Blog Archives
Take 5 — The Godfather Edition
Forty years ago, on March 14, The Godfather premiered in New York City. The two hour film began what would become a veritable epic about a world-weary don and his ...
Undefeated — The Cynicism of Hoop Dreams with the Drama of Friday Night Lights
Undefeated chronicles the 2009 season of the Manassas Tigers, a high school football team in North Memphis – also known as the perennial whipping boys for the rest of the ...
Albert Nobbs — Passing for Anonymous
In a number of portrayals of women passing as men, gender-bending is a method of establishing an identity. In Albert Nobbs, the diminutive, soft-spoken, ginger-haired Irish hotel butler (Glenn Close) becomes ...
The Artist — Cute Doesn’t Equal “Best”
The Artist is charming, heart-warming, and fun, but I’m still uncertain why it’s destined to win the top prize at this year’s Academy Awards. To be fair, I accept that ...
If a Tree Falls — Be Thankful Squirrels Can’t Use Lighters
…in the forest and there’s no one around to hear it, does it make a sound? This century-old philosophical thought experiment is often conducted to explore the connection between our ...
The Weekend Arena: 2/10
Last week’s Big Miracle flopped like a humpback in pudding, but this week, we’re all gearing up for Valentine’s Day. For those of you looking for dinner and a movie, ...
Hell and Back Again — An Erased Sense of Purpose
Similar to last year’s Restrepo, this year’s Academy Award nominee for Best Documentary, Hell and Back Again, looks at the trials and tribulation within the U.S. conflict in Afghanistan, centering, ...
Wendy and Lucy — Mobility, Past and Present
On her way to Alaska, “where they need people,” Wendy’s (Michelle Williams) journey gets derailed: her car breaks down, she gets busted for shoplifting, and her dog disappears. However, Wendy ...
Blind Guesses and Oscar Pools: One and the Same
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science has geared up for February by unveiling the annual poster for its Oscar ceremony (see above). And, judging by the poster, it ...
Best Supporting Primate?
Despite the normal mediocrity of the Oscars, the nomination announcements on January 24th might add some intrigue to the oft-banal spectacle. The ultimate question will be whether or not Andy ...
