In spite of warnings that American Graffiti was a lame early George Lucas production, I ventured forth, knowing my Mom who grew up in the 1950’s and 60’s of which the story is set, would at least appreciate the time travel. And of course, I’ll show my bias for all the 1970 movie stars, most… Continue reading Worth a Mention at 50: American Graffiti
Month: August 2023
Passages: Hey Mikey, She Likes It!
Stop the presses, for once I like a movie more than the New York Times. In fact, Amy Nicholson was downright harsh. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t LOVE Passages. But I did appreciate and even knowingly shake my head in understanding and remembering my second marriage which had an eerily similar dynamic of a… Continue reading Passages: Hey Mikey, She Likes It!
Afire: Pentagon on Sadness
Much like Triangle of Sadness, (an Oscar 2023 nominated film), Afire, written and directed by Christian Petzold (Undine and Transit being his other most recent and popular), deals in part with the breakdown of relationships caused by sexual power dynamics. What begins as a trio thrown together, two men on a working vacation with a… Continue reading Afire: Pentagon on Sadness
Jules is Jewel
Jules is a sweetheart of a film due to the nexus of solid writing(Gavin Steckler in what looks to be his first foray into feature length film), Oscar nominated director (Marc Turtletaub of Little Miss Sunshine) and an outstanding trio of actors (Curtain, Kingsley & Hariss). First a word about Sir Ben Kingsley, I’d be… Continue reading Jules is Jewel
Dreamin’ Wild, Sleepy Tame
I’m sure you have movies you can’t re-watch, even if you loved them the first time, mainly because they’re just too gut wrenchingly emotional. A few of mine are: Blu Valentine, Saving Private Ryan, Manchester By the Sea and Love & Mercy. The last two share involvement with director Bill Pohland who wrote and directed… Continue reading Dreamin’ Wild, Sleepy Tame
Shortcomings, a discussion provoking film
Randall Parks full length directorial debut, Shortcomings (based on a graphic novel by Adrian Tomine was a fine, intriguing watch for me. Listening to a podcast this morning unpacking the film, the trio kept referring to the main character, played by After Yang’s Justin H. Min as an incel. Like a healthy Buddhist, I’m not… Continue reading Shortcomings, a discussion provoking film
Theater Camp, Fire Comedy (as the kids say)
Theater Camp was a perfect comedic film. Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman and Noah Galvin have written a model script with deadpan humor and heart. The former two directed the film and let’s hope this trio will be the next Christopher Guest in creating a string of mockumentary style comedies. In this case, the title explains… Continue reading Theater Camp, Fire Comedy (as the kids say)
Filling in the Film Holes re. Two Past Mammoth Films
Time Magazine just released another of their polls, “the best movies from every decade”. I had some holes in my film files, so just like summer construction, it was time to fill in some potholes. I rented Brian De Palma’s Blowout with John Travolta and a very young and too believably creepy John Lithgow. Dennis… Continue reading Filling in the Film Holes re. Two Past Mammoth Films