Ulysses and the Giant Polyphemus (1905) Although it doesn’t really take off until the giant appears in the second half, Georges Méliès’s, interpretation of the story of Ulysses and Polyphemus shows flashes of his astounding creativity. Creed (2015) I’ve seen all the Rocky films, I love Michael B. Jordan, and Sylvester Stallone was nominated for a Golden Globe… Continue reading Blindly washing your giant laundry in traffic
Tag: Documentary
It’s Logan!
It (2017) I watched the 1990 miniseries as a preteen and read the massive novel shortly after. I have a fond attachment for the performances of Annette O’Toole, John Ritter, Harry Anderson, Richard Thomas, and especially Tim Curry as Pennywise. But, sadly, I watched it again a few years back and it doesn’t hold up. It’s… Continue reading It’s Logan!
The thin man and OJ ate some grass
The Thin Man Goes Home (1945) When famed married detectives Nick and Nora Charles (William Powell and Myrna Loy) visit his parents, they are unwillingly pulled into yet another caper in the fifth and penultimate film of the Thin Man series. Just like every other detective series from Agatha Christie to Scooby Doo, you know Nick… Continue reading The thin man and OJ ate some grass
“That’ll never happen”: A look back at 2016
In 2016: The United Kingdom voted in a nationwide referendum to leave the European Union; The Olympics were held in Rio de Janeiro; Donald Trump was elected President of the United States of America; Peyton Manning retired from professional football; The Cleveland Cavaliers overcame a three games to one deficit to defeat the Golden State Warriors… Continue reading “That’ll never happen”: A look back at 2016
Best of the 2010s
Incendies (2010) When Nawal Marwan dies, she leaves instructions for her twin children, Jeanne and Simon, to find their father and half-brother. Retracing their mother’s steps, they discover their elder half-brother was born out-of-wedlock to their Christian mother and a Muslim. To minimize the family’s shame, he was hidden in a local orphanage, but Nawal… Continue reading Best of the 2010s
Reflections on 3172, Year of Our Lady of Discord: A look back at 2006
In 2006, The Winter Olympics were held in Turin, Italy; Twitter launched; The Human Genome Project published the last chromosome sequence; Montenegro became an independent nation; Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet; The United States population passed 300 million people; No. 5, 1948 by Jackson Pollock was sold for $140 million, becoming the most expensive painting at the time; Saddam… Continue reading Reflections on 3172, Year of Our Lady of Discord: A look back at 2006
While the twenties roared, the films were silent: A look back at 1925
In 1925: Nellie Tayloe Ross became the first female governor in the United States; The New Yorker was first published; Calvin Coolidge was inaugurated as US President; Tennessee passed the Butler Act, prohibiting the teaching of evolution in the state’s public schools; F. Scott Fitzgerald published The Great Gatsby; Adolf Hitler published volume one of Mein Kampf; Mount Rushmore was dedicated;… Continue reading While the twenties roared, the films were silent: A look back at 1925
Before Elvis and his gyrating hips ruined everything: A look back at 1955
In 1955: Jim Henson built the first version of Kermit the Frog; The first US advisors arrived in South Vietnam; Winston Churchill resigned as Prime Minister of the UK; The Salk polio vaccine received FDA approval; Ray Kroc opened his first McDonald’s in Illinois; Disneyland opened to the public; Gunsmoke, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and The… Continue reading Before Elvis and his gyrating hips ruined everything: A look back at 1955
A visit with the master
Bergman’s Island (2004) Few directors consistently speak to me as deeply as Ingmar Bergman. In this fascinating documentary, Marie Nyeröd visits the famed director at his home on the small Swedish island of Fårö to discuss his process, his most famous films, and his notorious relationships with women. This is the equivalent of an interview… Continue reading A visit with the master
The year after Big Brother started watching us all: A look back at 1985
In 1985: Ronald Reagan began his second term as US President; Mikhail Gorbachev assumed power in the Soviet Union; Hulk Hogan and Mr. T defeated Rowdy Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff in the inaugural Wrestlemania; Elmo first appeared on Sesame Street; New Coke debuted and, after a disastrous couple of months, was removed from US stores; David… Continue reading The year after Big Brother started watching us all: A look back at 1985