I find it very interesting that movies that stir up the most fervent controversies the fastest, are films that touch upon religious subjects. As soon as a filmmaker suggests a different view on theological issues, the moral-apostles of the Catholic church [...]
They say that everything old is new again. This, of course, refers to the notion that societal and cultural trends, such as music and fashion, will come into style, die out, and then be in vogue again. This theory applies to movies as well. In 1989, [...]
The popular conception of America in the 1950’s is one of political witch-hunts and repressed passions. Television antennas spread over the landscape like an invasion of metallic weeds from outer space. The suburbs exploded and everyone wanted to be [...]
There are those who make mere movies, then there is John Waters. The Baltimore director has always marched to the beat of a different drummer down the road less traveled and made movies that are often an odd mix of satire, shock, pop culture, and [...]
There’s no denying that director Spike Lee can make a thought-provoking, polarizing film. Unfortunately, his outspoken nature tends to color the public perception of his work and his latest effort, "Bamboozled," is yet another in a long line [...]
Only a few defining images from the silent film era still remain as a part of our collective consciousness — Charlie Chaplin’s ambling gait, Harold Lloyd dangling from a clock tower, the robot Maria from "Metropolis," and, of course, [...]
What is it about our favorite films that make us cling to them so dearly? Maybe because when we "adopt" a film, we hope that the film’s vision or philosophy becomes our own. We pass along our "favorite films," sometimes to complete [...]
It’s not unusual for the movies to lampoon a certain portion of society. Whether it be a certain event, tradition, societal group, or more commonly, a particular genre of film, comedies have been making fun of things for years. But, while Hollywood is [...]
I miss Peter Sellers. There was something gentle, something very real about his comedic performances. Whether it was the bumbling Inspector Clouseau, the megalomaniac Dr. Strangelove or the Italian master criminal "the Fox" from 1966’s [...]
Although it represents one of cult director John Carpenter’s most underrated and under-appreciated movies, his homage to Hong Kong cinema, "Big Trouble In Little China" has an incredibly committed fan following, all of which are eagerly [...]
