Posted on October 25, 2012 at 3:59 pm
I am not a horror fan, but I still like to read about horror films, and I was delighted to see that my friend and fellow critic Leslie Combernale has put together a list of little-seen zombie films she thinks are deserving of a wider audience. Be sure to take a look at her “School of Rot” list!
Posted on September 19, 2012 at 3:56 pm
I have fond memories of the neglected gem Sneakers
“t’s action-packed without being too violent, and smart without taking itself too seriously,” says John Swansburg. It’s a little bit “Mission: Impossible” (the TV series about the ragtag group of quirky geniuses, not the movie series about Tom Cruise and stunts), a little bit “Kukla, Fran, and Ollie” (an oddball assortment who become an adorably dysfunctionally functional family) and a little bit “Our Gang” with Mary McDonnell as Darla.
More important, as Swansburg and his colleagues point out, is is sharply, even surprisingly prescient.
Though much of its technology looks hopelessly dated 20 years on—motion sensors! voice activation! pleated pants!—the movie was spot-on in its prediction of how a computer-connected world would change the nature, and wages, of power. As Cosmo tells Marty: “It’s not about who has the most bullets, it’s about who controls the information: What we see and hear, how we work, what we think. It’s all about the information.”
I enjoyed all of the commentary, especially the recollections of making the movie by co-star Stephen Tobolowsky (best remembered as the obnoxious insurance salesman from “Groundhog Day”). But the most fun was this story about how the movie inspired a uniform badge for a real-life US spy office.
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 3:59 pm
In honor of Pixar’s “Brave,” this week’s release about a Scottish princess, here are some of my favorite films about Scots and Scotland and some of my favorite Scottish performers.
1. Brigadoon
2. Gregory’s Girl
3. Local Hero An ambitious American executive is dispatched to Scotland to buy land for an oil refinery but is soon beguiled by the charm of the community he is supposed to displace.
4. The 39 Steps
5. Braveheart
6. I Know Where I’m Going!
Performers:
Ewan McGregor: Obi-Wan Kenobi in the second “Star Wars” trilogy and a heroin addict in “Trainspotters.”
Alan Cummings: He played opposite Gwyneth Paltrow in “Emma” and now appears on “The Good Wife.”
Billy Connelly: You can hear him as the king in “Brave” and see him as Queen Victoria’s cherished friend in “Mrs. Brown”
Tilda Swinton: An Oscar-winner for “Michael Clayton,” this striking actress was the villain in the first “Narnia” film and the androgynous title character in “Orlando.”
John Hannah: He appeared in “The Mummy” and unforgettably recited W.H. Auden in “Four Weddings and a Funeral”
Craig Ferguson: The late night host was voice talent in “How to Train Your Dragon” and co-wrote and starred in a very funny film about a hairdressing competition called “The Big Tease.”
Gerard Butler: He was the title character behind a mask in “Phantom of the Opera” and fought with a sword in “300.”
James McAvoy: He played the young Dr. X in “X-Men First Class” and provided voices in “Arthur Christmas” and “Gnomeo & Juliet.”
Sean Connery: He’s the first — and many think still the best — James Bond and won an Oscar for “The Untouchables.”
Kelly McDonald: She’s in “Boardwalk Empire” and appeared in “Gosford Park” and “No Country for Old Men.” And she provides the voice for “Brave’s” heroine, Merrida.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O88tBPpSW4Special mention:
The BBC series Monarch of the Glen
Posted on June 15, 2012 at 8:01 am
Indiewire asked its panel of critics to respond to a great question from a critic who is mentoring a film-loving 14-year-old.
“I mentor a 14-year-old from Harlem and nothing would make me happier then to have her enjoy ‘art house’ movies. She goes to Hollywood movies in chain theaters, and doesn’t particularly like what she sees. Of course, the fact that she’s African-American makes it even harder for me to find movies that I think would speak to her. She is sophisticated and would probably not mind some subtitles and nontraditional narratives. Help!”
Answers ranged from the just-released “Moonrise Kingdom” to classics like “Battle of Algiers,” “Cinema Paradiso,” “Zero for Conduct,” “Run Lola Run,” and “Black Orpheus.”
All of the critic surveys are fun to read, especially the perfect summer movie, and under-appreciated writers.
Posted on June 1, 2012 at 8:00 am
Happy June! Here are some of my favorite movie Junes.
1. Carousel
2. Seven Brides For Seven Brothers
3. Good News
4. Gypsy
5. “June Bride” Bette Davis plays a hard-working magazine editor who brings her crew to a small town to cover a “typical American” wedding. But nothing goes as planned and it is the editor who finds romance.
6. The real-life June Havoc (Baby June) dances with Harold Lloyd in “On the Jump” (You can also see the grown-up June do a very cute little dance in the original version of “Brewster’s Millions.”)
7. Walk the Line
8. Rocky & Bullwinkle
9. Meet Me in St. Louis
10. Junebug
