I'm anxious to see John Cusack star as Edgar Allan Poe in The Raven. It opened this weekend, to a slew of absolutely awful reviews. This has not deterred me in the least, but it has made me think a bit more than usual about perception in filmgoing, and about the role and purpose of a film critic. First, in the spirit of full disclosure, I feel I should let you know that I am a huge fan of both Edgar Allan Poe and John Cusack. Poe's stories are very intriguing to me, drawing me in as few authors … [Read more...] about A Pre-review of The Raven
drama
Finding Neverland…Again
Last night I had the privilege of rediscovering an old favorite of mine, and afterwards came to my blog, found that I had somehow never written about this beautiful film, and decided today to remedy this oversight. On the surface, Finding Neverland could have played out as any romantic drama, period or otherwise. There's the somewhat typical couple whose relationship is in trouble, a new love interest causing another somewhat typical love triangle, and various other dramatic plot points. … [Read more...] about Finding Neverland…Again
FilmAnnex: Not Your Ordinary Mermaid
I've recently signed on as a blogger/editor at www.FilmAnnex.com, where periodically I'll be writing about interesting items I find over there. My first post is about a real gem of a teaser from the Vancouver Film School, re-imagining The Little Mermaid. Check it out! http://www.filmannex.com/posts/blog_show_post/not-your-ordinary-mermaid/46854 … [Read more...] about FilmAnnex: Not Your Ordinary Mermaid
The Experience of The Artist
Where to begin with a film like The Artist? If you know me personally, you already know that I love to explore oft-forgotten forms of entertainment--magic shows, vaudeville/cabaret, radio theater--so naturally, I was interested in this movie from the beginning. I was also terribly afraid that people would hate it, while secretly hoping they'd be thrilled. After all, I didn't want to be the only one who liked to go back in time and savor the simpler days of entertainment, before Hollywood … [Read more...] about The Experience of The Artist
Intro to Bollywood!
Well, readers, I have just returned home from my first taste of Bollywood, courtesy of a pre-screening of Agneepath at C-U's Art Theater. I have been wanting to see what the fuss was all about, and I actually had a day I could set aside (almost literally) to soak it all in. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IV0Cc1W_DDM] For those of you who may be unfamiliar with the term Bollywood, much less what it means, here's a bit of clarification. The concept is simple: Bombay, India's version of … [Read more...] about Intro to Bollywood!
Barton Fink
Never let it be said that I only watch (or review) current or even recent movies! So I finally got around to watching Barton Fink, which I'm pretty sure was recommended to me by Netflix if that gives you any indication of my viewing habits. I finally remembered where I had originally heard of John Turturro (as Shooter in Secret Window), and only realized halfway through that this was a Coen brothers film. That should have tipped me off right there. Besides being unnaturally distracted by the … [Read more...] about Barton Fink