Friday, April 30 2010
Arizona Dream: Warner Archive Collection
An interesting historical document, coming as it did before Johnny Depp's super-stardom and at the beginnings of "Indiewood".
Wednesday, November 18 2009
Chinatown (Centennial Collection)
Despite bringing film noir into the daylight and into color, this is among the darkest of Southern California tales.
Thursday, September 24 2009
The Handmaid’s Tale: Not So Sci-fi
The terrifying, 'it could happen today' message of this story is best told in the Atwood's book, rather than the film version.
Friday, May 8 2009
Voyage of the Dammed
An affecting, if flawed, middlebrow drama about a seldom-discussed Depression-era tragedy.
Monday, October 13 2008
Cinema Qua Non - Indispensable DVDs: Part 1
Day One - A trip back to the classic days of studio system Hollywood, complete with great musicals, amazing adventure yarns, and a couple of post-modern freak outs, just to keep things controversial and lively.
Thursday, May 1 2008
Bonnie and Clyde
This film carries a bedrock rebelliousness and shocking ugliness that firmly resonates today.
Friday, February 22 2008
Let Sleeping Dogs Lie, Jake
Chinatown remains a stalwart of '70s cinema. The uninspired follow-up 16 years later reminds one that, sometimes, a masterpiece needs to simply be left alone.
Wednesday, June 20 2007
Part 3: The Stellar ‘70s
When it comes to post-modern moviemaking, everyone stereotypes the Me Decade as the genre's defining moment. In this case -- as illustrated by the 10 films that represent it -- the categorization is more than accurate.
Monday, June 5 2006
Mommie Dearest: Hollywood Royalty Edition (1981)
Watching Mommie Dearest: Hollywood Royalty Edition with John Waters' commentary track is like seeing it with your sharpest, funniest friend, who just happens to have inside dish on Melanie Griffith.
Thursday, March 10 2005
The Starlet
Faye Dunaway established herself as a great muse of cinema, not in the sense that she inspired great movies, but that her inspired performances buoyed her films.
