Hairspray (1988) In 1963, overweight Tracy Turnblad (Rikki Lake) becomes a popular mainstay on a Baltimore dance show, infuriating the reigning queen, Amber Von Tussle (Debbie Harry). In addition to their dance floor rivalry, Tracy and her mother Edna (Divine) advocate integration while the Von Tussles fight for segregation. Rikki Lake would go on to… Continue reading Your hairspray, my high five, and our shadowlands
Byzanitum is a contender for the best place to slay badgers in the past
The Past (2013) Iranian Ahmad travels to Paris to complete his divorce from Marie (Berenice Bejo) who’s already in a new relationship with the married Samir, whose wife is comatose after a failed suicide attempt. This is a melancholy film about the difficulties in multicultural relationships and the importance of honesty to the success of… Continue reading Byzanitum is a contender for the best place to slay badgers in the past
Ernest and the we and the I am Sam
The We and the I (2012) On the last day of school, a group of teenagers experience petty jealousies, bullying, and sexual insecurities. In other words, it’s a typical day for an adolescent finding their way in the world. The problem is, I didn’t care about any of the characters. Most of them were broad… Continue reading Ernest and the we and the I am Sam
Bad Beethoven
Beethoven (1992) As Harvey (Oliver Platt) and Vernon (Stanley Tucci) abduct several dogs from a pet store, a large St. Bernard escapes and hides at the home of the Newtons. The children fall in love with the dog and convince their sourpuss dad, George (Charles Grodin) to keep the animal, which they name Beethoven. Reluctantly, George… Continue reading Bad Beethoven
That bitter bastard Elaine makes an interesting gambit
The Bitter Tea of General Yen (1933) Megan Davis (Barbara Stanwyck) comes to Shanghai at the height of the Chinese Civil War to marry her childhood sweetheart, missionary Dr. Robert Strike. A powerful Chinese warlord, General Yen, assure them safe passage to perform humanitarian work. At a checkpoint, they discover General Yen lied and, in the… Continue reading That bitter bastard Elaine makes an interesting gambit
Hallelujah, I’m a grand, invisible immigrant
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) A girl goes to the grave of her favorite author and reads a chapter from his memoir. In this excerpt, the author (Tom Wilkinson) recounts a trip he took to the dilapidated Grand Budapest Hotel in 1968 where he (Jude Law) met the owner, Zero Moustafa (F. Murray Abraham) who… Continue reading Hallelujah, I’m a grand, invisible immigrant
I like my cake in layers
Layer Cake (2004) The story of mid-level gangster XXXX (Daniel Craig) is a twisted, cautionary tale about the difficult life of a modern criminal. It’s a grittier Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) or Snatch (2000). This makes perfect sense when you learn director Mathew Vaughn produced the earlier films. Life often refuses to… Continue reading I like my cake in layers
I am not the angel on the true moon
Moon (2009) Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) is on a three-year mission to the moon where he and a robot named GERTY (voiced by Kevin Spacey) will mine helium-3 for use in fusion energy production. After an unexpected accident, Sam discovers he’s a clone used by Lunar Industries to save labor costs. At the end of his… Continue reading I am not the angel on the true moon
The scary old man labored to getaway
Labor Day (2013) Escaped convict Frank Chambers (Josh Brolin) takes refuge in the home of single mom Adele Wheeler (Kate Winslet), holding her and her son Henry hostage as he recovers from his injuries. Frank is inevitably caught, but not before teaching Henry how to cook and falling in love with Adele, a horrible mother… Continue reading The scary old man labored to getaway
The King was born in a manger sans the alluring cross
Allures (1961) This trippy combination of sounds and images by Jordan Belson was preserved in the National Film Registry in 2011. Most people will never see it, and their lives will be no less fulfilling. Sans Soleil (1983) This avante garde documentary by Chris Marker explores the creation and maintenance of cultural memory with an essay… Continue reading The King was born in a manger sans the alluring cross