Just a year after scandalizing Hollywood with the classic Sunset Boulevard, Billy Wilder added to his reputation as a director interested in exposing the darker side of life with Ace in the Hole. This marked the first time Wilder was…
Nikita wraps up its run with a tight six episode fourth season. The end of the third season saw Nikita (Maggie Q) framed for assassinating the U.S. president. Now the most wanted woman in America, Nikita, alone and running, is…
While certainly not one of the Marx Brothers best films, Love Happy is still a significant moment in their career. It ended up being the last Marx Brothers film (apparently Chico persuaded his brothers to do the film so he…
Released in the spring of 1971, Summer of ’42 is screenwriter Herman Raucher’s vividly realized memories of the summer on Nantucket Island when he lost his virginity. A coming-of-age story, it’s a trip back to another time, when the world…
By 1942, America was fully entrenched in World War II. Largely known for his Westerns at the time, John Wayne lent his name and persona to the war effort in Flying Tigers. A fictionalized account of the real American pilots…
As established in the first season, Little House on the Prairie tells the story of Charles and Caroline Ingalls (Michael Landon, Karen Grassle) living in Walnut Grove, Minnesota with their three daughters: Laura (Melissa Gilbert), Mary (Melissa Sue Anderson), and…
Set in the not too distant future, Her, the latest film from writer/director Spike Jonze (his first since 2009’s Where the Wild Things Are), deals with love, loneliness and relationships at a time when technological advances have made it possible…
Around their fourteenth year, most students are required to read Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations. Many will agree that the Victorian language can present a bit of a stumbling block. Kids reading the book will likely appreciate the ‘plain’ language of…
One of the bestselling novels in history, Robert James Waller’s 1992 novel, The Bridges of Madison County, has sold over 50 million copies. Most critics hated it, but the public ate it up. I remember seeing several women reading the…
Note: Parts of this piece appeared in a review for an earlier home video release of the film. Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather Trilogy made its Blu-ray debut back in 2008. The picture, audio, and extras were impressive. A lot…