A History of Violence (2005) When one of the waitresses working for Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) is threatened, Tom kills her attackers and becomes a local celebrity. This attention brings Carl Fogarty (Ed Harris) to town, convinced Tom is Joey Cusack, a former associate in the Irish Mob. The truth of Tom’s past threatens to destroy… Continue reading A violent biography
Lean and deliver
Stand and Deliver (1988) This biographical film about Jaime Escalante and his efforts to teach calculus to students in an impoverished school in Los Angeles, garnered Edward James Olmos an Academy Award nomination. Olmos played Lt. Martin Castillo on Miami Vice for five seasons, but it’s hard for me to see him and not think about William… Continue reading Lean and deliver
Glass hearts don’t make for long lives
Heart of Glass (1976) A German community relies on the unique glass it produces for its income and identity. When the old man who knows how to create the glass dies, the leader of the town tries to replicate his process with little success. Hias, a local fortune-teller (based on Bavarian prophet Mühlhiasl), predicts the glass factory will be… Continue reading Glass hearts don’t make for long lives
Garrincha went on a fantastic voyage to the stars; it ended in a massacre
Fantastic Voyage (1966) Working in the Soviet Union, scientist Jan Benes has discovered how to miniaturize items permanently. He escapes to the west to share this information, but an attempted assassination causes a blood clot in his brain and leaves him comatose. A submarine containing several scientists is shrunk to a micrometer and placed inside… Continue reading Garrincha went on a fantastic voyage to the stars; it ended in a massacre
Diana had a Selfish Giant and Kept Her a secret
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
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