Archive | January 2017
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KUBRICK @Feature #4: 1957’s Paths of Glory
This was the one that cemented Stanley’s trajectory. I watched it again last week, on a Netflix issued DVD. Not the new Criterion Blu-ray, as I had hoped. Was this only the 2nd time I’ve experienced “Paths of Glory”? I believe so. And the first was probably a copy I taped via VHS off of […]
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Nominated for Best Sound Mixing at the 89th Annual Academy Awards Nominated for Best Visual Effects at the 89th Annual Academy Awards The geek pleasure was palpable for me this time. I can’t say the same for last year. Of course, by last year I’m referring to 2015’s long-awaited “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”. “Nostalgia […]
Manchester by the Sea
Nominated for Best Picture at the 89th Annual Academy Awards Nominated for Best Actor (Casey Affleck) at the 89th Annual Academy Awards Nominated for Best Supporting Actor (Lucas Hedges) at the 89th Annual Academy Awards Nominated for Best Supporting Actress (Michelle Williams) at the 89th Annual Academy Awards Nominated for Best Director (Kenneth Lonergan) at […]
Weiner
It’s an extraordinary, fly on the wall, political documentary, and I have no doubt that most viewers will not be able to take their eyes off of the screen. It’s barely 90 minutes…and I wish it was six hours. I never watch so-called “reality” shows. For one thing, once that camera is on you–reality goes […]
Hidden Figures
It’s honestly such a thrill to me, that a movie about three independent, intelligent African-American women, is kicking ass at the box office. And actually toppling “Rogue One”, no less! Plus, it did this with a relatively low budget, while pushing some well-known white actors to the background. I love it. If only it was […]
The Edge of Seventeen
The cast is extraordinary, and the screenplay so sharp, that I want to forgive some obvious directorial flourishes, and some avoidable predictability and neatness. It’s better when it’s messy. Because being a teenager is messy. Nothing should be neat, and wrapped up perfectly…because it almost never is. “The Edge of Seventeen” is a very good movie, that […]
La La Land
Suffice to say, that you will not have to look far, to find effusive praise for Damien Chazelle’s “La La Land”. Just don’t look here, because I’m not buying. In fact, I’m finding its popularity, and overall acceptance, somewhat bewildering. It’s an empty vessel. A case of playing the notes, but not hearing the music. […]
20th Century Women
There’s so much to love in Mike Mills “20th Century Women”, that I bristled whenever it bordered on becoming just a little bit twee (inviting the firemen over for dinner was the first sign). I had an issue with this last time around for the writer/director, with 2011’s “Beginners”. Quirky hangs over these motion pictures like […]
Shrek The Musical JR. at OPS
Because I like to occasionally spice things up a bit, a sort-of break in tradition here. Sort of, I say, because I’ve decided this still counts. I’ve just celebrated my five-year anniversary writing this blog. It’s brought me a lot of joy, a fair share of aggravation, and work as the main arts contributor for […]
Reviewed by Mark Leonard 