Pullet Surprise (1997) Foghorn Leghorn is one of my favorite Looney Tunes because my dad loved the character, but this lesser entry featuring the character is only somewhat amusing. The NeverEnding Story (1984) Bastian Balthazar Bux reads a book to distract him from the troubles of his adolescence. The book tells the story of Fantasia and its fight… Continue reading Surprise!: This story never ends
My prince of Dogtown
The Prince and the Pauper (1990) Longing for freedom from his royal responsibilities, a prince switches places with a peasant doppelgänger. Mark Twain’s novel satirizes the rigid English class system during the Elizabethan period. As expected, this Disney short significantly dilutes the satirical elements and, to increase dramatic tension, adds Pete as an evil palace guard using the… Continue reading My prince of Dogtown
Porgy, Dillinger, and the unbearable Bess
The Unbearable Lightnesss of Being (1988) When waitress Tereza (Juliette Bincohe) moves in with her lover, brain surgeon Tomas (Daniel Day-Lewis), she’s confused by his Bohemian lifestyle. When Sabina, one of Tomas’s other lovers, gets Tereza a job as a photographer, she inadvertently photographs Soviet tanks invading Czechoslovakia, and, realizing their importance, smuggles them to… Continue reading Porgy, Dillinger, and the unbearable Bess
Heaven knows you’ve been unfaithful, Mr. X
Malcolm X (1992) Minor criminal Malcolm Little (Denzel Washington) is arrested for robbing the home of a wealthy white couple and sentenced to eight to ten years in prison because of his association with white women. In prison, he joins the Nation of Islam led by Elijah Muhammad and changes his name to Malcolm X. After he… Continue reading Heaven knows you’ve been unfaithful, Mr. X
Your hairspray, my high five, and our shadowlands
Hairspray (1988) In 1963, overweight Tracy Turnblad (Rikki Lake) becomes a popular mainstay on a Baltimore dance show, infuriating the reigning queen, Amber Von Tussle (Debbie Harry). In addition to their dance floor rivalry, Tracy and her mother Edna (Divine) advocate integration while the Von Tussles fight for segregation. Rikki Lake would go on to… Continue reading Your hairspray, my high five, and our shadowlands
Byzanitum is a contender for the best place to slay badgers in the past
The Past (2013) Iranian Ahmad travels to Paris to complete his divorce from Marie (Berenice Bejo) who’s already in a new relationship with the married Samir, whose wife is comatose after a failed suicide attempt. This is a melancholy film about the difficulties in multicultural relationships and the importance of honesty to the success of… Continue reading Byzanitum is a contender for the best place to slay badgers in the past
Ernest and the we and the I am Sam
The We and the I (2012) On the last day of school, a group of teenagers experience petty jealousies, bullying, and sexual insecurities. In other words, it’s a typical day for an adolescent finding their way in the world. The problem is, I didn’t care about any of the characters. Most of them were broad… Continue reading Ernest and the we and the I am Sam
Bad Beethoven
Beethoven (1992) As Harvey (Oliver Platt) and Vernon (Stanley Tucci) abduct several dogs from a pet store, a large St. Bernard escapes and hides at the home of the Newtons. The children fall in love with the dog and convince their sourpuss dad, George (Charles Grodin) to keep the animal, which they name Beethoven. Reluctantly, George… Continue reading Bad Beethoven
That bitter bastard Elaine makes an interesting gambit
The Bitter Tea of General Yen (1933) Megan Davis (Barbara Stanwyck) comes to Shanghai at the height of the Chinese Civil War to marry her childhood sweetheart, missionary Dr. Robert Strike. A powerful Chinese warlord, General Yen, assure them safe passage to perform humanitarian work. At a checkpoint, they discover General Yen lied and, in the… Continue reading That bitter bastard Elaine makes an interesting gambit
Hallelujah, I’m a grand, invisible immigrant
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) A girl goes to the grave of her favorite author and reads a chapter from his memoir. In this excerpt, the author (Tom Wilkinson) recounts a trip he took to the dilapidated Grand Budapest Hotel in 1968 where he (Jude Law) met the owner, Zero Moustafa (F. Murray Abraham) who… Continue reading Hallelujah, I’m a grand, invisible immigrant