This hobby blog is dedicated to movie nerdom, nostalgia, and the occasional escape. In the late 90s, I worked at Blockbuster Video, where they let me take home two free movies a day. I caught up on the classics and reviewed theatrical releases for Denver 'burbs newspapers and magazines. Currently, I am enjoying my new life as a new dad, but when there's free time, movies are standard. Comments and dialogue are always encouraged. Happy Moviegoing!
Reely Bernie on Letterboxd I still think Paul Thomas Anderson peaked with Magnolia (1999), but everything afterward sparks the same anticipation we give Quentin Tarantino films. We’re curious because these movies behave like postmodern disobediences to the greats (Scorsese, Lumet, Leone, Altman), but they can’t help but be influenced by them either. In a way,... Continue Reading →
For any traditionalist, West Side Story epitomizes the Broadway musical production both on stage and on the screen. It’s just too faultless in prompt character arc, an urgent message, melodious motif juxtaposition, and choreography that will turn any cynic into a performing arts fanatic. So, with the blueprints and previous successes of the 1957 stage... Continue Reading →
The nuanced performance of Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana, the psychological interpretation of Director Pablo Larraín, and the mystery of what happens behind closed doors are exactly why the film medium was created in the first place: These components call for a multi-sensory experience of what could be safely read but valued more when felt.... Continue Reading →
I never finished Frank Herbert’s novel; David Lynch’s movie adaptation put me to sleep; and I read enough about Denis Villeneuve’s latest being all set up with no payoff. This all being said, I went into Dune with no expectations because I didn’t think I earned them. I left Dune wholly enthralled. I was and... Continue Reading →
Take the epic battle scenes in Ridley Scott’s Kingdom of Heaven (2005) and the ferocious dialogue of his Gladiator (2000) and replace them with a drab medieval soap opera about three long-drawn-out perspectives of a rape scene. You are left with a wretched, wearisome experience in the movie theatre. It’s the kind of experience that... Continue Reading →
Filmmaker Paul Schrader is renown for taking us to the dingiest of places and introducing us to the gloomiest of people, and these are good reasons to watch the movies in the first place. Hopefully, we don’t want to be the imploding taxi driver, raging middleweight boxer, or guilt-ridden Calvinist priest, but it is surely... Continue Reading →
There's nothing like watching a new movie in which you have no expectations or context. Regarding The Green Knight, I may have been in a more undemanding position than my friend who already went in with a vast foreknowledge of this 14-century, Arthurian chivalric poem, entitled Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (author unknown). Where... Continue Reading →
The best dullest film I have seen is 1981’s My Dinner with Andre, which literally involves a dinner conversation between two people. (In 1996, Christopher Guest poked fun at the film by creating plastic “action figures” to act out the scenes in his mockumentary, Waiting for Guffman.) Although My Dinner with Andre is just a... Continue Reading →
The celebrity chef culture is like a world in and of itself. It involves impeccable technique, a palette, and, of course, a ferocious ego. Some chefs earn Michelin stars and hide behind the kitchens of their exorbitant restaurants. Others take to televised competition entertainment. Anthony Bourdain? Well, he covered it all from journalism, tourism, and... Continue Reading →
2021 Movie Draft: Round 2, Pick 4 Featured on SLICETHELIFE.COM Genre: Series By Bernie Sauer The wick to the infamous title sequence bomb has been lit (enter familiar “Mission: Impossible” theme), and I figured it was time to look back on my favorite movie series and rank the franchise from worst to best as the... Continue Reading →
It is so good to be back in the movie theatre again. The vulnerability, air conditioning, and the screen of hopeful unpredictability are all part of the magical moviegoing experience that you simply cannot recreate at home with the pause button and ability to leave the action whenever you please (air conditioning optional). Today, I... Continue Reading →
