*should have been early-2000s for Threat Matrix-doh!

Well done Jefferson for the article, and it's a nice companion to Angelo's original review. I remember watching an episode of the post-911 TV series Threat Matrix in the early 90s, within which one of the characters knowingly tortured a terror suspect to death by feeding him citrus (to which he had an allergy), and in a subsequent courtoom episode the torturer was acquitted (and their actions implicitly vindicated) because the torture yielded results. It honestly reminded me of what an East German TV show from 1961 glorifying the Stasi would have looked like. I also remember watching the post-911 episode of The West Wing within which a character sought to explain middle eastern politics on a fucking blackboard, implicitly patronising the audience aschildren, and leading to the stunning conclusion that "Al-qaeda=KKK" Well no, it didn't then and doesn't now. Then there's Zero Dark Thirty. I think it was unusually brave for an American film to be this morally complex and let its audience decide whether losing your soul justifies being king (or queen) of the world-the Hays code and its demand for morally pat endings still casts a long shadow, and kudos to Bigelow for not yielding to the easy option.

Gee Chris, heaven forbid Walter might have been using "echo-chamber" as a metaphor for art as a mirror to the soul, as opposed to a metaphor for internet argument. Let me guess which one is more important in your world. And as for passive-aggressive, methinks you could do with a mirror yourself....

Thanks Bill, the Korine one sounds worthwhile!

A Miranda July film scripted by Mitt Romney.

Hey Aqua-magma, that's the funniest thing I've read all week. Looking forward to your impassioned excoriation of Walter for daring to dimiss the beautiful empowering messages of Mac and Me once that review gets put back on the site....

Was half-looking forward to this one on the basis of Renner's participation....damn.

How unlike modern Hollywood to equivocate! Thanks for the warning. Hey atheistconservative, how about spamming somewhere else with your birther opinions?

Thanks for the warning....

Saw it yesterday-trust me, Walter's review makes perfect sense if you've seen the film, which is hardly an endorsement of it. Apparently edited in a blender and demanding not only suspension of disbelief but suspension of logical faculties...

Hmmm, Roger Ebert's review is also spoiler-heavy but he's not actually trying to warn you away from seeing the film. Don't think spoilers a re really a problem in an overwhelmingly negative review....

Now a John Milius take on the Avengers-that would have been interesting!!!! I'm sure the pendulum will swing away from comic book properties eventually... Good to see the comments back...hope a fanboy blowback doesn't send them away again.