Django UnchainedDjango Unchained
In 1966, the movie “Django” premiered. Like the other Spaghetti Westerns, its protagonist was a laconic anti-hero who dealt death to unwashed, unshaven, and unsavory characters; the difference was that
Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy is one of the great achievements of cinema. Based on the literary trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien, it creates Middle-Earth, a fantastical world
Victor Hugo’s novel “Les Miserables” is one of the best stories ever told. Oscar-winning Director Tom Hooper (“The King’s Speech”) has adapted the operatic “Les Miserables” theatrical presentation , written
Christopher McGuire has paid his dues, in the business since 1993. He has written some outstanding scripts (“The Usual Suspects,” Valkyrie,” “The Tourist”) but most moviegoers have never heard of
Ang Lee is one of those directors with an eclectic background of films; from edgy to iconoclastic to romantic to suspense, his films run the gamut of emotions and genres,
In 1984, writer-director John Milius was at the height of his career. He had just completed “Conan the Barbarian,” making Arnold Schwarzenegger a star, had filmed the illustrious Sean Connery
Romantic comedies should be money in the bank for studios. Yes, there is often location shooting—but no expensive set construction, special effects, or action sequences. Other than some $10 a
Ian Fleming’s James Bond celebrates his 50th anniversary in films with “Skyfall” in 2012. At this birthday party, director Sam Mendes’ (“Revolutionary Road”) vision reinvents the world of the iconic
Movies based on historical events are difficult to judge. Not only must they be authentic to the era depicted, but they still should be judged as art. Although fudging a
In 1916, film pioneer D.W. Griffith produced his epic “Intolerance,” a nearly three hour (163 minutes) epic that literally spanned the ages; in it four stories of moral conflict
Although he has been around awhile, Ben Affleck made his mark co-writing “Good Will Hunting” in 1997, winning an Oscar for that original screenplay. Since then he has starred in
Tyler Perry is one of the biggest money-makers in Hollywood today. His “Madea” franchise (4 films) is a perennial fan favorite among his dozen feature length films, he has a
I have to admit, I was taken, too. The first “Taken” (2008), though initially implausible, was gripping, realizing every parent’s worst nightmare; it had a gritty realism and
When it comes to sports movies, it seems Hollywood prefers baseball and boxing over the others. Boxing, because it is brutal one-on-one combat that is the essence of moviemaking. But
One genre of film is broadly called Drama and encompasses an expansive array of plotlines, settings, and themes. One sub-genre within Drama is a fairly recent phenomena: the inspirational film.
Have you ever noticed that movies about authors of astronomically well-written cutting edge books are in themselves not particularly well written? For instance, it is apparent that the writers
I decided to see the nationally top-grossing film of last week, “The Expendables 2,” a sequel to the surprisingly entertaining “The Expendables” from 2010. I discovered that “top-grossing” didn’t mean
“The Exorcist” was one of the most truly frightening movies ever made. Based on the best-selling William Peter Blatty novel, the 1973 William Friedkin film established the standard by which