“All Crimes Are Collective.” – Title of the included essay by Professor Lynn A. Higgins. A society is nothing more than a collection of individuals who agree on rules. This is obvious, of course, and, quite frequently, presumed, which is… Read More ›
Lionheart is the kind of late-20th-century action movie that shows a guy doused in gasoline and set ablaze within the first five minutes of runtime. The violence is rough, and brutal acts against the human body are depicted without hesitation…. Read More ›
“But you can ask anybody from my neighborhood, and they’ll just tell you this is just another Bronx tale” the final words spoken by C (Lillo Brancato) at the end of A Bronx Tale; a melodramatic ending that, while poignant,… Read More ›
The future we currently live in with food and resources being sparce and us needing to find a way to continue as a society is not as dark a future as Harry Harrison’s book Make Room! Make Room! predicted. In… Read More ›
It’s always interesting and fun to see a great director try their hand at classic genres in cinema. With 1974’s Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, director Martin Scorsese (After Hours) teamed up with screenwriter Robert Getchell (The Client) to bring… Read More ›
For a period of time, setting stories within schools was pretty common. Whether in television (Welcome Back, Kotter; Saved by the Bell) or film (Dead Poets Society; Summer School), the relationship of teacher and student was utilized to explore everything… Read More ›
You couldn’t make a film like this today. Joel Schumacher’s (Flatliners) dark and comedic rage-against-the-machine thriller, Falling Down, is truly a ballsy product of its time — the loud, colorful 1990s. Boasting a terrific against-type performance from Michael Douglas (Basic… Read More ›
Paul Newman is considered by many to be one of the best actors of his generation. His charm, humor, and dramatic heft in films like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), The Sting (1973), and The Verdict (1982) are… Read More ›
As preservation dwindles, those who continue to offer physical editions of films are going to be hailed as heroes. It’s not just that a movie in the digital era can get lost amid the various digital streamers, it’s that, sometimes,… Read More ›
Trigger Warnings: The film contains (1) depictions of violence against animals (some quite real) and (2) a sequence at a club involving flashing lights. Art always reflects the times. What the artist is feeling, what inspires them, what terrifies them… Read More ›
Arrow Video’s new 4K restoration of Takashi Miike’s Audition in 4K is surely going to have fans, new and old, jumping at the chance to add it to their collection. Audition defined Miike’s style as a director and the adrenaline-filled… Read More ›
Ignored upon initial release and later championed by supporters like director Martin Scorsese (Cape Fear) and rock artist Nick Cave, Ted Kotcheff’s 1971 Australian horror film Wake in Fright arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video. Before he gifted the… Read More ›
It’s not unusual for an actor to write and direct, a director to write and act, or some other configuration of the three (and sometimes all at once on the same project). Being versatile not only permits someone to find… Read More ›
One of the earliest Criterion films, spine #57, Stanley Donen’s Charade (1963), is finally is getting a 4K upgrade and has never looked better. While we will go in depth on how this new 4K restoration looks, special features, and… Read More ›
Photosensitivity Warning: The opening title sequences includes repeated flashing for the duration. This may be triggering for photosensitive individuals. “This is your life, good to the last drop Doesn’t get any better than this This is your life and it’s… Read More ›
There are some films which come together and seem like a slam dunk yet fail to connect with audiences, while others are this mysterious combination of magic that, against all odds, finds its way both into audience’s hearts but also… Read More ›
Bear… bear… Big Bear… big bear chase meeeeeeee…! – Chet (John Candy) in The Great Outdoors In the modern era of comedy, there are few performers spoken of with the same reverence as John Candy. A Canadian actor and performer,… Read More ›
Lawrence Kasdan. A name attached to memorable, entertaining cinema such as The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), and The Big Chill (1983). Kasdan is a man who is known to update classic Hollywood genres —… Read More ›
Blue Thunder makes its way back home with a stellar 4K Blu-ray release from Arrow Video, delivering exactly the kind of jam-packed collector’s edition that reminds people why physical media still matters. In a time where so many catalog titles… Read More ›
Trigger Warning: The film includes a moment of spousal rape that may be difficult for sensitive viewers. The scene in question is discussed in the following home review. Of the various action subgenres to come out of Hong Kong action… Read More ›