Films That Matter
Safety First
Like a severe and utterly serious version of Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 satirical dark comedy Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, you would think that Fail Safe would have been the original release in theatres that was then later spoofed, yet that is not the case. Released approximately six months later in the same year, as you might imagine, it led to very poor returns at the box office – dare I say it (as the film deals with this subject matter)... it was a bomb! Despite that, over time, it has become a bonafide classic. Based upon Eugene Burdick’s 1962 novel of the same name and directed by Sidney Lumet (Dog Day Afternoon), he introduces us to our main players by way of little vignettes.
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Film Noir, De Palma Style
Femme FataleMay 11, 2014In 2002, writer/director Brian De Palma once again put pen to paper and created another one of his unique homages to classic cinema (the first in ten years). Titled Femme Fatale, the director lets us follow his own take on the legendary film noir bad girls of old.
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What to Get the Man Who has Everything
The GameMarch 28, 2014Before I refer to the main title, I must first announce that long-time character actor James Rebhorn passed away last week at the age of 65. Though perhaps not a household name, the tall balding man (who looked the same age for as long as I can remember) will surely be missed, as he played small yet memorable roles for more than 30 years.
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The Tramp Finds his Voice
The Great DictatorMarch 13, 2014In 1939, it was known that Charlie Chaplin was making a new film.
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Westerns, Eastwood Style
High Plains DrifterMarch 10, 2014It is hard to believe that Clint Eastwood has been directing movies for over four decades. His second directorial effort, the 1973 western High Plains Drifter, is now celebrating its 40th year.
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War, What is it Good For?
Paths of GloryMarch 2, 2014Stanley Kubrick, one of the great directors of the 20th Century, was a unique artist who was able to experiment with many different genres throughout his four plus decades of work. From film noir to horror, Kubrick’s movies were varied so that no two were similar, other than perhaps in theme. Of his 13 motion pictures, only two were war based, with the 1987 Vietnam narrative Full Metal Jacket being one of his most iconic. Yet, I am going to talk about his earlier anti-war film, the 1957 classic Paths of Glory.
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A Tribute to the Master of Suspense
Blow OutJanuary 26, 2014Alfred Hitchcock is often considered to be one of the greatest directors of all-time and I would have to agree with that assessment. His genius at building a suspenseful story through the camera lens in films such as Vertigo, The Birds, Rear Window, North By Northwest, to name a few, place him at the top of the list. One active director who would wholeheartedly agree is Brian De Palma.