While Cecil B. Demille’s The Ten Commandments (1956) is hailed as an epic, the lengthy film does not come without its own flaws. Starting tonight through sundown on Saturday evening, Jews living in the diaspora will be celebrating Shavuot. The holiday celebrates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. Inside Israel, the holiday will end on Friday. In any event, shuls are closed and thus, The Ten Commandments may also feel like appropriate viewing…
"The Ten Commandments: A Flawed Epic"
A overworked assistant with dreams of being a music producer reaches a potential turning point in her career in The High Note. Late Night‘s Nisha Ganatra takes the helm behind the camera. After taking us behind the scenes of a late night writer’s room, we now get to experience the life of a musician and those who surround her. Well, more so on at least one person who surrounds said musician. In this particular instance,…
"The High Note Hits In The Middle"
Hitler in Los Angeles: How Jews Foiled Nazi Plots Against Hollywood and America tells the incredibly true story of Jews fighting back against Nazis in LA. Leon Lewis and Joseph Roos are American heroes. You might not know their names and that’s perfectly okay. Truthfully, I didn’t know their names either. However, I’m perfectly glad to finally rectify this. There were some pretty damning moments while reading this book. Given the state of the United…
"Hitler in Los Angeles by Steven J. Ross"
Steve Carell and Greg Daniels have reteamed following The Office to bring us Space Force, a ripe comedy satire for the Trump era. Steve Carell–playing four-star general Mark R. Naird–is the perfect guy to lead the United States Space Force. Naird dreamed of running the United States Air Force. Alas, those dreams were not meant to be. So now, Mark, his wife, Maggie (Lisa Kudrow), and their daughter, Erin (Diana Silvers), leave the comfort of…
"Space Force: The Comedy Satire for the Trump Era"
The Deer Hunter, the Oscar-winning Best Picture of 1978, is now available on 4K Ultra HD with a new collector’s edition from Shout! Factory. In addition to taking home Best Picture, the film won another four Academy Awards, including Best Director (Michael Cimino), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Christopher Walken), Best Sound, and Best Film Editing. Meryl Streep would also take home her first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. The film would also…
"The Deer Hunter: Best Picture Winner Arrives on 4K"
I Will Make You Mine is a semi-sequel but writer-director Lynn Chen seeks to tell a stand-alone story by focusing on three different women. While the film is a semi-sequel to two previous films, writer-director Lynn Chen writes the script with a new angle. Despite being a semi-sequel, the film is meant to serve as a stand-alone story. However, I should suggest that you probably have some familiarity with characters going into a viewing. I…
"SXSW 2020: I Will Make You Mine"
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, the long-awaited fourth film, takes the iconic hero well into the Cold War years. The film moves forward almost in real time after an 18-year layoff. It’s 1957 and given the Cold War at hand, the KGB also replaces Nazis as the villains. Leading this particular group of villains is Soviet agent Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett). Spalko kidnaps Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) and George “Mac”” Micale…
"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull"
Following the second outing, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is able to re-capture the magic that made us fall in love with Indiana Jones. What’s that they say? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Forget the second film. The third Indiana Jones film takes us back to familiar territory. It’s honestly for the best. Both Marcus Brody (Denholm Elliott) and Sallah (John Rhys-Davies) return. We’re back on familiar ground with Indiana in the…
"Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade"
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom may have some impressive features but it’s nowhere near as classic as Raiders or the Last Crusade. Listen, I don’t like to pan films. I really don’t. However, this film doesn’t quite feature the same magic as Raiders. It’s actually a prequel to Raiders and the Nazis are not the villains like the other two 1980s films. I mean, this is also the same film that forced the…
"Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom"
Harrison Ford became the face of a new franchise in the iconic Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark from Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. Many filmmakers in New Hollywood either collaborated on projects together or would offer their advice to one another. In this instance, the brains behind both Jaws and Star Wars teamed up to give us an American sort of James Bond. This film has everything: action, adventure, and yet…
"Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark"