Long Day's Journey Into Night (1962) - A drug addicted mother (Katherine Hepburn), an alcoholic, former stage matinee idol father (Ralph Richardson), the no account older son (Jason Robards) and the pampered baby of the family who has contracted tuberculosis (Dean Stockwell) slash at one another as their family begins its final descent into dysfunction.... Continue Reading →
Movie Review – "The Pawnbroker"
The Pawnbroker (1964) - Sol Nazerman (Rod Steiger) is a Jew who survived the Holocaust and now runs a pawn shop in East Harlem. He carries with him the emotional scars of watching his children killed and his wife raped in the concentration camp. His solution is to seal off his emotions and reject any... Continue Reading →
Movie Review – Tropic Thunder
Tropic Thunder (2008) - Through a set of bizarre circumstances a group of actors shooting a big budget Viet Nam war movie suddenly discover themselves in a real shooting war. They're over budget, behind schedule and their newbie director dies in an accident. The actors assume everything is more of the director's attemtp to create... Continue Reading →
Movie Review – Fail Safe
Fail Safe (2000) - Set at the height of the Cold War, a computer glitch launches American nuclear bombers toward the Soviet Union. Because they have passed the "fail safe" point (a precautionary stage designed to avoid these kinds of accidents) they can not be recalled. The President of the United States faces an unimaginable... Continue Reading →
Movie Review – Swing Time
Swing Time - (1936) Dancer and gambler Lucky Garnett (Fred Astaire) gets tricked out of marriage by his fellow performers. His father-in-law to be will let him try again if he can go to New York and raise $25,000. Once Lucky gets there he crosses paths with aspiring dancer Penny Carroll (Ginger Rogers). Dancing and... Continue Reading →
Movie Review – Z
Z (1969) - A political thriller following the assassination of a leading left wing politician an investigator tries to find the truth. The authorities insist that the death of Z (Yves Montand) was the result of an accident but the investigator (Jean Louis Tritignant) refuses to be distracted. He pursues the truth to the very... Continue Reading →
Movie Review – Yankee Doodle Dandy
Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) - The fictionalized life story of one of the great American songwriters, George M. Cohan. Starring James Cagney in the lead role the movie goes from Cohan's early days as a cocky young star in a family act to the days of Cohan as a great American musical treasure. Filled with... Continue Reading →
Movie Review – Anatomy of a Murder
Anatomy of a Murder (1959) - A soldier's wife (Lee Remick) is raped and he (Ben Gazarra) kills her rapist. The former local prosecuting attorney (Jimmy Stewart) agrees to defend the husband. His client is just a bit too slick and the wife is just a bit too much of a party girl. Both of... Continue Reading →
From My Shelves – Grand Prix
Grand Prix (1966) - Headstrong American driver Pete Aaron (James Garner) makes a rash move at Monaco which injures his teammate Scott Stoddard and results in Aaron being released by the team. While Stoddard is recovering Aaron begins an affair with Pat Stoddard (Jessica Walter). Elsewhere in the paddock Ferrari veteran and two time world... Continue Reading →
Movie Review – Blue Like Jazz
Blue Like Jazz (2012) - The fictionalized story of author Donald Miller's adventures as a Southern Baptist from Texas at the very liberal Reed College in Portland Oregon. Sometimes called "the most godless college in America" the culture at Reed will challenge Miller's belief in God and in himself. Based loosely on the best selling... Continue Reading →