A seemingly timid but secretly ruthless ingénue insinuates herself into the lives of an aging Broadway star and her circle of theater friends. You know, I don’t think there will ever be a time where All About Eve will be irrelevant. In powerhouse performances from both Bette Davis (Margo) and Anne Baxter (Eve), All About Eve follows young Eve as she inserts herself into the life of … Continue reading 28. All About Eve (1950)
I went into this film with fairly low expectations and, honestly, I’m glad that I did because I ended up enjoying this film very much. The fact that Chris Rock wanted to move into the horror genre so badly that, when nobody would cast him in a horror film, he decided to pitch and produce his own is a power move, honestly. But, he proved … Continue reading Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021)
An insurance representative lets himself be talked by a seductive housewife into a murder/insurance fraud scheme that arouses the suspicion of an insurance investigator. To me, Double Indemnity is the quintessential film noir. Although, this film was made before that term had ever even been used. It has everything that a film noir should have: narration, a femme fatale, an air of mystery, dramatic lighting, fast dialogue, … Continue reading 29. Double Indemnity (1944)
The early life and career of Vito Corleone in 1920s New York City is portrayed, while his son, Michael, expands and tightens his grip on the family crime syndicate. Many have argued that The Godfather Part II is better than The Godfather, but I think that Part II helps us to have a better appreciation for the first film. The Godfather Part II follows both a young Vito Corleone, … Continue reading 32. The Godfather Part II (1974)
Writer/Director J Blakeson had a vision with this film and, damnit, if he didn’t nail it. I Care A Lot stars Rosamund Pike as Marla Grayson, a grifting legal guardian whose con is now in jeopardy, as she’s taken advantage of the wrong person. Along with Pike, I Care A Lot also stars Peter Dinklage as Roman Lunyov, Eiza Gonzalez as Fran, Dianne Wiest as Jennifer Peterson, and … Continue reading I Care A Lot. (2021)
Upon the first viewing, it is easy to see why Chloe Zhao’s Nomadland has garnered accolades and award season buzz. The film checks nearly every box. And, although I enjoyed my viewing of the film, it did not have the profound effect on me that I have come to expect from these kinds of movies. But, that’s not to say that it isn’t a good film. … Continue reading Nomadland (2020): A Visually Beautiful Rehashing of a Very Familiar Narrative
A criminal pleads insanity and is admitted to a mental institution, where he rebels against the oppressive nurse and rallies up the scared patients. One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest is considered, by many, to be one of the greatest films ever made. Directed by Milos Forman, the film stars Jack Nicholson as R.P. McMurphy, Louise Fletcher as the infamous Nurse Ratched, and Will Sampson … Continue reading 33. One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
Written and directed by Remi Weekes, in his directorial debut, His House is a harrowing horror film about a refugee couple who have escaped South Sudan and are trying to assimilate into the UK in order to, hopefully, gain citizenship and create a better life for themselves. All the while, they are being haunted by their past and by the fear of losing their culture and … Continue reading His House (2020): Horror Through Trauma
British POWs are forced to build a railway bridge across the river Kwai for their Japanese captors, not knowing that the allied forces are planning to destroy it. You know, I think the one thing that this film made me realize, more than anything, is that I have no grasp on how plastic explosives work. Directed by David Lean and written by Carl Foreman and … Continue reading 36. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
I am from the northern part of what is known as the Appalachian Region. Whenever Appalachia (and that’s Appa-latch-uh, not Appa-lay-shuh) is portrayed in media, however, it is the region just south of where I grew up, in Kentucky and Tennessee and the like. It’s always the areas struck hardest by poverty. Hollywood, for years, has preyed off these people for the sake of a … Continue reading Hillbilly Elegy (2020)
