The musical layers of Layer Cake
Hundred of years ago I heard a song. Not just any old song, but a swirling, catchy song with a ringing guitar and great singing. I tried and tried and tried to find the song but my searches were coming up empty. Pre- or early internet days were still occasionally difficult to find music in, … Continue reading
The existential crisis, or, Hungry like the wolf
Sometimes to even live is an act of courage. — Seneca The survival instinct is an interesting one. In the most extreme of circumstances — that is, in its purest form — it is without logic. It is animal. Survive to survive, and for no other reason. In Joe Carnahan’s The Grey, seven men are … Continue reading
Suzy’s binoculars and Wes Anderson’s camera
In Wes Anderson’s latest film, Moonrise Kingdom, “emotionally disturbed” 12-year-olds Suzy and Sam run away from their depressing and angst-ridden 1965-era lives to be with each other out in the open air of a New England island. Their plan doesn’t have much of a future, but the brevity of their escape makes it all the … Continue reading
The fool’s experiment
We can allow satellites, planets, suns, universe, nay whole systems of universe, to be governed by laws, but the smallest insect, we wish to be created at once by special act. — Charles Darwin If I had a dime for every time I’ve watched Aliens (1986) I’d have, well, a lot of dimes. It remains … Continue reading
An inconvenient truth about convenience
I have always been picky about when to buy and when not to buy a copy of a film. In the days before Netflix streaming, before Redbox and OnDemand, I would be so bold as to pick up a bargain bin film that I had never seen, but looked interesting. I am so old as to … Continue reading
OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies
Volumes have been written about Jean Dujardin and his performance in The Artist (2011), and for good reason — the guy is hilarious. The Artist was not Dujardin’s first comedy, nor was it his first film with director Michel Hazanavicius or co-star Bérénice Bejo. The three worked together on the spy-film satire, OSS 117: Cairo, … Continue reading
Checking the lists
Like High Fidelity’s Rob Gordon, I love a good Top-whatever list. If there is anything more exciting than itemizing your preferences in any particular category it’s the debate that’s sure to follow. Yes, I am aware of that sentence’s high nerd factor. Top 3 nerdy things I’ve said/written today 1) “If there is anything more … Continue reading
If you liked
I have a confession. Sometimes I don’t know what to watch on Netflix. Sometimes I’ve just had enough of watching Doctor Who and Upstairs, Downstairs and even Paul Newman. Sometimes I just want to see something I haven’t seen before. So what do I do? I turn to Netflix to see what it can suggest … Continue reading
It’s not you, it’s me: breaking up with Netflix Streaming
Netflix streaming seemed like a dream come true — thousands of titles instantly accessible, right at my fingertips. Sure, I read the complaints regarding Netflix’s lack of “quality” content, but my tastes are far-reaching and I never had any real trouble finding something worth exploring. Streaming was particularly helpful with television shows, allowing me to … Continue reading
In the wink of a young girl’s eye
Director Jason Reitman (Son of Ivan Reitman, a pretty well known director himself) has made some of the most easily digestible, yet incredibly smart films of the past few years. He has an impressive level of discernment when choosing projects and a penchant for protagonists who are hard to like but impossible to resist. His … Continue reading
