Alita: Battle Angel (Robert Rodriguez, 2019). Based on a nineteen-nineties manga series, Alita: Battle Angel is right in line with all the other sci-fi lite and reductive girl power product that bears the sticky fingerprints of James Cameron, who produces … Continue reading Then Playing — Alita: Battle Angel; A White, White Day; Harlan County, U.S.A.
This week, I looked to current events to help explain why I find Barbara Kopple’s masterful 1990 documentary American Dream so damn powerful. Sometimes I feel a little sad that Kopple has largely concentrated on comparatively lightweight fare for the bulk of her career, but realistically the amazing quality of first two films are enough to make her the deserving recipient of boundless admiration. I also reviewed a new documentary about exotic animals like lions and elephants kept as pets. It’s a measure of how crazy my week has been that I kind of miffed the review initially and had … Continue reading Spectrum Check
#43 — American Dream (Barbara Kopple, 1990) Most modern documentaries have an intractable point of view. A filmmaker begins with a thesis and proceeds to gather evidence that bolsters the presented opinion, with divergent views pulled in only to be decisively … Continue reading Top Fifty Films of the 90s — Number Forty-Three
The Night of the Hunter (Charles Laughton, 1955). This tale of nefarious preacher with LOVE and HATE tattooed across his knuckles is often cited as of the finest films ever directed by an actor, at least someone far more noted for their acting. I wouldn’t make that claim, but it sure is a wild, offbeat ride. In particular, it’s unbelievably dark given that copyright date, putting the film’s children in constant, gloomy danger as it send them fleeing from the money-lusting villain. The film has a grand theatrical sense, pulling off impactful bits involving distant silhouettes and stark lighting effects … Continue reading Friedkin, Jeffs, Kopple, Laughton, Pollock
Coffee for Two 