Category: Uncategorized
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Killers of the Flower Moon – Film Review
It’s hard to imagine a story more “American” than Killers of the Flower Moon. A true story about an Indian tribe being forced to give up their land along with their customs and freedom. Adapted from David Grann’s gripping non-fiction book, Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and…
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Pinnacle Peak Hike – Scottsdale AZ
Stunning day for a hike. Clear skies, mid 70’s and low humidity. At the entrance to the trails a volunteer had a solar telescope set-up trained on, you guessed it, the sun. They use special filters to ensure safe viewing. When you look at the sun through these filters you…
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Oscar Predictions 2021
A tougher than usual year to choose in the wake of a pandemic, intense political events, our continued struggle with race relations, and plethora of acting performances. This year we have a seriously diverse set story lines and filmmakers. Makes things more interesting, but so much harder to cast votes.…
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“Lady Bird” Cinematic Album of Greatness – Film Review
One of my favorite films of 2016 was 20th Century Women. I’m a sucker for these social/cultural concept pictures that have a big cast, all with issues. They transport me back to my youth. Lady Bird is cut from the same celluloid and although it doesn’t take me all the…
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“The Big Sick” Romantic Comedy Remade – Film Review
I really enjoyed The Big Sick. l think in large part for its ability to make me laugh even through a life or death circumstance. Michael Showalter directs this surprising gem written by married couple Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani (HBO’s Silicon Valley). Its based, I’m assuming, on their real life…
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She holds all the Cards. “Molly’s Game” – Film Review
Every time I go into a theater or turn on a TV that has a script written by Aaron Sorkin, I’m convinced this is the time he will run out of words. That trading his soul for the talent to write unending, spectacular dialogue will have finally run out. Well,…
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Another side of Churchill in “Darkest Hour” – Film Review
Oftentimes we hear of the larger than life figures of history through a fairly narrow window. Their stirring quotes and courage summed to make decisions, all the while carrying the weight of a country on their shoulders. Certainly if you read in depth biographies you get to see various sides,…
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mother! Breaks the Hollywood Mold and It’s Terrifying! – Film Review
mother! defies description! For those who took the leap or were led there unwittingly by a friend or spouse, you found yourself peering into the abyss. Writer, director Darren Aronofsky’s latest film was written in five days. It may take me five months to be satisfied enough about the whats…
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“California Typewriter” QWERTY Shines in Important Documentary – Review
This post has been updated: Since writing about this film. I purchased two typewriters. A 1954 Smith Corona Silent and a 1958 Olympia SM-3. The Olympia is a work of art. Despite the abundance of digital software applications available to web designers, many prefer to sketch out their initial ideas…
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The Battle of the Sexes Revisited – Film Review
In The Battle of the Sexes, co-directors Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton, written by Simon Beaufoy, revisit an early and important story of Women’s Liberation movement. Tennis was dominated by men, even though there was a small group of dedicated women players who would have to tag along behind and pick-up the scraps…
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EVEN THE RAREST OF SOULS MUST STOP AND REST
Oneta Fay Furman: April 11, 1919 to January 21, 2017. At 97 one knows that day is inevitable and possibly close. I wasn’t prepared. There have been many words used over the decades to describe my mother. Kind, caring, thoughtful, strong, energetic. All true. The word I always saved for…
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Jackie – Portrait in Distress
The decision to make Jackie was a risky one. Millions of people have strongly engrained beliefs of that famous first lady, while millions more have little to no connection at all to her or what happened on November 22, 1963. But the topic of Camelot and Kennedy royalty cannot be…
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Arrival – What is Your Purpose on Earth?
It’s always a tough decision. Do I buy a ticket to yet another dystopian, futuristic, science fiction bleak house of a film? Last year I bought one for Ex Machina, which caught me by complete surprise. Armed with that memory I decided to take a chance on Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival. The carefully crafted…
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Magic and Loss – Book Notes
Virginia Heffernan has calmly gone about her business observing, creating and now taking us beyond the veil of media. Magic and Loss is an autobiography of the internet. We may have found our internet incarnate. When you scan the contents you see a simple line-up. Design, Text, Images, Video, Music and something…
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Oliver Stone’s Snowden – There Are Many Ways to Serve Your Country
Traitor or Whistleblower? This question might cross the mind settling in for a screening of Oliver’s Stone’s first feature film in four years; Snowden. We are steered to a specific message, nothing unusual for Mr. Stone. He provides his usual dose of investigative dramatic filmmaking; a style he owns. In short…
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Real to Reel: The Oval Office on Film
Here we are once again. The four year presidential election is nye upon us. I’m at a loss for writing anything about how this cycle is, shall we say, unusual. No matter which side you’re on, or on neither side, or are not sure. We can always count on the…
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The Stakes are High in The Big Short
Adam McKay’s take on the bestseller by Michael Lewis is an investigative romp leading up to the financial meltdown that began in 2007. It’s full of colorful characters and even more colorful language. Mr. McKay uses voiceover and direct talking into an always moving, manic camera. He intercuts images, sounds and…
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Decoding The Imitation Game: It Wasn’t Hard
The Movie The Imitation Game Delivers and Disappoints I was drawn to this film because of my keen interest in history and technology. During WWII Germany created The Enigma machine that coded and then uncoded messages to their military machine around the world via radio signals. The communications carried intelligence…
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Appreciation: A Tribute to Poet Mark Strand
Mark Strand April 11, 1934 — November 29, 2014 I first met Mark Strand in 1995 on a visit to small apartment in Hyde Park, a Chicago south side neighborhood. He was in town for the summer to conduct a master class in poetry at the University of Chicago and staying…
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