Chaplin Marks 30th Anniversary

Chaplin, starring Robert Downey Jr. as the legendary silent film star, marks the 30th anniversary of its theatrical release in 1992. I planned to watch the film earlier this year but there were some sync issues on the recording. As such, I watched it two weeks ago on HBO Max before the film leaves the streaming service. While I like Robert Downey Jr.’s performance as the silent film star (flaws and all), the script leaves…

"Chaplin Marks 30th Anniversary"

Sundance 2019: Paradise Hills

There’s no doubt that Paradise Hills has a lot of ambition with a strong feminist story it wishes to tell but manages to miss the mark somewhere along the way. The film starts with Uma (Emma Roberts) getting married to a mysterious man that we hardly know anything about.  Almost immediately as any action takes place, the film jumps straight to two months earlier.  This allows us to dive into the backstory of how we…

"Sundance 2019: Paradise Hills"

Shock and Awe stands up for Journalism

Director Rob Reiner gets political once more with Shock and Awe revisiting the politically charged lead-up to the Iraq War in 2003. The film tells the story of four journalists with the Knight Ridder News Service.  The media wasn’t challenging the Bush Administration on Iraq’s lack of evidence when it came to Weapons of Mass Destruction.  Knight Ridder, for what it’s worth, rose to the occasion when nobody else was challenging the administration.  It’s something that’s…

"Shock and Awe stands up for Journalism"