John Patrick Shanley adapts his 2004 play, Doubt, for the screen and gets a number of masterclass performances in the process. I’ve been meaning to watch the film for years. The 2008 recession was not kind to me so it meant picking and choosing what I saw in theaters. The further we get, the more films there are to focus on. Even with subscribing to Netflix back in the day, there were always other films…
"Doubt Features Powerhouse Performances"Tag: Philip Seymour Hoffman
The Oscar-nominated Twister follows a group of storm chasers on a dangerous mission to deploy a tornado research device during a storm. I still remember watching the film while on vacation in St. Louis back in 1996. It’s one of at least two Steven Spielberg films that I saw while my family was on vacation–the other being Saving Private Ryan while vacationing in Detroit in 1998. Maybe it’s because I saw this during a pivotal…
"Twister: One Of The Best Disaster Thrillers"
Punch-Drunk Love, featuring one of the best Adam Sandler performances, marks the 20th anniversary of its theatrical release in 2002. Barry Egan (Adam Sandler) may be a bachelor and entrepreneur but he suffers from abuse at the hands of his seven sisters. Because of his background, it’s not uncommon for his rage and anxiety to surface. Shortly after we meet him on screen, Barry has an encounter with Lena Leonard (Emily Watson) after she had…
"Punch-Drunk Love Marks 20th Anniversary"
There was no need for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay to be split into two different films if only to rake in more money at the box office. I’m reviewing both of these films together because I see zero way in which I can review them otherwise. While telling the story in two parts, it is still one comprehensive story. This splitting of films is nothing more than a cash grab no matter how you look…
"The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 and 2"
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is the second film of the thrilling series based on the Suzanne Collins novels to hit the big screen. Much like the first film, the second film brings justice to the book. Yes, there are changes from the book but they work in the long-term. Mind you, it’s been just over a decade since reading the books but I jotted down some notes upon the film’s release. Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer…
"The Hunger Games: Catching Fire"
The Ides of March, the political thriller starring Ryan Gosling and George Clooney, marks its tenth anniversary since its 2011 release. This film, based on Farrugut North by Beau Willimon, takes a behind-the-scenes look at political campaign drama. However, in as much as it is inside baseball, the film also focuses on Pennsylvania Governor Mike Morris’s sexual affair and how it nearly ends his presidential campaign. Politics can be an ugly event and this film…
"The Ides of March: Political Thriller Marks 10 Years"
In addition to joining the Paramount Presents line, Almost Famous arrives on 4K Ultra HD for the first time with new bonus content. I first reviewed the film last year when Cameron Crowe’s instant classic celebrated the 20th anniversary of its theatrical release in 2000. Anyway, both the 4K UHD and limited-edition Blu-ray include the theatrical and bootleg (aka Untitled) cuts of the film. Cameron Crowe draws on his real-life experiences writing for Rolling Stone…
"Almost Famous: Cameron Crowe Film Arrives On 4K" Almost Famous, an instant classic from writer-director Cameron Crowe, celebrates its 20th anniversary of its theatrical release in 2000. Cameron Crowe draws on his real-life experiences writing for Rolling Stone to tell this semi-autobiographical story. The things that William Miller (Patrick Fugit) experiences are things that Crowe did in real life. They say to write what you know, right? In any event, William doesn’t exactly have the best home life. His mom (Frances McDormand), recently…
"Almost Famous Celebrates 20th Anniversary"
Moneyball takes us into the front office by bringing a new school approach of utilizing sabermetrics in how the game of baseball is played. Billy Beane (Brad Pitt), a former baseball player, would go one to become one of the game’s greatest innovators. It’s not sure yet as to whether he’ll eventually enter the Baseball Hall of Fame. However, his legacy will live on by way of the sabermetric system as proven by what we…
"Moneyball: A New-School Approach to Baseball"
The Big Lebowski manages to hold up in viewing on the big screen some twenty years following its initial release in theaters. Avid bowler Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski arrived home one evening only to be assaulted in a case of mistaken identity. It turns out some fools were hired because Bunny, the wife of another Jeffrey Lebowski, owes money to a porn producer. One of them made the awful mistake of crossing The Dude by…
"The Big Lebowski Plays Quite Well At 20 Years"