Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, Monty Montgomery The Loveless is nothing like what I'd expect for a Kathryn Bigelow movie.  The director of popcorn action flicks like Point Break and serious, gritty oscar dramas like The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty and now Detroit starts her career off here with a Jim Jarmusch-ian arthouse film.  The Loveless reminded me most … Continue reading The Loveless (1981)

Directed by Rob Daniel Teen Wolf was released during what I have to assume was called the Summer of Michael J. Fox, right?  The August 23rd released date followed the early July release of Back to the Future, Fox's definitive role.  While the earlier film was a resounding hit, Teen Wolf may have been less so, but … Continue reading Teen Wolf (1985)

Directed by Robert Wise In The Day the Earth Stood Still, a Christ-like figure visits Earth with a grave message: Stop killing each other or the world is doomed.  And really, that should just be the message for every movie, right?  I mean, if you really break it down, whether a story is about greed, lust, … Continue reading The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

Directed by Steven Soderbergh Did Ocean's Eleven establish the heist movie style?  I don't know, but it seems to have at least played a part in setting up a template that now feels cliche, but fun all the same.  Whether or not these stylistic choices are or were cliche, they keep the audience a step behind … Continue reading Ocean’s Eleven (2001)

Directed by Joe Dante In The 'Burbs, a vacationing family man begins to obsess over the mysterious new neighbors whose haunted house exterior to him suggests a dark secret.  That man is Ray (Tom Hanks), and we never really learn anything about Ray beyond his family life here in the suburbs.  The whole movie takes place … Continue reading The ‘Burbs (1989)

Directed by Jean Renoir It was unlikely that The Rules of the Game would be around today.  Released in 1939, it was quickly banned for being immoral, and then prints of the film were damaged, and it was only in 1956 that the remaining prints were discovered and re-released to the public.  Currently considered one of … Continue reading The Rules of the Game (1939)

Directed by Tony Scott Days of Thunder is one of those movies you have to really embrace, despite its many faults, in order to have a good time.  It's so silly and so 80's, almost like a museum piece celebrating the decade, granted it was released in 1990.  It's like a movie made about the … Continue reading Days of Thunder (1990)

Directed by Ben Younger Boiler Room follows the template of other financial broker makes it big through unsavory means stories.  It's predictable, with the rise and fall customary of the genre and of gangster films as well.  Watching this movie, particularly the scene when the ensemble cast of characters watch the movie Wall Street on tv, I … Continue reading Boiler Room (2000)

Directed by Noah Baumbach, Jake Paltrow De Palma was made through a series of long interviews with director Brian De Palma as he discusses his four or so decades as a filmmaker.  De Palma talks to director Noah Baumbach, though you never see any of the conversation, just the stories De Palma tells almost as … Continue reading De Palma (2015)

Directed by Warren Beatty, Buck Henry Heaven Can Wait is a romantic comedy with some incredibly haunting implications about death.  Sure, Warren Beatty stars as Joe Pendleton, the quarterback of the Los Angeles Rams, and sure, his goal is to find a way to lead his team to a Super Bowl victory, but my gosh, … Continue reading Heaven Can Wait (1978)