Lone Survivor (2013) We’ve seen this before: young, fun-loving soldiers clash with their superiors before they’re assigned a dangerous mission. The mission will go well until an unexpected snafu puts them in danger, killing most of them. One of them will wax poetically about their families. One of them will make a heroic sacrifice. If the… Continue reading The lone force of evil
Camille’s secret life
Camille (1936) Marguerite Gautier (Greta Garbo) uses her femininity to rise from humble beginnings to a preeminent position in French society as Dame Camille, but complications arise when she falls in love with Armand (Robert Taylor). Armand’s father (Lionel Barrymore) convinces Camille her sordid past will ruin his future, so she leaves him. A heartbroken… Continue reading Camille’s secret life
Saving Spider-Man from drowning
Waterworld (1995) In a world covered in water after global warming melts the polar ice caps, a mysterious Mariner (Kevin Costner) becomes a reluctant protector of Enola and her guardian Helen when Enola is hunted by The Smokers whose leader, Deacon (Dennis Hopper), believes she possesses a map to the mythical Dryland tattooed on her… Continue reading Saving Spider-Man from drowning
This summer: The next Karate Kid in the battle of the year!
The Next Karate Kid (1994) If the Karate Kid, Part III was an unnecessary coda, this film is an even more egregious sin: a reboot no one asked for. Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) travels to Boston and finds himself once again mentoring a troubled youth: the granddaughter of one of his old war buddies, Julie… Continue reading This summer: The next Karate Kid in the battle of the year!
The Karate Kid voyages to a field in England
A Field in England (2013) Set during the English Civil War, this beautiful black and white film features alchemists, hidden treasure, and betrayal. Characters die only to inexplicably reappear. There’s cowardice, jealousy, and greed. It does a great job of conveying the chaos of the Renaissance. Facts are fluid; rumors are currency; allegiances are tenuous.… Continue reading The Karate Kid voyages to a field in England
After the shooting
After Tiller (2013) In 2009, pro-life activist Scott Roeder assassinated abortionist George Tiller, one of the only doctors in the United States who performed late-term abortions. This documentary follows the four doctors who continue to perform these controversial procedures following his murder, providing insight into the mindset of people willing to do something almost everyone in… Continue reading After the shooting
The trees are glowing
Afterglow (1997) When Lucky Mann (Nick Nolte) discovered his fifteen year old daughter was the result of an affair between his actress wife, Phyllis (Julie Christie), and one of co-stars, he responded violently and their confused daughter ran away. Lucky and Phyllis moved to Montreal where they suspected their daughter was living, but agreed to… Continue reading The trees are glowing
It’s time for you to get a horse!
About Time (2013) When Tim Lake (Domhnall Gleeson) turns twenty-one, he learns the men in his family can travel back in time and uses this newly discovered skill to court Mary (Rachel McAdams) in this mashup of the romantic comedy and science fiction genres. Director Richard Curtis breaks most of the “rules” of time travel, but… Continue reading It’s time for you to get a horse!
That marriage is a lemon!
Lemon (1969) This avant-garde film by Hollis Frampton is an elaborate, eight minute practical joke, yet somehow this was released by the Criterion Collection. Marriage Italian Style (1964) Prostitute Filomena (Sophia Loren) fakes an illness and convinces her long time paramour Domenico (Marcello Mastroianni) to marry her on her “deathbed.” After her recovery, she convinces… Continue reading That marriage is a lemon!
Frida gracefully swam with sharks
Maria Full of Grace (2004) After Maria Alvarez quits her job at a Colombian sweatshop, she discovers she’s pregnant. Desperate for money, she becomes a drug mule, swallowing 62 pellets of heroin and flying to New York City with two other smugglers. When they land, the smugglers are quarantined until they pass the pellets, but… Continue reading Frida gracefully swam with sharks