Directed by Henry Hathaway John Wayne more or less plays John Wayne in True Grit. As Rooster Cogburn he is an old Marshall, drunk and lazy but quick with a gun and honorable to boot when the moment calls. Cogburn is the man young Mattie Ross (Kim Darby) turns to for help tracking down Tom Chaney, … Continue reading True Grit (1969)
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Altered States (1980)
Directed by Ken Russell Altered States will remind you of other 80's movies like The Fly and An American Werewolf in London. It's one of those stories that builds to a particularly gruesome, practical effects-laden transformation which marks the protagonist's irreversible shift from an everyman into something monstrous. William Hurt plays Eddie Jessup, a scientist obsessed with finding … Continue reading Altered States (1980)
Man on the Moon (1999) / Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond (2017)
Directed by Milos Forman, Chris Smith Man on the Moon is a well-made, if familiar biopic about a fascinating comedian, Andy Kaufman. Jim & Andy is an engaging documentary about Jim Carrey during the production of Man on the Moon, and if watched together it helps you see the profundity behind the 1999 biopic. The film is … Continue reading Man on the Moon (1999) / Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond (2017)
Mom and Dad (2017)
Directed by Brian Taylor Mom and Dad is exactly what it should be, but a little too long. It's crazy, but crazy has a hard time out-crazy-ing itself as movies push forward. What is sensational in minute 10 might feel rote by minute 80. There is another wonderfully over the top Nicolas Cage performance, though … Continue reading Mom and Dad (2017)
Unfriended (2014)
Directed by Levan Gabriadze Unfriended is a horror movie in real time as seen through the perspective of a computer screen. That it works as effectively as it does is a testament to the significance of our online lives. Or maybe you thought it was silly, but sh*t I was hooked. The computer screen, reflective … Continue reading Unfriended (2014)
Cronos (1993)
Directed by Guillermo Del Toro In Cronos one man stumbles upon that which another will do anything to find. Jesus Gris (Federico Luppi) is the affable owner of a store of artifacts and grandfather to young Aurora (Tamara Shanath). He soon finds a device which will render him immortal, but his sudden obsession with eternal … Continue reading Cronos (1993)
Ballast (2008)
Directed by Lance Hammer “Filmmakers are from a privileged class and tend to make films about themselves. That’s decadent and in my opinion worthless.” - Lance Hammer Ballast concerns three people tied together by one man's suicide. They live in the Mississippi Delta, but the environment feels much more out of this world than that. Hammer … Continue reading Ballast (2008)
The Time Machine (1960)
Directed by George Pal It's December 31, 1899 when George (Rod Taylor) gathers his friends to introduce them to a device that can travel through time. Before questioning the capability of his invention, they interrogate his motivation. George is disgusted with the ways of the world, mostly the wars, and try as he might, his … Continue reading The Time Machine (1960)
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
Directed by Lasse Hallström I'm not sure how to talk about this film, which is weird, because it's not so complex, revolutionary or challenging. It's a nice story with humble aspirations and honest, vulnerable characters. What's Eating Gilbert Grape never tries to do much, and maybe that's why at the end it never feels as … Continue reading What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
The Salesman (2016)
Directed by Asghar Farhadi The title comes from Arthur Miller's The Death of a Salesman. Emad and Rana are husband and wife, both in the staged play and in their own lives. Willy Loman's journey parallels Emad's as both men lose their grip on their environment, soon followed by their own frame of mind. When Rana … Continue reading The Salesman (2016)
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