Argo tells an incredibly true story of how the CIA used a fake science-fiction film to rescue six American diplomats during the Iran hostage crisis. “This is the best bad idea we have, sir,” Jack O’Donnell (Bryan Cranston) tells C.I.A Director Stansfield Turner (Phillip Baker Hall). “By far.” The best bad idea not only saves six American lives but manages to win an Oscar. A few of them, actually. The fact that the CIA turns…
"Argo: This Is The Best Bad Idea We Have"Tag: Warner Bros.
The Departed continues filmmaker Martin Scorsese’s trend of making at least one motion picture masterpiece per decade–this time, winning an Oscar. Even though the film adapts a story from another country, the filmmakers still find a way to tie it to Boston. This is one of the best ideas to go into the film. For all intents and purposes, mob boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) is Whitey Bulger. Basically, the film deals with crime and…
"The Departed: A Martin Scorsese Masterpiece"
Oscar-winning actor James Cagney delivers one of his finest roles in Warner Bros. gangster drama White Heat after being away from the genre. The psychotic Arthur “Cody” Jarrett (James Cagney) is the leader of the aptly named Jarrett gang. While Cody is married to Verna (Virginia Mayo), one could certainly make the argument that he’s really married to his mother. The relationship here is certainly a character study in its own right. The gang robs…
"White Heat: One of James Cagney’s Finest Roles"
The Life of Emile Zola might not be remembered like other films but the biopic gave Warner Bros. their first Best Picture in studio history. Emile Zola (Paul Muni) is a writer that took up Captain Alfred Dreyfus’ (Joseph Schildkraut) cause after he was falsely accused and convicted of a crime he did not commit. Zola risks his entire career by publishing J’Accuse…! in a French paper. By getting involved, Zola would later be tried…
"The Life of Emile Zola: Warner’s First Best Picture"
Confessions of a Nazi Spy was seen as a huge risk for Warner Bros. at the time because it dared speak out against Nazi Germany at the time. When Dr. Karl Kassel (Paul Lukas) makes his way to the United States, his main goal is to persuade German Americans to support the Nazi cause. Kurt Schneider (Francis Lederer), unemployed at the time, ends up joining the cause and becomes a spy. Schneider sends a letter…
"Confessions of a Nazi Spy: A Huge Risk"
The Brothers Warner is the companion documentary to Cass Warner Sperling’s book and the film examines the Warner Brothers family and the studio’s legacy. If there’s someone who can tell the Warner story, it’s Cass Warner Sperling. The fact that she’s Harry Warner’s grandaughter doesn’t hurt. This relationship helps to lend the film more of the personal story it needs. We get Cass’ personal stories about not only Harry but growing up within this famous…
"The Brothers Warner: A Warner Bros. Documentary" The Brothers Warner, written by Cass Warner Sperling, tells the definitive story of the Warner Brothers, their family, and the studio. If you want to learn more about how the studio came to be, this is the book for you. This is the book that shows how Harry, Abe, Sam, and Jack Warner would come together to start a studio. They took a similar motto from The Three Musketeers in that they were all for…
"The Brothers Warner by Cass Warner Sperling"
Warner Bros: The Making of an American Movie Studio by David Thomson tells an abbreviated history of the studio’s founding and filmography. The book was published through the Jewish Lives series at Yale University Press in 2017. A paperback came out in the fall of 2019. Compared with The Brothers Warner, which I’m writing about tomorrow, it’s only a snippet into their lives. If you want a look into their lives without all the in-depth…
"Warner Bros by David Thomson"
During the Critics’ Choice Awards weekend, Solzy at the Movies visited Walt Disney Studios, Universal Studios, and Warner Brothers Studios for studio tours. To say that my weekend in LA was magical would certainly not be an understatement. Walking along the hallways that Walt Disney once roamed is also very inspiring. You can’t help but get a magical feeling in knowing just how much magic went down within the building. Yes, I did take a…
"Studio Tours: Disney, Universal, and Warner Bros."