Tag: film
Reviewing ‘While We’re Young’: Noah Baumbach’s Crimes and Misdemeanors
Sometimes you need a foil. When Gary Fleder’s Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead came out in 1995, I gained a newfound respect for Quentin Tarantino. Fleder and screenwriter Scott Rosenberg were trying to emulate Tarantino, whose Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction had recently exploded on Hollywood and left a ton of fast-talking,…
Seven Classic Historical Epics You Haven’t Seen
Ever since I can remember, I have always been a fan of historical and costume dramas. They often featured battles, sagas that spanned decades, and brought history to life from the pages of books that I had read. At one time, they were the staple diet of my weekly cinema excursions, when almost every film…
From Tragicomedy to Cyber-Punk: 6 Movie Mash-Ups
In the beginning there was tragedy and there was comedy. If the mask was smiling, you were in for a riotous night of theatre. If it wore a frown, well, then the gods were angry and you could be sure the poor humans in the play would suffer. For thousands of years, there was tragedy…
Hope and Glory: ‘Odd Man Out’ and the Need for Cinematic Recognition
Why isn’t Carol Reed’s heavy-hitting 1947 drama Odd Man Out better known? I wondered this recently after revisiting the film on television—following a period of not having seen it for quite a while. My taste for it has never waned, but I had forgotten some of the nuances that are present in this very complex,…
David Cronenberg’s Films Ranked from Worst to Best (Part Two)
In Part One, we began looking at the career of David Cronenberg. It has some clever lines. But if you only care about the cream – or in Cronenberg’s case, maybe “burnt ends” is a better metaphor – then proceed into the abyss. Here are his top ten feature films, IMDB rank in parentheses. 10.…