The Selfish Giant (2013) When Arbor and Swifty are suspended from school, they begin collecting scrap metal and selling it to Kitten, a local dealer. When he notices Swifty’s affinity for horses, Kitten allows him to work with several of his. A jealous Arbor steals some scrap from Kitten to sell elsewhere. When Kitten finds… Continue reading Diana had a Selfish Giant and Kept Her a secret
Month: April 2014
Music of the Underground
Underground (1995) Blacky Popara and a small cadre of associates are trapped in an underground cave in Yugoslvia at the end of the second World War. Blacky’s supposed best friend Marko Dren, a communist party official, tricks them into believing the war continues on the surface so they will make weapons they believe are used to fight… Continue reading Music of the Underground
She wore Prada to meet Cinderella in the north country
The Devil Wears Prada (2006) Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway), a graduate of Northwestern’s journalism school, takes a job as a personal assistant for Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), the notoriously difficult chief editor of a famed fashion magazine. The demanding job challenges her professionally and personally. Hathaway is at her best as the plucky underdog; Stanley… Continue reading She wore Prada to meet Cinderella in the north country
Meeting Frankenstein’s cousin at dawn
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943) When Larry Talbot is accidentally revived, he seeks he notes of Dr. Frankenstein in hopes they can lead to a permanent cure for his condition. The first Universal film to combine two of their iconic horror characters was going to star Lon Chaney Jr. in both title roles, but this was too… Continue reading Meeting Frankenstein’s cousin at dawn
A sexy, single lady and Tony Curtis
Sex and the Single Girl (1964) Scandal magazine writer Bob Weston (Tony Curtis) wants to write an article about Helen Brown (Natalie Wood), the writer of a new relationship advice book. When she refuses the interview, he uses a different name to gain access to her, but this ruse leads to complications when Bob and… Continue reading A sexy, single lady and Tony Curtis
A fantastic fear of sin
A Touch of Sin (2013) This medley of vignettes highlights the underbelly of contemporary Chinese society. A billion people live in China, but the news is so carefully controlled by the state most outsiders have no clue what is happening there. It’s both disturbing and reassuring they have as many psychopaths and murderers as the West. In America, every salacious… Continue reading A fantastic fear of sin
The Lyme singing punk
The Punk Singer (2013) This documentary details the life of Kathleen Hanna, an influential punk singer with the bands Bikini Kill and Le Tigre who co-founded the riot grrrl movement. Hanna’s sudden retirement in 2005 has long been a source of consternation to her fans. The reason given for her disappearance was creative burn out, but, in reality, she was suffering… Continue reading The Lyme singing punk
Decoding basketball and soccer stories while racing around the world looking for the love of your life
Decoding Deepak (2012) Deepak Chopra has made a fortune as a spiritual advisor to the rich and famous. This film directed by his son, Gotham Chopra, follows Deepak as he goes through Blackberry withdrawal while visiting monks in India, obsesses over his next book, meets with the powerful in corporate boardrooms, and works on a spiritual video game. In a rare… Continue reading Decoding basketball and soccer stories while racing around the world looking for the love of your life
Calling all the mortified
The Call (2013) Six months after her mistake inadvertently resulted in a young girl’s murder, 9-11 operator Jordan Tuner (Halle Berry) takes a frantic call from kidnapped Casey Welson (Abigail Breslin) and realizes her kidnapper is the same murderer she encountered before. It’s a race against time to find him before he strikes again. Abigail Breslin… Continue reading Calling all the mortified
Let’s go back again
The Way Way Back (2013) Awkward teenager Duncan (Liam James) finds a surrogate father in Owen (Sam Rockwell), the manager of Water Wizz. This is not an original film, but the characters are so authentic and the enthusiasm so overwhelming, it’s more than capable of overcoming any deficiency in its conceit. James’s ability to draw the audience… Continue reading Let’s go back again