Directed by Werner Herzog Stroszek is both heartwarming and scathing, a film whose innocence wears off over time and reveals a much darker underbelly. It's the story of a simple man, Bruno Stroszek, fresh out of prison and eager to start his life anew. He is without any real prospects (career, romantic or otherwise) and deals … Continue reading Stroszek (1977)
american dream
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
Directed by John Huston The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is wonderfully ugly. In it three men set out to hit it rich mining for gold. Rather quickly they find what they're looking for, but the challenge then becomes keeping it. They must deal with forces from outside and forces from within, and in the end … Continue reading The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
The Weather Man (2005)
Directed by Gore Verbinski The Weather Man is about Dave Spritz’s (Nicolas Cage) general disaffection with life, both personal and professional, and his plan to escape through a “very American accomplishment,” to become the national weatherman on “Hello America,” a program very much meant to resemble “Good Morning America” or “The Today Show.” Dave is … Continue reading The Weather Man (2005)
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974)
Directed by Michael Cimino At first glance Clint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges seem like an odd pair, almost as if they were shooting two entirely different movies and one day just stumbled onto the same set. Here they play a bank robber and a, well I guess a petty car thief. Part of the unexpected … Continue reading Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974)
The Breaking Point (1950)
Directed by Michael Curtiz Once again, crime doesn't pay. Harry Morgan (John Garfield) is a struggling fishing boat captain whose debts lead to criminal activity and a guilty conscience. We meet him as a Leave it to Beaver-kind of character, a happy family man, a gooey loving husband, who always wears that cocked to the side … Continue reading The Breaking Point (1950)
Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)
Directed by John Sturges In Bad Day at Black Rock, Spencer Tracy plays John Macreedy, a fish out of water in an almost unbelievably tiny town somewhere in the American southwest. His arrival itself threatens the insular town, and even when he realizes his life is at risk he maintains his cool, fighting fire with long … Continue reading Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)
I’m Carolyn Parker (2011)
Directed by Jonathan Demme Jonathan Demme met Carolyn Parker in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans in August of 2006, a year after Hurricane Katrina. She had moved back into her home before anyone else on her block, living inside under conditions not many people would put up with. Damaged walls outlining the house … Continue reading I’m Carolyn Parker (2011)
idrawonmywall.com 