This is a Hollywood adaptation of a 2009 Argentinian film with the same title (+ The). The earlier film is a masterpiece which won the Best Foreign Film Oscar; the ending still haunts me to this day. Now Billy Ray […]
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Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
by Barb Lentz. The five movies Bob provided me from which to choose were these: The Champ (1931) Downhill Racer (1969) Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) Seven Chances (1925) I chose Invasion […]
Continue reading »Breaking Away (1979) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
Our next potential classic is a true sleeper hit from 1979, the feel-good bicycle racing film Breaking Away. It seemed to come out of nowhere, making an (albeit brief) star out of Dennis Christopher and launching the careers of his costars […]
Continue reading »Breaking Away (1979)
by Barb Lentz. The five movies Bob provided me from which to choose were these: Breaking Away (1979) Johnny Belinda (1948) Moonlighting (1982) This Could Be the Night (1957) Village of the Damned (1960) I chose Breaking Away because […]
Continue reading »Spotlight (2015) ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
I had no idea what Spotlight was about until a few weeks ago, when I finally caught a preview for it, and saw what would appear to be a well-meaning but obvious crusade film against pedophile priests. Boy did I misread […]
Continue reading »Victor Frankenstein (2015) ☆ ☆ ☆
Remakes or re-imaginings of the classic Universal monster movies have not gone well in recent years, and Victor Frankenstein looked to me like a bomb ready to burst. Imagine my surprise when, seeing it anyway, I found it to be sharp, […]
Continue reading »The Peanuts Movie (2015) ☆ ☆ 1/2
I have always had mixed feelings about the Peanuts gang, and this movie has done nothing to change that. The bottom line is that if you loved the comic strip, or the television specials, you will enjoy this new version, […]
Continue reading »The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 (2015) ☆ ☆ ☆
This is a series that has consistently surprised me, especially since I hate the premise (kids killing kids for entertainment, remember that?). It has evolved into a discourse about revolution and fighting against tyranny, which is all to the credit […]
Continue reading »The 33 (2015) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
Another true story is fictionalized for film, and this time it is done with near perfection. The 2010 Chilean mine collapse made international headlines because thirty-three of the buried miners survived the initial collapse and banded together for seventeen days […]
Continue reading »Bridge of Spies (2015) ☆ ☆ ☆
History is always fascinating fodder for the cinema and the history of the Cold War, featuring two superpowers sparring with nuclear boxing gloves, is dripping with cinematic portent. The only problem is that history is complex, often slow to develop […]
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