The aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty in postwar New York City transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant youngest son. It is crystal clear why The Godfather is so high up on the AFI list. It’s the “be all, end all” of movies for many. It’s a masterclass on filmmaking, honestly. And there’s so many components that director Francis Ford Coppola … Continue reading 2. The Godfather (1972)
A U.S. Army officer serving in Vietnam is tasked with assassinating a renegade Special Forces Colonel who sees himself as a god. As per usual with films about Vietnam, there is a lot to unpack here. Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now begins with footage of bombs going off, destroying the landscape while the lyrics “This is the end, beautiful friend” plays, and that’s just where the … Continue reading 30. Apocalypse Now (1979)
I’ve been on an “end of the world” movie kick lately (gee, wonder why?). And, if you haven’t noticed, the 1990s are filled with end of the world movies. And 1998’s Deep Impact is currently streaming on Netflix. For those unfamiliar with the film, it’s about a comet that is going to hit the Earth and cause an Extinction Level Event. The United States knows … Continue reading 90s Flashback: Deep Impact
The staff of a Korean War field hospital use humor and high jinks to keep their sanity in the face of the horror of war. MASH is one of those films that was always on my list of “Films to watch”. I just never got around to it until now. A common occurrence, I have found, when I watch a film directed by Robert Altman … Continue reading 54. M*A*S*H (1970)
A television network cynically exploits a deranged former anchor’s ravings and revelations about the news media for its own profit. Network, having been released in 1976, is 42 years old. And, yet, somehow it manages to fit in tremendously well in this day and age. It managed to predict the future, and it’s unbelievably eerie. As the synopsis above states, Network is a film about … Continue reading 64. Network (1976)
Newsies is one of those films that, while it flopped in theaters upon its original release, came back with a vengeance when it was released on VHS. For those of you who don’t know, Newsies is a musical loosely based on the Newsboy’s Strike of 1899, when Joseph Pulitzer and William Hearst hiked up the cost of papers for the young boys delivering those papers. … Continue reading Movie Musical Mondays: Newsies
