They Drive By Night–starring Humphrey Bogart before leading-man stardom–was recently upgraded to Blu-ray by the Warner Archive Collection. George Raft and Ann Sheridan may have received top billing but the film would be a pivotal moment in the careers of both Humphrey Bogart and Ida Lupino. Can you imagine Bogie being the fourth-billed actor in any movie?!? It’s unthinkable, right? And yet, this is exactly the case in the Warner Bros. adaptation of A. I.…
"They Drive By Night Gets Warner Archive Blu-ray"Category: Movie Reviews
John Ford’s 1948 remake, 3 Godfathers, made its way onto Blu-ray in late March after getting a release through the Warner Archive Collection. I have to admit that I went into the film knowing it was a Ford/Wayne Western. What I didn’t know was that it was a retelling of the Biblical Three Wise Men tale. I can’t really tell you much about that because I’m most familiar with the Tanakh and its contents. Regardless,…
"3 Godfathers Gets Warner Archive Blu-ray"
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare takes audiences to the origins of Black Ops warfare, not to mention James Bond, too. I love a good World War II movie. Whether it’s fictional or based on a true story, we’re talking about The Greatest Generation. They rose up to the challenge to fight against evil. We’re losing more and more of this generation daily. The same goes for Holocaust survivors. Before we know it, we’ll only have…
"The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare"
The Band’s Visit dominated the Israeli Film Academy Awards upon its 2007 release by taking home eight Ophir Awards, including Best Picture. Eran Kolirin is a filmmaker that knew what he wanted right from the very beginning. It took nine years to pen the screenplay but it all starts with a man dressed as a police officer. The officer is a leader of a band and he meets a lonely woman. On another level, the…
"The Band’s Visit: Israel’s Best Picture of 2007"
It’s a Zabriskie, Zabriskie, Zabriskie, Zabriskie Point is described as an unconventional essay film from filmmaker/historian Daniel Kremer. After Kremer decided to make the film available on Vimeo at the end of March, I decided to give it a watch. It took a few days to get around to watching but I finally made the time on Wednesday night. Please note that it will only be available on Vimeo for a limited time. Anyway, it…
"It’s a Zabriskie, Zabriskie, Zabriskie, Zabriskie Point"
The Brady Bunch Movie retcons the 1970s series by moving the family into a 1990s setting while keeping the same 1970s vibe. What I didn’t know until after rewatching the film for the first time in years was how it drew on The Real Live Brady Bunch, which first premiered at the Annoyance Theatre in Chicago. The Soloway siblings–Joey and Faith–co-developed the parody in Chicago before later taking it west to Los Angeles. Paramount was…
"The Brady Bunch Movie is A Fun Retcon of the 1970s Series"
Supernova: The Music Festival Massacre is an essential documentary bearing witness to the barbaric attacks of October 7, 2023. The film–which previously aired on KAN in Israel–is currently playing the film festival circuit, including the Chicago Festival of Israeli Cinema, and appears to be available through Vimeo on Demand. This film, like #NOVA, is not an easy watch but it is still important to bear witness. I had to press pause no less than three…
"Supernova: The Music Festival Massacre Is Essential Viewing"
Sheva Brachot (Seven Blessings) brings the family drama as the Israeli Ophir Award winner opens the Chicago Festival of Israeli Cinema. The film is described as a comedy-drama but it plays more to the dramatic side than anything else. If you’re Jewish, you can skip the rest of this paragraph. For my non-Jewish readers, the Sheva Brachot are the seven blessings at Jewish weddings. Any meals with the bride and groom in the seven days…
"Sheva Brachot (Seven Blessings) – Chicago Festival of Israeli Cinema"
Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version) finally made its way to Disney+ with a bonus acoustic set not seen on the big screen. I’m not an idiot–I know that I’m not going to change anyone’s mind here. Chances are likely that you already saw the film last fall. There’s a good chance that you watched it a few times. It would not surprise me if you’ve seen it a few times since the…
"Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version): An Epic Concert Film"
In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon is a complementary companion to Paul Simon’s 2023 album, Seven Psalms. A montage to a Wimberley, Texas’ KWVH intro sets the tone for the next 200+ minutes to come. In as much as the documentary is about Simon’s work on his new album, it is also about the singer’s life. And yet, it’s possible that there’s a universe where Simon does not go into music. His father–a…
"In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon is Definitive"