Dedicated to movie nerdom, nostalgia, and 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. Today, while raising two young, beautiful daughters with my amazing wife, I look forward to anything rated R and not Bluey. Comments and dialogue encouraged!
When art is attempted at such a self-possessed level, the only one who “gets it” is the artist. The rest of us lose $24. Filmmaker Michael Cimino’s 1980 passion project, Heaven’s Gate, had United Artists’ backing but lost $37 million to a 219-minute, sybaritic dream turned dustbowl. (RIP Kris Kristofferson.) Kevin Costner’s labor of love, The Postman (1997),... Continue Reading →
“But it’s good. It’s my life.” -Becky (Juliette Lewis) from What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) It’s good. It’s my list. It was an absolute joy reflecting on 50 formative movie favorites of mine, recalling who I saw them with, and realizing how much the 1980s complete me (fourteen titles from that whacky decade made my... Continue Reading →
The original is not always the superior movie when compared to its successor. True, it introduced the characters arcs, motifs, and overall tone, but when given a second chance, the sequel is born out of cleaner execution, unexpected risks, and an added ethical dilemma for the viewer’s conscience. Take The Godfather: Part II (1974). Every... Continue Reading →
There are the extraordinary off-screen credentials of Orson Welles as co-writer, producer, director, and star at the ripe age of 25. Then, there is the on-screen execution of cinematic artistry that trailblazed everything we use today: matte cutting, boom mic sound, mise en scène, chroma key layering, pristine cinematography, MacGuffin, flashback sequence, wide-angle/deep focus lenses,... Continue Reading →
I’ll never forget flipping through Entertainment Weekly’s 100 Greatest Movies of All Time magazine at the Gonzaga University Bing Crosby Student Center. It was October 1999, and the trend of releasing as many “Top,” “Best,” and “Greatest” lists was exploding before the world itself was predicted to explode. Y2K anticipation was all about the fear... Continue Reading →
An argument can be made that anything “Marvel Cinema Universe” is the same movie with 27 different titles. The formula never fails: Arrogant, grumpy, or emotionless hero + desensitizing CGI +/- obligatory love interest + forgettable villain who always possesses one less level of power = box office points. The DC Comics movies are no... Continue Reading →
Reely Bernie 