secretive agency trying to suppress public awareness about the aliens among us. Although Marie and Mike are less than enthusiastic about various aspects of the storytelling here, they acknowledge that the busy plot holds your interest and, of course, Spielberg has his usual cinematic expertise on display. Marie and Mike also talk about a small indie horror film, "Backrooms," that has been doing big business at the box office. The film's nifty premise about a furniture store salesman (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who discovers a secret room in the store's basement is not sustained in a feature-length film, but there is a convincingly ominous atmosphere that keeps you watching.

Ian McKellen gives one of his finest performances as a curmudgeonly famous artist in "The Christophers," and he's well-matched in terms of acting skill by Michaela Coel as the young assistant he hires. In this podcast episode, HCC film professors Marie Westhaver and Mike Giuliano agree that there's a terrific dynamic between these two actors, and they also like how director Steven Soderbergh handles the criminal intrigue in a plot that hinges on art forgery. Although Marie and Mike may be curmudgeons in their own way as they tabulate some of the things that don't quite work for them here, they recommend the film. Our fussy critics also talk about "I Love Boosters." They agree that director Boots Riley's first film, "Sorry to Bother You," is thematically more successful, but they also gleefully acknowledge that there is much to enjoy in this fashion world satire. Keke Palmer, Taylour Paige and Naomi Ackie portray boosters who steal expensive clothes from stores owned by an imperious designer played to the hilt by Demi Moore. The scattershot satire loses focus as it goes along, but the movie is colorful, energetic and just plain fun to watch.

"The Devil Wears Prada 2" certainly qualifies as a belated sequel considering the first movie was released in 2006. In this podcast episode, HCC film professors Marie Westhaver and Mike Giuliano compare notes on what has changed in the world of high-end fashion journalism during the intervening decades; and, of course, they talk about how Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Stanley Tucci and Emily Blunt still look basically the same! Marie and Mike both have some plot-related quibbles, but you have to like a movie in which Lady Gaga gets to tell off Meryl Streep. Our critics also talk about "Michael," which as Mike points out is very much an estate-authorized biopic. Although this film does not explore various aspects of Jackson's life, the late performer's nephew Jaafar is terrific in the title role. "The Devil Wears Prada 2" and "Michael" deservedly are box office hits.