Directed by Wes Anderson If you've seen Wes Anderson's other movies, then you know what to expect with Isle of Dogs. It's somewhere between a comedy and a drama, complete with dog puns as well as casual mentions of horrific violence. The plot follows a plan made by a pack of dogs to help a young … Continue reading Isle of Dogs (2018)
Month: April 2018
The Longest Day (1962)
Directed by Ken Annakin, Andrew Marton, Bernhard Wicki, Gerd Oswald The Longest Day is a three hour World War II epic that was completely overshadowed by David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia. Both films are expansive though in different ways. While Lawrence centers on a single figure over the course of a long, arduous journey, The Longest Day focuses … Continue reading The Longest Day (1962)
The American Friend (1977)
Directed by Wim Wenders The American Friend is an arthouse take on the fish out of water criminal story, if that's a thing. It seems like it is. You take a nice, easy to root for guy and put him in a tough, tense situation in which he does something awful, but he knows it's … Continue reading The American Friend (1977)
Game Night (2018)
Directed by John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein Game Night is a good comedy if you forgive a lot of the potholes, one-dimensional characters and general zaniness that comes with this genre. It's a boiler plate story construction though with an impressive visual aesthetic inspired by the work of David Fincher. The story is unspectacular even … Continue reading Game Night (2018)
The Day of the Jackal (1973)
Directed by Fred Zinnemann The Day of the Jackal is a thriller following the man paid to assassinate French President Charles de Gaulle and the police chief tasked with hunting the assassin down. This is one of those movies that tracks the story from two points of view, one on each side of the law. … Continue reading The Day of the Jackal (1973)
Beaver Trilogy Part IV (2015)
Directed by Brad Besser Beaver Trilogy Part IV is a documentary about filmmaker Trent Harris and the subject of two of his earliest films, Groovin' Gary aka Richard Griffiths. The movie's title refers to the story of the Beaver kid, Gary, as shot through Harris' camera in the late 70s. Enamored with the subject of … Continue reading Beaver Trilogy Part IV (2015)
Dumbo (1941)
Directed by... [takes deep breath] ...Samuel Armstrong, Norman Ferguson, Wilfred Jackson, Jack Kinney, Bill Roberts, Ben Sharpsteen, John Elliotte Dumbo was Disney's fourth and shortest animated feature film, with a runtime of 64 minutes. It's a tender film, complete with an adorable protagonist and a Blackfish-like story of mom separated from child, and it's aim is … Continue reading Dumbo (1941)
The Sacrifice (1986)/The Dead (1987)
Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky; John Huston I recently watched both Andrei Tarkovsky's The Sacrifice and John Huston's The Dead and came away with a strong sense of how I felt but little understanding of how to talk about these movies. Both movies, though, have so much in common that it's almost as if they are made to … Continue reading The Sacrifice (1986)/The Dead (1987)
Clear History (2013)
Directed by Greg Mottola Clear History is an extended episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Though Larry David plays a new character, he's defined by the same good intentions, petty frustrations and casual self-righteousness which gets him in trouble and causes his demise. Maybe 'demise' is too strong a word. Once the story starts unfolding, you know … Continue reading Clear History (2013)
The Stranger (1946)
Directed by Orson Welles "My Charles is not a Nazi!" Much like a Hitchcock film, Orson Welles' The Stranger is a thriller complete with a man on the run, a case of mistaken identity and an ever tightening noose that dooms the main character in a showy third act display. The setting is Harper, a small … Continue reading The Stranger (1946)
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