Since I am taking a leave from OLLI and have no classes to prepare and teach I have decided to resume my blog. The posts will be slightly different this time. ★ There will be no reviews by me. The content will focus on filmmaking and trade news.★ I will try to expand on the… Continue Reading
Radio Dreams in the darkness
Normally I would not bother to write about a film such as this because I found it so lacking. But I feel compelled to comment after seeing the “rave” review numbers the pros are awarding. It was one of the worst movies I have seen in at least a decade. I do not know the… Continue Reading
The Journey to peace
In October 2006, at St. Andrews in Scotland, Britain, the Irish Republic and Northern Irish parties — including the Democratic Unionist Party (the D.U.P.) and Sinn Fein — negotiated what was called the St. Andrews Agreement, a power-sharing pact between Unionists and Irish republicans. The Journey focuses on two of those gathered to try and… Continue Reading
The Midwife [ Sage Femme] delivers
“Not much happens in The Midwife, but its depth and texture make this a moving film.” Cath Clarke,TimeOut London , July, 2017. I concur that the film has great depth and texture but I disagree that “nothing happens”. It does not take a lot of action for things to happen in people’s lives. Above all… Continue Reading
Beatriz at Dinner – A Chesire Cat that uses her fangs.
Beatriz at Dinner highlights the extreme clash of values existing in America today.Beatriz, played by Selma Hayek is a massage therapist whose car breaks down resulting in her client inviting her to stay for dinner. The client’s guests that evening include a rich, arrogant real estate developer (John Lithgow). The cultural and financial divide between… Continue Reading
What Does It Take For You To Consider Your Film Viewing Experience A Success?
In my book, Vibes From The Screen, I point out that I have one major rule that I impose upon all my film groups and classes, to wit: “Never read a movie review prior to seeing the film.” I constantly urge all moviegoers to follow this rule. In my opinion it is important to go… Continue Reading
Megan Leavey
It is always more difficult to analyze a film based upon a true story. One never knows which parts are real and which are cinematic license. Megan Leavey starring Kate Mara is the story of a Marine corporal and her bomb sniffing dog Rex. Both start out raw and have difficulty dealing with people. Together… Continue Reading
Owen Glieberman on Movies on the Big Screen
Check out The Singular Magic of Watching Movies on the Big Screen by Variety chief film critic Owen Glieberman This is a topic that I preach about whenever I get the opportunity. Watching a film on a computer monitor, a tablet or perish the thought a shartphone which is absolutely sacrilegious, reults in the viewer… Continue Reading
Wings (1927) – An exhilarating experience
The first film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture Production was William Wellman’s Wings in 1927. It took 83 years until another silent film won the best picture award –The Artist (2012). I had the honor to see a screening of a restored version of Wings today at the Music Box Theatre in… Continue Reading
Someone please rescue “The Zookeepers Wife”!
The Righteous Among the Nations are non-Jewish invididuals who have been honored by Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust memorial, for risking their lives to aid Jews during the Holocaust. Two such people are Antonina and Jan Żabiński, married Polish zookeepers who saved over 300 Jews during their country’s Nazi occupation. The new film, The Zookeepers Wife,… Continue Reading