We all have our “thing.” For my brother, it’s football. For one of my friends, it’s all about her son. For my kid, it’s dance. Me? Movies. This is about my love of movies and how it came, went, came back again, and where it now resides. The first movie I can ever remember seeing…
Before seeing Lee Daniels’ The Butler, I had several reasons to dislike it. First, I don’t like anyone’s name before the title. I would not like Martin Scorcese’s Goodfellas or Steven Spielberg’s Raiders of the Lost Ark, thus I would not like anyone’s anything. Second, any film with Oprah Winfrey usually belongs on basic cable. …
The Tree of Life, nominated for Best Picture, Director, and Cinematography Oscars and winner of AFI’s Best Picture of 2011, is one of those films that few can attempt and even fewer can accomplish. It is also one of those films, at least one a year, that Academy voters and Cannes adore but most of…
Last name, maybe – Manson? What starts out like a peaceful, Quaker farmhouse somewhere out in nowhere turns out to be a quiet, isolated cult of about 20 men and women. The men eat dinner first, then the women – but significantly less food is available. Sex is part of the initiation, sometimes in a…
I have ranted about remakes, spouted about superheroes, and screamed about sequels, but I have also admitted that they do have value. There are, however, a handful of things that I can no longer tolerate. Some film moments have become so overused that any further attempt to recreate them had better be a joke designed…
It would be wrong not to preface this with two undeniable facts: First, I am old. Because I am old, I am no longer part of Hollywood’s target audience. And because I am no longer part of the target audience, I am not likely to enjoy at least half of what La La Land cranks…
One of the rumors that followed the release of Skyfall was that this would be Daniel Craig’s last Bond film, rumors likely started because Bond is seriously injured in the newest of the 50-year old series. The injury throws his reflexes off, slightly diminishes his strength, and even leaves a little psychological damage. However, by…
Before I get into my predictions, let me first say how greatly disappointed I am at the choice of Seth MacFarlane to host the show. I’m not a big fan of Family Guy. One episode was great, but I’m tired of it now. The only thing I hope is that his act is funnier than…
During the first 12 minutes of Argo, someone put a belt around my chest and pulled it snugly. Then about every 15 minutes, it was pulled another notch tighter. Although I had trouble breathing, it was a good thing. Seven Oscar nominations later, it was a great thing. Argo begins with a short history lesson…
This is for the movies I’ve loved that juuuust don’t seem to fit into the regular categories, and with good reason. They’re not right. They’re a little – off. They got issues. And they rock. Feel free to list YOUR guilty pleasures in the comments. ______________________ Bad Santa – 2003 Directed by Terry Zwigoff Written…
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