More than thirty years have passed since I first saw Trading Places. I was probably no older than 9 or 10 the first time I saw it and at that time, Eddie Murphy laughing and Dan Aykroyd just being Dan Aykroyd was enough to make me laugh. Plus, let me be honest, I loved anything with a lot of cursing and occasional female toplessness when I was ten. (I assure you, I’ve grown up somewhat since then). Anyway, the point...
A few weeks ago, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the 88th Academy Awards nominees and to the disappointment of many, once again the Oscars were too white. Instantly, the hashtag took over social media and celebrities and non-celebrities alike eagerly gave their take. Personally, I have probably never been as ambivalent in choosing a side in this campaign, the main reason being: what is the value of an award you must petition for? There is no...
The new Steve Jobs movie opened and of course it is getting comparisons to the 2013 film, Jobs. It makes sense, for the most part, given the proximity of their releases and the subject matter depicting the life of a recently-departed iconoclast. But really, the comparisons end there. Jobs took a more traditional path for their biopic, choosing broader more linear storytelling while Steve Jobs creatively limited the story settings to three finite events in the subject’s life. After watching...
It’s December and the time of year when all of the “good” movies are trickling into theaters. And I’m relieved. Indulging in the cinema junk food that fills the theaters between April and December can wear a soul out. So many comic book movies, so many franchise sequels, so many horror movies; the end of the year is when all of the micro-budgets parceled out from the ill-gotten gains of mindless tent poles turn into award-caliber movies. Finally, we can...
Okay, so I know that I said I had a moratorium on negative reviews. That said, I saw the latest installment of Star Wars shortly before Christmas and let’s say that my most glowing endorsement goes to Disney. For what it’s worth, they are pioneers, not so much in regard to filmmaking but making successful franchises that make tons of money. Disney really set a precedent that I’m sure will be copied by other studios and quite possibly, it could...
