Directed by Norman Jewison In the Heat of the Night tackled overt racism in a small Southern town at a time when to do such a thing was a bit of a risk (in contrast to, for example, 2018's Green Book). In Sparta, Missouri a young Philadelphia cop, Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier) finds himself pulled into … Continue reading In the Heat of the Night (1967)
racism
Brewster McCloud (1970)
Directed by Robert Altman The dreamers don't win in Robert Altman's mind bending, logic-defying, establishment-challenging Brewster McCloud. The slapstick story, complete with gags straight out of Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner (similar to Peter Bogdanovich's What's Up Doc?) combines farce with pathos. It's the story of Brewster McCloud (Bud Cort), a lonely young man who doesn't … Continue reading Brewster McCloud (1970)
Green Book (2018)
Directed by Peter Farrelly Well sh*t I liked it, next to Paddington 2, this had the sweetest final shot of any movie I've seen this year. Green Book feels like one of those movies that might be trying a little too hard to say something that's been said before. It's a movie that, in the trailers, … Continue reading Green Book (2018)
Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
Directed by Martin Brest Detroit cop, Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy), is a fish out of water in Beverly Hills when he goes to investigate the murder of his friend, Mikey (James Russo). As a black man he will find himself challenged not only by the man he's chasing after but the police as well. Eventually … Continue reading Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
BlacKkKlansman (2018)
Directed by Spike Lee Okay, so I last wrote about Operation Finale, which is an ordinary movie about an important true story. Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman is similarly about a true story, but it's much more than an ordinary movie, if only because it very much has something to say. You might've already seen the movie or read … Continue reading BlacKkKlansman (2018)
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
Directed by Robert Mulligan To Kill a Mockingbird announces itself before the film even begins. The grand Elmer Bernstein music, coupled with intimate close ups of trinkets that will gather meaning (but already have a great deal if you're familiar with the book) throughout the film suggest something important, like the source text is the … Continue reading To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
Mississippi Burning (1988)
Directed by Alan Parker It's 1964, and two FBI detectives descend on a small town in Mississippi in search of three boys who have gone missing. We know these boys (two white, one black) have been murdered by the Klu Klux Klan, so the detective's journey has little to do with the search itself but … Continue reading Mississippi Burning (1988)
True Grit (2010)
Directed by the Coen Brothers The 1969 film was a celebration of all things John Wayne while the Coen Brothers' adaptation of the same source material is much more broadly comedic, at least to a point. The Rooster Cogburn character here is played by a legendary actor in his own right, Jeff Bridges. He's somewhere … Continue reading True Grit (2010)
Blue Collar (1978)
Directed by Paul Schrader "Everything they do is to keep us in our place." Underpaid, poorly represented and fed up, three Detroit auto workers hatch a plan to rob a safe at union headquarters. For Zeke (Richard Pryor), Smokey (Yaphet Kotto) and Jerry (Harvey Keitel), this is a last ditch effort. Zeke owes the IRS a … Continue reading Blue Collar (1978)
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