Despite the film being a box office disappointment, Duck Soup is the pinnacle achievement for the Four Marx Brothers on the screen. Duck Soup is 90 years old today. Paramount viewed the film as a disappointment because it didn’t bring in the money they hoped. The Great Depression was certainly a contributing factor. That the film is a political satire is probably less of a factor in why it did not perform better. There is…
"Duck Soup at 90 Years: A Marx Brothers Retrospective"Category: Movie Reviews
Horse Feathers improves on previous films by delivering one of the funniest Marx Brothers movies in their cinematic canon. This film only runs 68 minutes and yet it’s a genius comedy movie. Although to be fair, some scenes and sequences are missing from the film because of either censorship or other damage to the negative. In any event, what we still have today makes for a funny film. Horse Feathers is not based on one…
"Horse Feathers: A Marx Brothers Retrospective"
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is the newest addition to The Hunger Games franchise and the film is dreadfully long. The film runs just over two and a half hours, which means sitting nearly three hours in a theater when one factors in trailers. Does such a film need to be this long? Hardly. By the time the film went beyond the 2 hour mark, I was beginning to feel my…
"The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes"
The Four Marx Brothers star in their first original film, Monkey Business, as they relocate to sunny LA for filming on the Paramount lot. “Oh, I know it’s a penny here and a penny there, but look at me. I worked myself up from nothing to a state of extreme poverty.” – Groucho Norman Z. McLeod knows a thing or two about comedy. Interestingly enough, the film served as his solo directorial debut. He would…
"Monkey Business – A Marx Brothers Retrospective"
The Four Marx Brothers followed up The Cocoanuts by bringing another stage production, Animal Crackers, to the screen. “One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I don’t know.” – Captain Jeffrey Spaulding (Groucho Marx) Victor Heerman takes over directing duties while Morrie Ryskind adapts the stage musical for the screen. There are so many funny quips that I don’t even know where to begin. We get one…
"Animal Crackers – A Marx Brothers Retrospective"
The Cocoanuts was the first sound feature to star the Marx Brothers as they began to make their transition from the stage to screen. “Three years ago I came to Florida without a nickel in my pocket. Now I’ve got a nickel in my pocket.” – Mr. Hammer (Groucho Marx) My long-awaited Marx Brothers retrospective comes as Duck Soup turns 90 years old later this week. The journey starts with The Cocoanuts, a musical comedy…
"The Cocoanuts – A Marx Brothers Retrospective"
An eight-year old girl starts becoming obsessed about the Holocaust and dresses up as her estranged grandmother in Heritage Day. The film brings up something that is true for many in the 1980s. Heritage Day, which has been playing the film festival circuit, could not be more timely as current levels are antisemitism makes 2023 look like 1939. I’ve read enough books to know the discomfort that many had about discussing their Holocaust experiences. Steven…
"Heritage Day Explores the Holocaust Through Dark Comedy"
Albert Brooks: Defending My Life is the newest documentary from Rob Reiner and it is the Jewish content we so badly need right now. There is a universe where this documentary is called Albert Einstein: Defending My Life. Albert’s family used his birth to name him Albert. He might not be a great scientist like Einstein but he’s certainly a brilliant comedian. I mean, if you can make Carl Reiner laugh, you’ve got to be…
"Albert Brooks: Defending My Life Is The Jewish Content We Need"
A professor is in for a shock when he learns that people are seeing him in their dreams and then it becomes a nightmare in Dream Scenario. That’s the gist of the new horror-comedy from writer-director Kristoffer Borgli. The filmmaker also finds a way to use the film as commentary on cancel culture. It’s got a solid mix of comedy and horror as we watch the incredible rise and tragic fall of Osler professor Paul…
"Dream Scenario: Nicolas Cage Gets Cancelled"
A new Netflix film, Rustin, introduces the mostly forgotten Civil Rights leader/organizer Bayard Rustin to a new generation. When they were choosing the dates for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, Rustin (Colman Domingo) played a key role in the choosing the dates. The initial planning was for a two-day event but it later turned into a single day event. However, Rustin advocated against holding it on Friday so that Jews could attend.…
"Rustin Introduces Bayard Rustin to a New Generation"