Plato’s Den
@platosden.bsky.social
A journal about moving images and the cultures that create them.
By Victor Clemente
By Victor Clemente
“Hey, Turner! How do you know they'll print it?” —CIA Deputy Director Higgins (Cliff Robertson) setting whistleblower Joe Turner (Robert Redford) straight as to who is in control, Three Days of the Condor (1975) #FilmSky
December 24, 2025 at 7:20 PM
“Hey, Turner! How do you know they'll print it?” —CIA Deputy Director Higgins (Cliff Robertson) setting whistleblower Joe Turner (Robert Redford) straight as to who is in control, Three Days of the Condor (1975) #FilmSky
Pluribus’ 1st season proved to be a wild, provocative ride of the highest caliber. Vince Gilligan does the impossible by making the shopworn alien-invasion-by-assimilation premise feel fresh. It's conformity vs. individuality, with an enticing argument made for the former. #TVsky #Pluribus
December 24, 2025 at 6:46 PM
In One Battle After Another, Paul Thomas Anderson delivers a thrilling chase film featuring standout performances. However, I found its oft-cited political relevance overrated, as the film does not so much engage with politics as merely use it as a backdrop for the action. #Filmsky
December 24, 2025 at 4:58 AM
In One Battle After Another, Paul Thomas Anderson delivers a thrilling chase film featuring standout performances. However, I found its oft-cited political relevance overrated, as the film does not so much engage with politics as merely use it as a backdrop for the action. #Filmsky
With Wake Up Dead Man, Rian Johnson takes his penchant for beautifully shot, exquisitely cast, zeitgeisty whodunits to church, and the results are divine. Come for the mystery, stay for the carefully observed character study of people wrestling with belief in ultimate things. #Filmsky
December 22, 2025 at 6:59 AM
With Wake Up Dead Man, Rian Johnson takes his penchant for beautifully shot, exquisitely cast, zeitgeisty whodunits to church, and the results are divine. Come for the mystery, stay for the carefully observed character study of people wrestling with belief in ultimate things. #Filmsky
I have not heard much chatter about The Long Walk, and that's a shame. Francis Lawrence’s adaptation of Stephen King’s novel about young men on a state-sponsored death march is surprisingly moving, even as it maintains the gritty tone the dystopian premise demands. #thelongwalk #filmsky
December 9, 2025 at 6:35 AM
I have not heard much chatter about The Long Walk, and that's a shame. Francis Lawrence’s adaptation of Stephen King’s novel about young men on a state-sponsored death march is surprisingly moving, even as it maintains the gritty tone the dystopian premise demands. #thelongwalk #filmsky
The cleverly designed mayhem in Edgar Wright’s The Running Man does justice to the 1987 action classic, even as the new film represents a darker take on the source material—particularly its depiction of a gleefully cruel USA where empathy is discouraged and propaganda rules. #Filmsky
November 15, 2025 at 5:11 AM
The cleverly designed mayhem in Edgar Wright’s The Running Man does justice to the 1987 action classic, even as the new film represents a darker take on the source material—particularly its depiction of a gleefully cruel USA where empathy is discouraged and propaganda rules. #Filmsky
Setting aside my mixed feelings about the unnecessary transformation of such an excellent antagonist as the #Predator into a hero, #Badlands is, on its own, a fantastic action picture whose loud, explosive sequences are, ironically, reminiscent of the 80s original in the best way. #Filmsky
November 13, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Guillermo del Toro’s lush adaptation of #Frankenstein brims with, well, life. From the vibrant primary color palette to the impassioned performances, strong emotions reign in this retelling of the classic tale as a story about the folly of trying to live through your children. #Filmsky
November 9, 2025 at 5:34 PM
Guillermo del Toro’s lush adaptation of #Frankenstein brims with, well, life. From the vibrant primary color palette to the impassioned performances, strong emotions reign in this retelling of the classic tale as a story about the folly of trying to live through your children. #Filmsky
In The Lowdown, Sterlin Harjo brings the winning hangout vibe of Reservation Dogs to a beautifully realized rambling murder mystery anchored by another fantastic performance from Ethan Hawke as Tulsa "truthstorian" Lee Raybon. #TVsky
November 7, 2025 at 3:50 AM
In The Lowdown, Sterlin Harjo brings the winning hangout vibe of Reservation Dogs to a beautifully realized rambling murder mystery anchored by another fantastic performance from Ethan Hawke as Tulsa "truthstorian" Lee Raybon. #TVsky
In Richard Linklater’s fascinating Blue Moon, Lorenz Hart, as portrayed by a never-better Ethan Hawke, is the picture of charming self-delusion in a film that finds the famed lyricist in a frantic battle against professional jealousy over one illuminating evening. #bluemoon #Filmsky
October 30, 2025 at 5:13 AM
"Fear will keep the local systems in line."
―Grand Moff Tarkin (Peter Cushing), Star Wars (1977)
―Grand Moff Tarkin (Peter Cushing), Star Wars (1977)
October 4, 2025 at 6:54 AM
"Fear will keep the local systems in line."
