In 1982, Elk Cloner, the first computer virus, was created; Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands; The World’s Fair was held in Knoxville; Fahd became King of Saudi Arabia; Italy won the World Cup; The first CDs were created in Germany; Yuri Andropov became Secretary General of the Communist Party; Michael Jackson released Thriller; Barney Clark… Continue reading Time to phone home: A look back at 1982
Tag: Meryl Streep
Everything that follows is older than Ed Sheeran: A look back at 1990
In 1990, The first McDonald’s opened in Moscow; Nelson Mandela was released from prison after twenty seven years confinement; Namibia, the Marshall Islands, and Micronesia became independent nations; East and West Germany reunified; The Hubble Space Telescope launched; The World Health Organization removed homosexuality from its list of diseases; Iraq invaded Kuwait; Tim Berners-Lee started… Continue reading Everything that follows is older than Ed Sheeran: A look back at 1990
On the western front, the Cuban makes mistakes
I am Cuba (1964) Split into four separate stories joined only by a female narrator known as the “Voice of Cuba,” this film offers a dizzying portrait of Cuba during the Castro Revolution. In the first story, Maria works as a dancer in a Havana bar and lives an idyllic existence with her boyfriend, Rene,… Continue reading On the western front, the Cuban makes mistakes
The angry horse had a humorous face
Equus (1977) When 17-year old Alan Strang blinds six horses with a metal spike, psychiatrist Martin Dysart (Richard Burton) investigates at the request of a court magistrate. After a series of intense therapy sessions, Alan reveals he worships horses as the manifestation of the divine. When a girl took him to the stables to consummate… Continue reading The angry horse had a humorous face
The one, true special relationship
One True Thing (1998) Ellen Gulden (Renee Zellwegger) is a writer for a magazine in New York. Her father, George (William Hurt), is a semi-famous author and professor who can’t seem to write a second novel. Her mother, Kate, (Meryl Streep) is a housewife. When Kate is diagnosed with cancer, Ellen is coerced to stay home… Continue reading The one, true special relationship
Mrs. Henderson proudly presents: The dark star of Burma
The Burmese Harp (1956) At the end of the Second World War, Private Mizumisha is sent to convince a group of Japanese holdouts to surrender to British forces, but a bombing separates him from his platoon. A monk finds Mizumisha and nurses him to health. After his recovery, he travels the country, burying the fallen… Continue reading Mrs. Henderson proudly presents: The dark star of Burma
The bridge goes over the canyon and leads to a tree
The Learning Tree (1969) Even keeled Newt reluctantly follows his conscience and gives evidence proving Booker killed a man, destroying his friendship with Marcus, Booker’s son, and leading to a violent confrontation in a racist, rural Kansas town. This film about the black experience during the Great Depression is a better film than Gordon Parks… Continue reading The bridge goes over the canyon and leads to a tree
The drunken fox is afraid
Drunken Master II (1994) Won Fei-Hung (Jackie Chan) hides ginseng in the suitcase of an employee of the British consulate to avoid paying taxes. This innocent act backfires and Hung is inexplicably involved in a crazy conspiracy to steal a valuable Chinese antique. Chan’s genius was a merger of eastern and western entertainment traditions, combining Chinese… Continue reading The drunken fox is afraid
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
Secrets don’t make friends at home or abroad
Topaz (1969) After the successful premiere of the first James Bond film, many people wanted Alfred Hitchcock to direct an entry in the series. He had a history in the spy genre with films like Foreign Correspondent (1940), Suspicion (1941), and The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), he had a dark and subtle sense of humor, and his film’s… Continue reading Secrets don’t make friends at home or abroad