Judy Blume Forever is a raw and honest documentary about the beloved children’s author and doesn’t shy away from sensitive subjects. If young teens wanted to know what was happening to their body, all they needed to do was read a Judy Blume book. It certainly applies to the pre-internet era but you could still make an argument today. Well, unless libraries ban them. Blume isn’t alone when it comes to library bans–something that is…
"Judy Blume Forever – Sundance 2023"Category: Movie Reviews
Running a tight 51 minutes, Love Dump is the absurdist Hallmark romantic comedy parody that you didn’t know you needed. Chicago is a mecca for improv and sketch comedy. Comedians have been trained in the art of comedy for many years on the city’s stages. Some have gone onto become big names while others remain behind and find bit parts here and there. A pair of comedians, Leila Gorstein and Jesse Kendall, are about to…
"Love Dump – Slamdance 2023"
Sunshine Cleaning marks its 15th anniversary since holding its world premiere during the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. The film’s premiere came on January 18 at the Racquet Club theater. If the venue name does not sound familiar, you probably know it by its new name: Park City Municipal Area Recreation Center (MARC). In any event, I never had the opportunity to check out the film in theaters, only on home video. While it plays beautifully…
"Sunshine Cleaning Marks 15th Anniversary"
There have been many Holocaust movies on both the big and small screen through the years but Plan A is a very different film. We’ve all heard of Marvel’s Avengers but once upon a time, there were the Jewish Avengers. They were a group of partisans formed during the Holocaust under Abba Kovner’s (Ishai Golan) leadership. Their plan after the Holocaust was to get their revenge and kill six million Germans. Members infiltrated the water…
"Plan A: A Holocaust Revenge Thriller"
Elvis on Tour is a concert documentary that captures Elvis Presley and the cultural zeitgeist in the King’s last major concert film. Unfortunately, it does not break any new ground for Presley canon. Between the 1968 Comeback Special and 1970’s Elvis: That’s the Way It Is, I’m not able to recommend this documentary unless you’re an Elvis Presley completist. The special and films only span a few years but even as the King nears his…
"Elvis on Tour Captures Elvis Presley In Final Years"
Two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks turns in an Oscar-worthy performance in the new English-language remake, A Man Called Otto. A Man Called Otto features numerous suicide attempts. Otto Anderson (Tom Hanks) is in something of a rut. Since the passing of his wife, Sonya (Rachel Keller), he’s become the grumpiest man on the block. He’s very set in his ways and you’re in for it when you put something in the wrong place. Not only…
"A Man Called Otto: Tom Hanks Is Oscar-Worthy"
The Oscar-nominated Crossfire deals with racism and antisemitism as the film adapts The Brick Foxhole for the screen. “Well, hate – Monty’s kind of hate – is like a gun. If you carry it around with you, it can go off and kill somebody.” – Captain Finlay (Robert Young) Captain Finlay gets a number of money quotes throughout the film. Sadly, these quotes are still quite relevant today. Here’s one that unfortunately still stands out…
"Crossfire: 1947 Oscar Nominee Deals With Antisemitism"
Bullitt is the definitive car chase film with speeds up to 100 m.p.h. during an 11-minute sequence in the streets of San Francisco. I have no excuse for not having watched this film until 2023. To be fair, I meant to watch when I had an opportunity to interview Jacqueline Bisset during the 2021 TCM Classic Movie Film Festival. It was inevitable especially with the recent Steven Spielberg announcement about a new film. Better late…
"Bullitt Is The Definitive Car Chase Movie"
Grace Kelly finds herself involved in a dangerous romantic triangle in Alfred Hitchcock’s thrilling 1954 classic, Dial M for Murder. Had Grace Kelly not married into royalty, it’s quite possible that Hitchcock would have cast her in more movies. She’s absolutely perfect in her trio of films with Hitchcock–this one, To Catch a Thief, and Rear Window. The actress lights up the screen opposite a pair of actors, Ray Milland and Robert Cummings. The gist…
"Dial M for Murder: A Dangerous Romantic Triangle"
The Apartment, a multiple Oscar-winning film, is one of the greatest Billy Wilder films ever made and appropriate New Year’s viewing. Be a mensch. Do you know what that means? The gist of the film is that insurance clerk Calvin Clifford (C.C.) “Bud” Baxter lets senior coworkers use his Upper West Side apartment for their affairs. He does this in hopes of helping him climb up the ladder at work. Meanwhile, he is attracted to…
"The Apartment: One Of The Best Billy Wilder Films"