Last month, I wrote about how Disney’s trend of releasing mainly sequels and ‘re-imaginings’ demonstrated Hollywood’s sad loss of creative risk. Proving that a picture really is worth a thousand words (or 1,165 of them to be exact), this meme has gone viral in the last couple weeks: Judging by the disappointing box office receipts…
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When God was fiddling around in the Garden of Eden, making daises, roses, and other flowery things, the Devil was working on his own devious plant: Poison Ivy. Take a look at that innocent looking vine in the picture above. It’s so lush and leafy green. It could be a postcard for the wonders of…
Welcome to the first of what I plan to be an ongoing series of posts about marvelous movies. Marvelous is a play on the word ‘Marvel,’ which has taken on its own meaning at movie theaters these days. And I will commit classic film reviewer heresy by saying that some Marvel movies can be marvelous.…
Disney’s live-action ‘re-imagining’ of Aladdin opens this Friday. Audiences were not exactly clamoring for Will Smith to take the reins from the late Robin Williams to play the wacky genie who helps young Aladdin win the love of his life. But if the box office totals for Disney’s other ‘re-imaginings’ are any indication, the film…
Billy Wilder is the greatest screenwriter in film history. No need for a qualifier like ‘one of.’ His movies range from gritty film-noir to screwball comedy, with stops in all manner of genres in between. He worked with several writing partners, but no matter the subject or the collaborator, his screenplays are always good and…
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The pitcher uncoils like a spring, and within an instant, the ball pops loudly into the catcher’s glove. ‘Strike,’ shouts the umpire as he raises his arm into the air. The batter looks back at him dubiously but wisely chooses not to say anything. As the catcher rises from his crouch and tosses the ball…