Carol

I didn’t know much about Patricia Highsmith, author of the terrific Ripley novels, many of which have been made into good movies, and of Strangers on a Train, one of Hitchcock’s best. I didn’t know that she was a lesbian (bisexual, actually, though she said her relationships with men were always unsatisfying). This movie is based on her novel Read more »

Carol For Another Christmas

I was talking to Spider Robinson one evening in late December and he hipped me to this oddball movie, with a fantastic cast: Sterling Hayden, Ben Gazzara, Eva Marie Saint, Steve Lawrence, Robert Shaw, Peter Sellers. Directed by Joe Mankiewicz. Screenplay by Rod Serling. Made back in the ‘60s, presented without commercial interruption (a very big deal back then), ... Read more »

Carousel

This is my least favorite of all the Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals. That’s a dissenting opinion, I realize, as it is beloved by many, very much including Richard Rodgers, who named it as his favorite. Sorry, Rich, I love your other stuff, including the music from Victory at Sea. To my ear the music in Carousel is mostly no more than ... Read more »

Carrie

High school. How do we ever survive it? Yeah, I know there are those who were popular and think back on it as the best time of their lives. I saw them at the reunion, and they’re still the most popular. Then there are the ugly ducklings. You can walk though any high school campus and pick them out instantly. You may not see much of the hell they go through—most of that takes place away ... Read more »

Carrie

Once again we must ask ourselves the old question, why does anyone think it’s a good idea to re-make a movie that was damn near perfect the first time around? (We might well ask it of Kimberly Pierce and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, who have prepared a third helping—fourth, if you count the 1988 musical, one of the great flops of all time with just five performances and eight million dollars ... Read more »

Carry On Cabbie

I had heard of the “Carry On” series of British comedy films for a long time, but had never seen one until this one came on TCM. Then I looked into it and was surprised to learn that there were thirty-one of them, plus stage and television versions. I had thought no more than a dozen, sort of like the legendary Ealing comedies. It is the longest-running film franchise in British history. ... Read more »

Carry On Jack

This is the second Carry On movie I have seen, out of thirty-one. I might watch one or two others if they appear on TMC, but I don’t think they’re good enough to actively seek them out. This one was better than the other one, Carry On Cabby, but is still a long way from being a comedy classic.

I admit that I loved the very first scene, though. It was ... Read more »

Cars

The drive-in is the perfect place to see this! I had a blast. Some critics are saying that the old Pixar magic wasn’t quite there, but I don’t agree. People are already puzzling about why it didn’t earn as much the first weekend as previous Pixar releases, and I’m puzzled, too. Somebody theorized that kids (and their parents?) prefer warm, fuzzy, Read more »

Cars 2

Well, it had to happen. Pixar has made a film that is short of a masterpiece.

I think I’m not the only one who saw it coming. I was dubious from the moment this movie was announced, since I feel that Cars was the weakest of their 11 previous films, except possibly for A Bug’s Life. It got by mostly on the sheer novelty of seeing ... Read more »

Cas and Dylan

Richard Dreyfuss is Cas Pepper, a 61-year-old doctor who is dying of a brain tumor. (Yes, he really is Dr. Pepper.) Dylan is a flighty 21-year-old aspiring writer played by Tatiana Maslany. Through a series of implausible events, they find themselves on a road trip in an orange VW bug, crossing the Canadian plains and then the Rockies on their way to Vancouver. She discovers several drafts ... Read more »