―Grand Moff Tarkin (Peter Cushing), Star Wars (1977)
―Grand Moff Tarkin (Peter Cushing), Star Wars (1977)
“O what a circus! O what a show / Argentina has gone to town / Over the death of an actress called Eva Perón / We've all gone crazy / Mourning all day and mourning all night / Falling over ourselves to get all of the misery right.” —Che (Antonio Banderas), Evita (1996)
September 23, 2025 at 10:50 PM
“O what a circus! O what a show / Argentina has gone to town / Over the death of an actress called Eva Perón / We've all gone crazy / Mourning all day and mourning all night / Falling over ourselves to get all of the misery right.” —Che (Antonio Banderas), Evita (1996)
“I have often thought that in the hereafter of our lives, when I owe no more to the future and can be just a man, that we may meet, and you will come to me and claim me as yours, and know that I am your husband. It is a dream I have” —King Arthur to Guinevere, Excalibur (1981)
September 5, 2025 at 9:48 PM
“I have often thought that in the hereafter of our lives, when I owe no more to the future and can be just a man, that we may meet, and you will come to me and claim me as yours, and know that I am your husband. It is a dream I have” —King Arthur to Guinevere, Excalibur (1981)
Noah Hawley’s pilot for Alien: Earth is one of the strongest I have seen in a long time. It quickly and effectively establishes its own compelling narrative while building on a solid IP foundation without succumbing to empty or mercenary fan service. #AlienEarth #TVsky
September 5, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Noah Hawley’s pilot for Alien: Earth is one of the strongest I have seen in a long time. It quickly and effectively establishes its own compelling narrative while building on a solid IP foundation without succumbing to empty or mercenary fan service. #AlienEarth #TVsky
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is an enjoyable introduction to Marvel’s First Family. And yet, despite the clever Mad Men-inspired production design and solid performances, the whole thing felt less like a movie event and more like an undercooked pilot for a Disney+ TV show. #fantastic4 #Filmsky
July 29, 2025 at 6:17 AM
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is an enjoyable introduction to Marvel’s First Family. And yet, despite the clever Mad Men-inspired production design and solid performances, the whole thing felt less like a movie event and more like an undercooked pilot for a Disney+ TV show. #fantastic4 #Filmsky
“This is not a war any more than there's a war between men and maggots... This is an extermination.” —Ogilvy (Tim Robbins) waking up to the truth of the situation, War of the Worlds (2005) #Filmsky
July 29, 2025 at 12:36 AM
“This is not a war any more than there's a war between men and maggots... This is an extermination.” —Ogilvy (Tim Robbins) waking up to the truth of the situation, War of the Worlds (2005) #Filmsky
“No one seemed shocked or surprised…. Because we always end up in the same ugly place…. most of us experience tragedies like Genosha as a bit of déjà vu before getting on with our day.” —Dr. Valerie Cooper (Catherine Disher) discussing the Massacre of Genosha, X-Men ‘97, 2024 #TVsky #x-men
July 12, 2025 at 7:14 AM
James Gunn brings his trademark folksy humanity to Superman. The film finds Supes battling not only Lex Luthor but his insecurities as an outsider. Gunn brings the Man of Steel down to earth, a development that may offend purists but is not entirely unwelcome. #Filmsky #Superman
July 11, 2025 at 9:22 PM
July 5, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Twenty years ago, Steven Spielberg channeled H. G. Wells and reminded all empires that there is always someone out there with a bigger stick. #Filmsky #waroftheworlds
June 23, 2025 at 11:06 PM
Twenty years ago, Steven Spielberg channeled H. G. Wells and reminded all empires that there is always someone out there with a bigger stick. #Filmsky #waroftheworlds
“It's annoying that we have to fight elections for our cause/
The inconvenience—having to get a majority/
If normal methods of persuasion fail to win us applause/
There are other ways of establishing authority” —Argentinian dictator Juan Peron (Jonathan Pryce), Evita, 1996 #Filmsky
The inconvenience—having to get a majority/
If normal methods of persuasion fail to win us applause/
There are other ways of establishing authority” —Argentinian dictator Juan Peron (Jonathan Pryce), Evita, 1996 #Filmsky
June 12, 2025 at 3:49 AM
“It's annoying that we have to fight elections for our cause/
The inconvenience—having to get a majority/
If normal methods of persuasion fail to win us applause/
There are other ways of establishing authority” —Argentinian dictator Juan Peron (Jonathan Pryce), Evita, 1996 #Filmsky
The inconvenience—having to get a majority/
If normal methods of persuasion fail to win us applause/
There are other ways of establishing authority” —Argentinian dictator Juan Peron (Jonathan Pryce), Evita, 1996 #Filmsky
“I have a feeling in a few years, people are going to be doing what they always do when the economy tanks. They will be blaming immigrants and poor people.” —Mark Baum (Steve Carell), The Big Short, 2015 #FilmSky
June 8, 2025 at 9:19 PM
“I have a feeling in a few years, people are going to be doing what they always do when the economy tanks. They will be blaming immigrants and poor people.” —Mark Baum (Steve Carell), The Big Short, 2015 #FilmSky
After a rather generic start, Ballerina ups its action game as it picks up speed with some truly inventive and visually striking action set pieces that make it abundantly clear that it belongs in the world of John Wick. #FilmSky
June 8, 2025 at 2:44 AM
After a rather generic start, Ballerina ups its action game as it picks up speed with some truly inventive and visually striking action set pieces that make it abundantly clear that it belongs in the world of John Wick. #FilmSky