Oct 4

Oct 4 Michel Gondry's ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND

Many years ago I remember thinking, while reading Philip K. Dick's quirky novel UBIK, "No one will ever be able to film a movie like this." I think i just saw one -- ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND, and it makes perfect sense in a lopsided way.

Oct 3
Oct 3 Sidney Lumet's FAIL-SAFE

Dennis D. McDonald

Drama

This black and white doomsday adventure from 1964 tells about a U.S. bomber crew sent by accident to destroy Moscow and how the U.S. president (played by Henry Fonda) deals with the situation.

Sep 30

Sep 30 Star Wars Episodes 4-6 Boxed Set

Dennis D. McDonald

Star Wars

In Episode 4, "A New Hope," Alec Guinness, playing Obi Wan Kenobi, says to Luke Skywalker when giving him his father's lightsaber, "...an elegant weapon for a more civilized age." Watching these three films for the first time in many years brought to my mind a similar statement, "...simpler films for a simpler age."

Sep 28

Sep 28 Kaneto Shindo's ONIBABA

Dennis D. McDonald

Horror, Japanese

Shot in vivid black and white, this widescreen Japanese horror movie from 1964 operates on several levels. There is the supernatural aspect (the demon and the mask), there is the sexual frustration of the main characters that is wildly and explicitly unleashed during the film,

Sep 22

Sep 22 SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW

Dennis D. McDonald

One of a Kind, Action, Aircraft, Robots, Science Fiction

The most interesting extra on this DVD is the long documentary that tracks the production of the film. It documents with great detail and enthusiasm what I think is the main message of this film, that people “outside the mainstream” who have a vision can produce blockbuster entertainment that depends heavily on modern technology managed and used in a tightly controlled temporary business environment.

Sep 18
Sep 18 Clint Eastwood's MYSTIC RIVER

Dennis D. McDonald

Drama

My mother used to say, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything." Or maybe it was my fifth grade teacher.

Sep 17

Sep 17 Guillermo del Toro's “HELLBOY”

Dennis D. McDonald

Action, del Toro, Fantasy, Horror, Monsters

The story is still a bit derivative, but I loved the characters, especially Hellboy himself.

Sep 15

Sep 15 George Plympton's MUTANT ALIENS

Dennis D. McDonald

Animated, Comedy, Quirky, Science Fiction

I saw this on the Sundance channel, so I didn’t get a chance to see any DVD extras. Still, that’s quite enough. As a great fan of animation I love Plympton’s quirky, jiggly style, and his lewd, schoolboy humor sometimes transcends its frequently sophomoric origins. (Really, how many visual representations of an erection can you think of?)