In 1953, Lucy Ricardo gave birth to Little Ricky; Dwight Eisenhower became the 34th President of the United States; Christine Jorgensen had successful sex reassignment surgery; James Watson and Francis Crick announced the discovery of the structure of DNA; The Academy Awards were broadcast on television for the first time; Jonas Salk announced the polio… Continue reading Welcome to the world Little Ricky: A look back at 1953
Tag: Japanese films
Everything that follows is older than Ed Sheeran: A look back at 1990
In 1990, The first McDonald’s opened in Moscow; Nelson Mandela was released from prison after twenty seven years confinement; Namibia, the Marshall Islands, and Micronesia became independent nations; East and West Germany reunified; The Hubble Space Telescope launched; The World Health Organization removed homosexuality from its list of diseases; Iraq invaded Kuwait; Tim Berners-Lee started… Continue reading Everything that follows is older than Ed Sheeran: A look back at 1990
Best of the 1950s
Sunset Boulevard (1950) Faded silent screen star Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson) steadfastly believes she will regain her former glory and hires writer Joe Gillis (William Holden) to help with her planned comeback, but as the project drags on their relationship becomes dangerously complicated. William Holden brings a weary everyman quality to Joe Gillis while Gloria… Continue reading Best of the 1950s
Best of the 2000s
The Gleaners and I (2000) Agnes Varda’s beautiful film follows gleaners at work, from people who depend on the practice for survival to hobbyists. She exposes how connected we are and shines a light on our coldness to the needs of others as she pointedly interviews jurists about the seemingly arbitrary French laws which prohibit some forms of… Continue reading Best of the 2000s
Like alpha papa, like son
Collateral (2004) Vincent (Tom Cruise) offers Los Angeles cab driver Max Durocher (Jamie Foxx) $600 to drive him around for the entire night, but soon, Max realizes Vincent is an assassin and is using him to shuttle between his five targets for the evening. For the rest of the movie, Vincent attempts to complete his… Continue reading Like alpha papa, like son
Mrs. Henderson proudly presents: The dark star of Burma
The Burmese Harp (1956) At the end of the Second World War, Private Mizumisha is sent to convince a group of Japanese holdouts to surrender to British forces, but a bombing separates him from his platoon. A monk finds Mizumisha and nurses him to health. After his recovery, he travels the country, burying the fallen… Continue reading Mrs. Henderson proudly presents: The dark star of Burma
Cloning your husband in post-apocalyptic Tokyo
Husbands and Wives (1992) When Jack (Sydney Pollack) and Sally (Judy Davis) casually announce their marriage has ended, it forces Gabe (Woody Allen) and Judy Roth (Mia Farrow) to question their own relationship. Gabe flirts with Rain (Juliette Lewis), one of his students, while Judy eyes a relationship with Michael Gates (Liam Neeson). Filmed as a… Continue reading Cloning your husband in post-apocalyptic Tokyo