Directed by Quentin Tarantino Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood is a sentimental, Linklater-esque nostalgia dream tinged at the edges with a brooding darkness. These are all qualities absorbed through observation rather than any dictated narration, with the sun-bleached scene established through images of characters driving peacefully through Los Angeles, listening to the radio and … Continue reading Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood (2019)
nostalgia
Dazed and Confused (1993) [revisited]
Directed by Richard Linklater There is actually more 'plot' than I remember in Dazed and Confused. It's a loose story set on the last day of school in 1976, following an ensemble cast of characters as they just try to have a good time. And though the biggest plot point has to do with a party … Continue reading Dazed and Confused (1993) [revisited]
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018)
Directed by David Slade So I've never experienced anything quite like that. I guess a "choose your own adventure" concept is just like a video game, so the novelty might not be as strong with others, but I had a f*ckin' good time 'playing' this movie with a few friends. It's definitely a good communal … Continue reading Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018)
A Christmas Story (1983)
Directed by Bob Clark A Christmas Story seems to be all about desire, mostly as it facilitates good 'ol American capitalism. The story is set in what is often made to seem a simpler time, the 1940s. This is either pre-World War II or if it's in fact set during the war the story, presented … Continue reading A Christmas Story (1983)
Singles (1992)
Directed by Cameron Crowe Singles is a tough hang. It's deeply immersed in the same Gen X culture as Reality Bites, Slacker and the tv show Friends, but Cameron Crowe's second film has none of the commentary or unbridled energy of those films (and show). We're presented with a specific time and place, much more about the atmosphere … Continue reading Singles (1992)
Amarcord (1973)
Directed by Federico Fellini Amarcord depicts a series of vignettes, spread amongst a Simpsons-like cast of characters in a small town in the Italian countryside. It's a nostalgic comedy, full of slapstick and vulgarity, which occasionally pulls back far enough to remind you that this was all happening within a fascist state. The most memorable sequence … Continue reading Amarcord (1973)
Memphis Belle (1990)
Directed by Michael Caton-Jones Memphis Belle is a pretty straightforward World War II film, but I was smitten with it. Maybe it's the cast, composed of welcome and familiar faces like Matthew Modine, a young Harry Connick Jr., Eric Stoltz, Courtney Gains, Tate Donovan or Sean Astin, as well as the always calming presence of … Continue reading Memphis Belle (1990)
Mid90s (2018)
Directed by Jonah Hill Mid90s is the latest in a welcome trend of personal movies made by people who care about what they're saying. Standing in contrast to the remakes, superhero movies and CGI-laden action movies, they are unique in their own way, still sharing certain similarities that speak to the overlap in the human … Continue reading Mid90s (2018)
Hope and Glory (1987)
Directed by John Boorman Hope and Glory has the same wartime sentimentality as Woody Allen's Radio Days (1987) and Samuel Fuller's The Big Red One (1981). It's a nostalgic look at the details of life, shared amongst a small group of friends or family, during a time of great strife. Though surrounded by a large-scale tragedy or … Continue reading Hope and Glory (1987)
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