Movie Reviews
Moscow on the Hudson
I wonder if it will ever stop being painful to watch Robin Williams perform? Everybody dies, of course, and we have lost a lot of irreplaceable talents who died prematurely in my lifetime, but seldom one so shockingly unexpected. It is sad when someone ODs, but we’re sort of used to it. Suicide? Unthinkable! He was so funny!
Well, anyway, this is one of ... Read more »
The Fabulous Baker Boys
I think this is the only time the Bridges boys, Jeff and Beau, have worked together, and to me it is just a little uncomfortable to watch because the on-screen situation has some parallels with the two real brothers. The Baker boys, Jack (Jeff) and Frank (Beau) are a piano duo who have been playing in bars and restaurants for fifteen years, and go back even further than that together. ... Read more »
1776
I’ve always had a soft spot I my heart for this one, though I know it’s wildly inaccurate. I saw a stage production of it in Eugene, Oregon, before I saw the movie, and it seemed quite faithful. The Wiki article about it goes on and on about things that it got wrong, and things that were re-arranged for dramatic purposes. The fact is, we don’t know what happened in Independence Hall when ... Read more »
Black Mirror
This is about as strange a “series” as I have ever seen. I’m tempted to compare it to The Twilight Zone, in that it is an anthology series, with no recurring cast, setting, or anything else. It claims to be satirical, and I can certainly see that in some of the episodes, but not all of them. I’ve always felt that satire needs to have some humor underlying it, and ... Read more »
The Searchers
This is the movie that made John Wayne a superstar. He had done well enough before, but he was known for just making westerns, and everybody knew westerns were B pictures. John Ford, working with John Wayne, pulled them out of the genre ghetto (much like George Lucas did with science fiction) with this and other really good movies.
I love this movie, but I don’t kid myself about ... Read more »
The Shawshank Redemption
I don’t think anyone really knows why this movie pretty much tanked when it was released … and then worked its way up to the #1 spot on the IMDb Top 250 list. I mean, the very top, edging out The Godfather. Some say the title didn’t mean anything to anyone outside of Maine, so they didn’t go. Maybe they should have stuck with Stephen King’s original title: Read more »
1776
1776 (1972) I’ve always had a soft spot I my heart for this one, though I know it’s wildly inaccurate. I saw a stage production of it in Eugene, Oregon, before I saw the movie, and it seemed quite faithful. The Wiki article about it goes on and on about things that it got wrong, and things that we re-arranged for dramatic purposes. The fact is, we don’t know what happened in Independence ... Read more »
There’s Something About Mary
This immediately joined my short list of movies that were not only very funny, but broke new ground about what a comedy could be. A few of these are Airplane!, Annie Hall, and Blazing Saddles. It was the breakout point for the careers of Ben Stiller and Cameron Diaz. The Farrelly Brothers had had a big hit ... Read more »
The Usual Suspects
Every once in a while a movie comes along that immediately forces its way onto my list of Greats. Memento comes to mind, and Sleuth, (the original, of course, not the horrible remake), and Blood Simple. This is one of them. It is a story of a small gang of criminals and several heists they pull off, as related ... Read more »
Finding Dory
It is rather sad what has happened to Pixar since it was gobbled up by the Disney behemoth. Don’t get me wrong, I am a huge Disney fan, and Pixar is by no means in the toilet. But after The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin rescued the studio from the mediocrity it had sunk into after Walt’s death, they have settled into ... Read more »