Veteran’s Day 2014: Paying Tribute

Posted on November 11, 2014 at 11:11 am

As we remember and thank those who have served our country and defended our freedom, these movies help us begin to understand their contribution.

The Messenger One of the finest young actors working today, Ben Foster, stars with Woody Harrelson and Samantha Morton in this powerful story of an injured soldier assigned to visit the families of soldiers to deliver the news that they have been killed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tTIQ8pkGf0

Gardens of Stone The detail assigned to Arlington Cemetery is responsible for honoring the war dead. James Caan, James Earl Jones, and D.B. Sweeney star in this moving tribute to the soldiers who pay tribute.

Taking Chance Kevin Bacon stars in this fact-based story of Lt. Col. Michael Strobl who volunteered to escort a fallen soldier’s remains when he found out they shared the same home town. It is a quietly touching drama about how the journey affected Strobl and the people along the way.

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Are Romantic Comedies About Love or Money?

Posted on November 9, 2014 at 8:00 am

I really enjoyed this essay by Meredith Haggerty at Medium about the way that romantic comedies have dealt with money issues through the years. Of course, all movies reflect the economic environment of their eras — the eras in which they are made as much as the eras they are depicting. The most astute reviews of “Magic Mike” noted that it was as much about the recession economy as it was about male strippers.

I recently watched a few episodes of a late 1980’s romantic comedy and was amused by the many elements of the storyline that were as radically different from today’s world as the awful 80’s clothes and hairstyles. There were plenty of jobs available in journalism, for one thing. Airplane travel was very different. Though they had small, primitive computers, this was long before Google and Wikipedia, so when asked a research question, the characters still looked in books for the answer.

Haggerty compares the heiress and the commoner era of the Depression (“Bringing Up Baby,” “My Man Godfrey”) with the Meg Ryan era (“Sleepless in Seattle,” “You’ve Got Mail”) and the “Recession Romances” of films like “Obvious Child” and “Enough Said.” I love this graphic from Mark Nerys.

Three Films About What We Discover About Others and Ourselves When We See and Hear What People Do When They Think No One is There

Posted on November 2, 2014 at 8:00 am

Professor Drew Morton deftly shows the connections between three films about listening or looking in secret and what secrets are discovered or uncovered: Blow Up, Blow Out, and The Conversation

List: My Favorite Movie Ghosts

Posted on October 30, 2014 at 8:00 am

Happy Halloween! Here are ten of my favorite movie ghosts. (NOTE: Some of these have inferior remakes — stick with the originals.)

Topper Cary Grant and Constance Bennett are the most sophisticated, witty, and glamorous ghosts ever in this delightful comedy about a young couple who are killed in a car accident and come back as ghosts to brighten the life of a shy banker.

The Uninvited Ray Milland and Ruth Hussey play a brother and sister who move into a house on a Cornwall cliff. It turns out someone is already living there — a ghost. This movie introduced the jazz standard “Stella by Starlight.”

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir A ghost romance? Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison play the title roles in this story of a widow who moves into a house inhabited by the ghost of a handsome sea captain.

The Canterville Ghost Margaret O’Brien teaches her distant cousin Robert Young about noblesse oblige when American troops are bivouacked a her family’s ancestral home. It turns out their mutual ancestor is staying there, too, a ghost (Charles Laughton) who has to show some courage before he can go to heaven.

Ghostbusters Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson battle a number of ectoplasmic manifestations in this classic comedy (soon to be remade with an all-female team).

13 Ghosts People often ask me if I’ve ever walked out of a movie. The answer is: just once, and it was this movie when I was 9. I was a little freaked out by the special glasses you had to wear to see the ghosts, but it was when the Ouija board pointer was lifted off the board by a ghost that I turned to my mother and said, “I have to go home now.” I’ve since developed real affection for all of William Castle’s films, including this one.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is my favorite Christmas story and I love just about every version, but I think the best is the one starring Alistair Sim.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpbthuKFuFA

Pirates of Caribbean: Curse of Black Pearl “You best start believing in ghost stories, Miss Turner… you’re in one!” Geoffrey Rush is the ghost captain of a pirate ship with a ghost crew in this rollicking adventure inspired by the Disney theme park ride.

The Ghost and Mr. Chicken Don Knotts is the nervous aspiring reporter assigned to spend the night in a haunted house. Or is it?

The Haunting Julie Harris stars in this classic of psychological horror about investigators who spend the night in a haunted house.

List: Sam Rockwell

Posted on October 29, 2014 at 3:50 pm

Sam Rockwell is one of the most versatile leading me in Hollywood. This week, he stars with Keira Knightley in “Laggies,” playing a single dad. Here are some of my favorite Sam Rockwell performances:

Moon Rockwell takes on the biggest possible acting challenge — he in alone on screen for the entire movie as a man on near the end of a three-year solo mission in outer space.

Galaxy Quest One of my favorite comedies of all time is this knowing and very loving tribute to “Star Wars” and its fans. Rockwell plays an actor who appeared on one episode of the beloved sci-fi series who gets taken along when the stars of the show are transported into a real outer space adventure.

Conviction Rockwell plays Kenny Waters in this fact-based story of a wrongly imprisoned man whose sister went to college and law school to have his conviction overturned.

Charlie’s Angels In the Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu, Cameron Diaz reboot of the 1970’s television series, Rockwell plays a client hiding more than one secret.

The Way Way Back Rockwell plays the manager of a water park in this warm-hearted coming of age story. He perfectly captures the character’s defensive use of humor and irresponsible streak but essential goodness.

The Green Mile Tom Hanks is a prison guard in this Stephen King story set on Death Row, and Rockwell is one of the most vile and despicable prisoners.