2021 Movie Draft: Round 12, Pick Featured on SLICEOFLIFE.COM Genre: Crime/Film Noir *Note: I want to take this opportunity to thank “hanspostcard” of SLICETHELIFE.COM for inviting me on this 2021 Movie Draft journey of rediscovering and sharing personal movie favorites in different genres. The community created by this website has been more than congenial and... Continue Reading →
2021 Movie Draft: Round 11, Pick 6 Featured on SLICEOFLIFE.COM A Gleam of Light in a Very Dark Place It is far easier to appreciate this treasure of a movie than to recommend it. Poetry (2010) is two and a half hours long, you probably haven’t heard of any of the actors or actresses, and... Continue Reading →
2021 Movie Draft: Round 7, Pick 8 Featured on SLICEOFLIFE.COM Genre: Animation Starring: The voices of Patton Oswalt, Ian Holm, Janeane Garofalo There’s something about mice, rats, and other rodents that either touches your heart or crawls up your skin. Movies seem to idolize these little creatures. From Fievel of An American Tail (1986) to... Continue Reading →
Round 10, Pick 2 Featured on: SLICETHELIFE.COM Genre: Documentary The Word on These Documentaries Let me start by saying I’m terrible at crossword puzzles, and I’m a bad sport when it comes to Scrabble. I’d like to say my talent is in reviewing intriguing movies for people to enjoy, even if they’re simply about spelling... Continue Reading →
2021 Movie Draft: Round 9, Pick 3 Featured on SLICEOFLIFE.COM Genre: Historical/Biographical Forget Rocky vs. Creed, Luke vs. Vader, or Batman vs. Joker. These cinematic duels rely more on testosterone than wit, and, sometimes, wit throws the stronger punch. Take the notorious interview between President Nixon and David Frost, for instance. There are no boxing... Continue Reading →
2021 Movie Draft: Round 8, Pick 4 Featured on SLICEOFLIFE.COM Genre: Action/Adventure Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Steve Zahn, Penelope Cruz Implausible Fun in the Desert Sometimes with action/adventure movies, you have to turn off the brain, firmly place the tongue in the cheek, and enjoy the ride. Unless you’re expecting the next groundbreaker since Raiders of... Continue Reading →
2021 Movie Draft: Round 6, Pick 4 Featured on SLICEOFLIFE.COM Genre: Western Pride and Prejudice: The Western The murdered body of Melquiades Estrada is buried in a hurry because the shooting and the politics are too complicated to stand trial near the Mexican border. Best friend of Estrada, Pete Perkins (Tommy Lee Jones), realizes that... Continue Reading →
2021 Movie Draft: Round 5, Pick 10 Featured on SLICEOFLIFE.COM Genre: Fantasy Let Your Eyes Do the Talking How extraordinary it is to see a film with such imaginative power that it can recapture images seen only in our dreams (or our nightmares). Pan’s Labyrinth is such a film, and its visionary experience puts you... Continue Reading →
Ugh, what a year. I'm finally compiling the movies I enjoyed from 2020, and I find myself laughing at the horror of it all. It wasn't a bad year in film, but it wasn't all that great either. The year in general ended with a silver lining, as my wife and I welcomed a healthy... Continue Reading →
Date Night dabbles in suburban marriage matters, police corruption, and the art of locking your front bumper to the front bumper of a New York taxi cab in the midst of a car chase. A crazy mixed bag in category and appeal, but with Steven Carell and Tina Fey doing the work, the result is... Continue Reading →
2021 Movie Draft: Round 4, Pick 1 Featured on SLICEOFLIFE.COM Genre: Comedy Hot Fuzz is a balderdash buddy cop flick with the machinegun fire of both action and British wit. The only comparison to the film’s slapstick originality would be Airplane! (1980) and the previous debauchery of the comedic Pegg and Frost duo, Shaun of... Continue Reading →
2021 Movie Draft: Round 3, Pick 4 Featured on SLICETHELIFE.COM Genre: Musical The Greatest Showman on Repeat By Bernie Sauer Even though I adore a classic like The Wizard of Oz (1939) or The Sound of Music (1965), commend Les Miserables (2012) for its groundbreaking technical achievements, and praise postmodern movie musical revivals like The... Continue Reading →
2021 Movie Draft: Round 1, Pick 4 Featured on SLICETHELIFE.COM Genre: Drama Half Nelson: An Overlooked Indie Gem By Bernie Sauer Mr. Dunne is the middle school teacher every student wants: He’s sharp, funny, sports a cool, unshaved mug, and coaches basketball on the side. By day, he brings out the best in his students... Continue Reading →
Reely Bernie 