Starring: Sissy Spacek, Tommy Lee Jones, Beverly D'Angelo Director: Michael Apted The adaptation of Loretta Lynn's bestselling memoir, Coal Miner's Daughter is brimming with music and drama. From rags to riches, Loretta was a reluctant star, pushed into the limelight by her husband, who she married at 13. It's a remarkable story, watch my review… Continue reading Classic Movie: Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980)
Starring: F Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce, Elizabeth Berridge, Simon Callow, Jeffrey Jones Director: Milos Foreman Sometimes dark, sometimes funny, always lavish, Amadeus is a lush and vibrant film. It tells the story of Salieri, a talented court composer who admires Mozart as having divine talent. A pious man, his love turns to obsessive hate when… Continue reading Classic Movie: Amadeus (1984)
Starring: Leslie Cheung, Fengyi Zhang, Li Gong Director: Chen Kaige Quite a long, epic film at almost 3 hours, Farewell My Concubine is the story of two men who get to know each other as children apprenticed to the Beijing Opera, and whose changing bond over the course of 50 years is told, against the… Continue reading Classic Movie Of The Week: Farewell My Concubine (1993)
Starring: Geoffrey Rush, Noah Taylor, Lynn Redgrave, John Gielgud Director: Scott Hicks As a child, David Helfgott's father pushes him to be a child piano prodigy, but his strict and controlling nature pushes David til he breaks. While he's expected to be a wonder, he's also not allowed by hos father to leave home and… Continue reading Australian Movie Month: Shine (1996)
Starring: Tom Berenger, Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, William Hurt, Kevin Kline, Mary Kay Place, Meg Tilly, Jobeth Williams Director: Lawrence Kasdan When one of their close friends from college commits suicide, seven friends return for his funeral, and stay together for a while as a kind of reunion. Old tensions and bonds resurface, and the… Continue reading Classic Movie Of The Week: The Big Chill (1983)
Starring: Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder, Estelle Winwood Director: Mel Brooks Theatre producer Max Bialystock (Mostel) is a failure who makes his money by carrying on relationships with rich old women. It's a hard life, and when his accountant Leo Bloom (Wilder) mentions that he could make a lot of money by deliberately making a crappy… Continue reading Classic Movie Of The Week: The Producers (1967)
Starring: Dolly Parton, Lee Majors, Bo Hopkins Director: Henry Winkler Lorna (Parton) is a country singer who has lost touch with her roots and the things that inspire her, so, since it's Christmas, she sneaks away from Hollywood and heads to the Smokey Mountains and the place she grew up. On the way, she falls… Continue reading Dolly Month: A Smokey Mountain Christmas (1986)
Starring: Alyvia Alyn Lind, Jennifer Nettles, Ricky Schroder, Dolly Parton Director: Stephen Herek Based on Dolly's life, this TV movie shows what it was like growing up in the Smokey Mountains as a family of 12 children. Based on Parton's song Coat Of Many Colors, in which her mother makes her a coat from rags… Continue reading Dolly Month: Dolly Parton’s Coat Of Many Colors (2015)
Starring: Dolly Parton, John Terry, Billy Dean Director: Richard A Colla A Nashville country singer (Parton) has been held back from stardom by a crappy manager and controlling boyfriend, but longs to break free and make it big. When she turns to her guitarist Bobby (Dean), she finally finds an ally who helps her face… Continue reading Dolly Month: Blue Valley Songbird (1999)
Starring: Dolly Parton, Sylvester Stallone, Richard Farnsworth Director: Bob Clark During the early 80's, two of the hottest stars who had both built themselves from nothing through hard work and determination, decided to make a film together. That film was Rhinestone, and those stars were Dolly Parton and Sylvester Stallone. This film is one of… Continue reading Dolly Month: Rhinestone (1984)
Wildfire Movies 