Excerpt from my article for ScreenMayhem.com. Charles Dickens was a writer who cared deeply about the world and his fellow man. His books were hugely popular, particularly as they were released initially as chapters in magazine serials, so that you had to wait til the next issue to discover what happened to your favourite characters,… Continue reading The Muppet Christmas Carol is 25 years old!
Starring: Jason Schwartzman, Olivia Williams, Bill Murray, Brian Cox Director: Wes Anderson Wes Anderson films always have a vintagey, nostalgic feel, and this is present here, though it becomes more developed in his later films. This was his second film, the first being Bottle Rocket, both of which are co-written with Owen Wilson, who often… Continue reading Classic Movie Of The Week: Rushmore (1998)
Starring: John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles, Natalie Wood Director: John Ford Ford made many fine westerns, but this one has become the definitive western film. It's about Ethan (Wayne), who loves his family and his secretly in love with his brothers wife. When he is drawn away by pursuing some Indian cattle thieves, he… Continue reading Classic Movie Of The Week: The Searchers (1956)
A multi-millionaire with a strange childhood, known for his famous lovers, his ambitions and his odd behaviour in later life, Howard Hughes was a man who inherited a lot of money, but who made major innovations to the aviation industry and also became a movie mogul. Challenging convention, pushing boundaries, and living an incredibly lonely… Continue reading Biography Of The Month: Howard Hughes (1905 – 1976)
Starring: Julianne Moore, Xander Berkeley, Dean Norris Director: Todd Haynes Julianne Moore is a normal suburban house wife in 80's California. She lives with her rather domineering husband in their perfect house, with his son from a previous marriage. She has no real problems, and from the outside her life looks perfect, but her friendships… Continue reading Classic Movie Of The Week: Safe (1995)
Starring: Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne, Clive Owen, Rihanna, Ethan Hawke Director: Luc Besson Valerian (DeHaan) and Laureline (Delevingne) are special operatives and partners in space, who may just have feelings for each other too. But before they can figure out their relationship, they have to figure out how to stop the threat to Alpha, a… Continue reading Valerian And The City Of a Thousand Planets (2017)
Starring: Vince Vaughn, Don Johnson, Marc Blucas, Jennifer Carpenter, Udo Kier Director: S Craig Zahler A man loses his job and discovers that his wife has been cheating on him. He decides to try again with her, and have a baby, and return to running drugs. But when the job goes bad, he finds himself… Continue reading Brawl In Cell Block 99 (2017)
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Idris Elba, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, Mark Ruffalo, Karl Urban, Anthony Hopkins Director: Taika Waititi When Loki (Hiddleston) unwittingly initiates the Ragnarok prophecy, Thor (Hemsworth) and Loki find themselves on a strange garbage planet while their sister Hela (Blanchett), Goddess of Death, unleashes destruction on Asgard. But before… Continue reading Thor Ragnarok (2017)
Starring: Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver, Joan Allen, Christina Ricci, Elijah Wood, Tobey Maguire, Adam Hann-Byrd Director: Ang Lee A portrait of suburban life in the 70's, two families fates intertwine on the eve of a huge ice storm in Connecticut. Infidelity, casual sex, and drugs are all explored, as two middle class neighboring couples and… Continue reading Classic Movie Of The Week: The Ice Storm (1997)
Starring: Warren Beatty, Natalie Wood, Pat Hingle, Barbara Loden Director: Elia Kazan Kansas, 1928. Deanie (Wood) and Bud (Beatty) are two teens madly in love. He's a football champ and she's a darling good girl, and they plan on marrying each other some day. But outside pressures start to break in. First of all, social… Continue reading Classic Movie Of The Week: Splendor In The Grass (1961)
Wildfire Movies 