1984’s Blood Simple was the first film from Joel and Ethan Coen. Featuring the debut of then-unknown actress Frances McDormand, the title comes from a slang term invented by Dashiell Hammett to suggest a murderer’s state of fear and confusion,…
Disney´s Prom reportedly cost $8 million to make and grossed only $10 million in theaters. While it’s not a terrible film, Prom probably had no business appearing at local multiplexes. Then again, you can’t blame Disney for trying. After television…
Set just after the April 15, 1865, assassination of Abraham Lincoln, The Conspirator attempts to recreate the hysteria and shady political dealings that took place in order to hold someone, anyone responsible for the hideous crime. Nearly everyone knows Lincoln…
One of the most sincere and earnest looks into single life in the 90s, Swingers is nothing but money, baby! Mike (writer/director Jon Favreau) is new to Los Angeles after years in New York City. He is so obsessed with…
If I were going to make a list of a list of films that portray grief in a palpable manner, Secret Sunshine would be near the top of the list. Recently widowed, Shin-ae (Jeon Do-yeon) and her son Jun (Seon…
From Mad Max to Lethal Weapon and even Hamlet, Mel Gibson has played variations of crazy characters. Gibson’s latest effort, The Beaver, which has him, portraying a middle-aged man who attempts to deal with his debilitating depression by communicating through…
A cowboy retelling of Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai, The Magnificent Seven ushered in more realistic depictions of life in the American west. The film was exciting, had plenty of action and enough movie stars to live up to its moniker…
Good Will Hunting is part of a rare breed. As someone who reviews films regularly, I often rail against formula. However, Good Will Hunting thrives on it. We have a pretty good idea how the entire story will play out,…
A cowboy retelling of Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai, The Magnificent Seven marked the transition from the old style John Ford/John Wayne films to the spaghetti westerns starring Clint Eastwood that would change the genre forever. Released in 1960, The Magnificent…
Similar to his earlier film Knife in the Water, Roman Polanski’s Cul-de-sac is a subtle exploration of shifting power in a mismatched threesome. Polanski’s decision to set the film in a single, claustrophobic space, results in a revealing black comedy…