by Heather Grey In the dimly lit auditorium of the Houston Film Festival last night, a cinematic revelation unfolded before my eyes. “Loteria,” a collaborative masterpiece woven by the hands of visionaries from Iran, the United States, and Mexico, transcended the boundaries of storytelling. At the helm of this creative juggernaut was none other than Mahmoud Atshani, a virtuoso cinematographer whose name now resonates as an industry marvel.As the first frames of “Loteria” flickered across the screen, it was immediately evident that I was in the presence of a cinematic marvel. Atshani’s cinematography is not a mere lens capturing scenes; it’s a brush painting emotions on the canvas of storytelling. His visual language speaks in hues and tones that elevate the narrative to a symphony o...

The series stars Antonia Thomas and Craig Roberts as two insomniacs who spend their evenings talking on the phone. BY ANGIE HAN There’s a point midway through When Harry Met Sally when the two leads, both unable to sleep, find themselves on the phone. The actual conversation isn’t about much of anything — past relationships, what’s on TV, the ending of Casablanca. But what comes through loud and clear is the connection between them, so easy and comfortable that any fool can see they’re meant to be together. Apple TV+’s Still Up is a whole series of When Harry Met Sally phone calls, placed between insomniac besties Lisa (Antonia Thomas) and Danny (Craig Roberts). Like their big-screen forebears, they fancy themselves “just mates”; like them, it’s evident to nearly everyone around t...

‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ comes out in theatres on June 30. The fifth in a series over 42 years, many of its originating ideas are taken from 19th-century racist archaeology. Will this iteration be different? by Vinita Srivastava I love watching a good adventure movie, especially at the start of summer. I have some great memories of eating popcorn in the local suburban movie theatre while we watched aliens take over a spaceship or a group of kids hunt for long-lost treasure in an underground cave. At the same time, even as a kid, I remember thinking how awful some of the racial and gender stereotypes were. I specifically remember watching Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and cringing at the representations onscreen, especially, the ruthless and flat-dimensione...