movie poster The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared was highly recommended by my brother. Living in an area with few foreign film fans, I knew I was destined for a solo viewing. Movies alone felt empowering in my 40’s, but now feel downright lonely. SO, I wanted reassurance the movie wouldn’t… Continue reading Can a 100 Year Old Man Give You a LIft?
Category: dark comedy independent film
The world might be back in order: The D Train and Far From the Madding Crowd
Jack Black is back to dark quirky roles in “The D-Train”, where he plays a desperate man looking for friendship intimacy while rejecting the familial kind. The film’s uniqueness is due to the genuine nature of the character’s actions. We all screw up in real life, get caught up doing embarrassing things for meaningless connections,… Continue reading The world might be back in order: The D Train and Far From the Madding Crowd
Disgruntled and Disillusioned: Listen Up Philip
Upon consulting Alex Ross Perry, writer and director of “Listen Up Philip”, I immediately sighed, “oh that guy!”. He also wrote and directed “Color Wheel” which if you’ve never seen that film, rent it and buckle up, surely you’ll say, “Never saw that before!” Then again, if you’re a Game of Thrones fan, maybe you… Continue reading Disgruntled and Disillusioned: Listen Up Philip
Wild Tales, my subtitle: It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over
The Oscars and Time Magazine agreed, nominating Wild Tales for best foreign film and claiming it as one of 2014’s best movies respectively. I don’t disagree though I have a tough time with gratuitous man on man violence. I just can’t bear to watch or listen to the punching, hitting, etc. In Wild Tales, one… Continue reading Wild Tales, my subtitle: It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over
Birdman vs. Nightcrawler
Fifty years ago, my title (Birdman vs. Nightcrawler) might have sounded like a new idea from the creators of Mothra vs. Godzilla (Okawara, 1964), but nope, this is my humble blog. First, Birdman. The alphabet soup of screenwriters (Inarritu, Giacobone, Dinelans and Bo) probably should apologize to Michael Keaton. He won’t win the Oscar. And… Continue reading Birdman vs. Nightcrawler
1-800-Bill Murray aka “St. Vincent”
First props to deviantart.com for this gorgeous art rendering of Bill Murray! Ok, I was excited about St. Vincent. Wes Anderson cameos aside (most recently “Grand Budapest Hotel”), Bill Murray hasn’t had a lead role in a long while. And I’ve had a Bill Murray crush since his nerdy-sexy SNL days. Lost in Translation has… Continue reading 1-800-Bill Murray aka “St. Vincent”
Frank-ly Give a Damn and a Half
Reminiscent of my recent “The Drop” experience, the movie “Frank”, directed by Lenny Abrahamson, leads to a slow boil. And while The Drop’s after effects were more about character and acting appreciation, my post Frank experience carried more emotion, especially when I saw the birth and death dates of the real Frank, Chris Sievey’s (1955-2010).… Continue reading Frank-ly Give a Damn and a Half
Craig Johnson & Ej Manuel, any relation?
I saw Skeleton Twins at an almost empty theater on a freakishly gorgeous Sunday for Rochester, New York. The Bills were going down to the Texans during my film immersion and I wondered after if Craig Johnson, co-writer of Skeleton Twins was fall guy for the oddly paced first half of the movie. I tend… Continue reading Craig Johnson & Ej Manuel, any relation?
Labor (Day) of Love, Battle of the Two Indies: Land-Ho and A Short History of DK
For school teachers, Labor Day weekend is the last chance at running with the bulls, before the 40 week long monastery cloister. And while I’m on the topic of ‘get thee to a nunnery’ (Shakespeare’s Hamlet), may I beg anyone in driving distance to Geneva, New York, to PLEASE get to the Smith Opera House,… Continue reading Labor (Day) of Love, Battle of the Two Indies: Land-Ho and A Short History of DK
Calvary, the Saints Come Marching In
“Calvary” written and directed by John Michael McDonagh (The Guard, Ned Kelly) is definitely worth seeing. In fact, having just finished a screenwriting class, this could be the template given to future writers showing them the ropes: ~make your main character suffer and holy Job, does Brendan Gleeson’s character suffer ~have quirky unique minor characters… Continue reading Calvary, the Saints Come Marching In