“We’re not ready for this … This is the middle of nowhere … This is a shithole … I felt like we were fish in a barrel … What are we doing?” is the chorus that introduces us to the Korengal Valley, the deadliest area in Afghanistan in 2007 and also noted as the most violent place […]
In what might be the most beautifully shot Best Picture nominee of 2010, 127 Hours establishes Danny Boyle as a king of symbology from the opening triptych sequence that gives offers examples of technology, religion, neon-laden businesses, devices of our consumption and a lone Aron Ralston (James Franco) driving a car. Solidly edited, the images pit Ralston’s sole […]
Throughout the 1960s and 70s, there were dozens of different groups undertaking their individually grand projects of mass transformation of this country. Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., and Fred Hampton of The Black Panthers mounted their respective battles for Civil Rights while our country waged war on a small nation in Southeast Asia under the guise […]
In 1994’s Hoop Dreams, we followed Arthur Agee and William Gates as they struggled to break free of their impoverished communities and broken pasts, seeking the opportunity to become professional basketball players. In the same spirit, Pressure Cooker follows three culinary art students at Frankford High School, an institution replete with metal detectors, thumbprint scanners, and students […]
In a November 12, 2010 article from The New York Times, Laurie Goodstein reports “The rite of exorcism […] has largely fallen out of favor with the Roman Catholic Church in the United States”; however, “American bishops are holding a conference […] to prepare more priests and bishops to respond to the demand [of those seeking an […]
Might as well keep up tradition here on Gladiators. The nominations for Best Picture were announced yesterday, and while The Town was a surprising omission, the ten nominees are at least worthy of a haiku — though I’m still skeptical about the validity of The Kids Are All Right. Just saying. Black Swan She transmogrifies to sultry insanity and sex […]
The Oscar nominations are in, and while “The King’s Speech” is leading the way with twelve nominations, I’m very surprised at all the love “True Grit” received this morning, in second place with ten nominations, after being snubbed by the Golden Globes and The Directors Guild of America. The gauntlet of Public Relations worked well for some […]
In Frozen, writer and director Adam Green pits three characters against nature, setting up a frightening, suspenseful tale that examines survival instinct in the face of imminent death. Unfortunately, it’s only a setup as the script can’t carry the film much farther than the initial idea, and the characters seem to exist only to move the plot, not […]
As I ponder what to do during my retirement, it often involves the usual sitting on a porch, yelling at kids to get off my lawn – whether they are there or not. In all honesty, I picture myself sitting in a very similar position to the one I am in now, a pile of books next […]