Although it was made and released less than seventy years ago, the MGM musical Bells are Ringing (1960) contains one aspect that makes it feel antiquated. This, of course, is the telephone technology at Susanswerphone, the central telephone exchange where […]
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We’re Not Married! (1952) ☆ ☆ ☆
The appearance of Marilyn Monroe in a swimsuit not once but twice in the brisk marital comedy We’re Not Married! (1952) is enough to recommend it, but there are other rewards as well. Justice of the Peace Victor Moore discovers […]
Continue reading »Magic Town (1947) ☆ ☆ ☆
An intriguing premise and sparkling chemistry between James Stewart and Jane Wyman elevate Magic Town (1947) to the level of a Movie Worth Rediscovering. This is Americana in the Capra mold, written and produced by longtime Capra associate Robert Riskin, […]
Continue reading »The Hurricane (1937) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
John Ford has many wonderful characteristics as a director and chief among them is an innate respect for all types and manner of people. Nowhere is this more evident than his lyrical ode to the South Seas, The Hurricane (1937). […]
Continue reading »Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012) ☆ ☆ ☆
I’m a sucker for big apocalyptic melodramas — there is no greater drama in my view than the end of our civilization — yet I also enjoy subtler takes on the psychology of cataclysm, and in that regard this movie […]
Continue reading »Crooked Arrows (2012) ☆ ☆ ☆
As inspirational sports movies go Crooked Arrows is fairly standard, what with its troubled coach, players who find it difficult to play as a team, unlikely rebound from adversity and ultimate triumph against all odds. What distinguishes this movie as something […]
Continue reading »Chernobyl Diaries (2012) ☆ ☆
The biggest fault I can find with horror films is that their premises all too often fail to sustain themselves. For instance, I felt Poltergeist was super scary until we learn that the haunted house was built on top of an […]
Continue reading »Halloween (2007) ☆ ☆ 1/2
A major entry in the remake cycle of horror films from the mid to late aughts, Halloween represents Rob Zombie’s attempt to flesh out the original American slasher film. Running at two hours, the first half of the film involves […]
Continue reading »Owning Mahowny (2003) ☆ ☆ ☆
Dan Mahowny (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a young bank executive, is moving up in the world. He has a kind girlfriend (Minnie Driver) who wants to be married and was recently promoted. He manages large accounts and is admired by his co-workers. Underneath […]
Continue reading »Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011) ☆ 1/2
Jonathan Safran Foer’s second controversial novel receives a full studio treatment here via Scott Rudin’s production company. The story involves a boy (Thomas Horn) who loses his father (Tom Hanks, a holy being) on September 11 and has a difficult […]
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