Highly Recommended Like most Americans, my first exposure to Erik Skjoldbjerg's Insomnia (1997) was via Criterion's 1999 DVD ; through no small coincidence, it was around the time Christopher Nolan's 2002 remake hit theaters (but, for the life of me, I can't remember which one I actually saw first). Either way, I'm glad that both exist and, unlike the wide difference in quality between most …
Recommended THE MOVIE: Please Note: The stills used here are taken from standard-issue DVD included in the Criterion combo, not the Blu-ray. I spent yesterday watching a couple of Woody Allen movies
Recommended The Movies: I love early cinema for a lot of reasons: you can see filmmakerscreating the language of film as time goes on, the movies themselvescan be magnificent, and the creativity is often astounding, just toname a few. One of the main things that draws me to the early days offilm is that it's a window on the past.
Rent It There's a small but adamant minority out there that positively loathes Frank Capra's otherwise beloved holiday classic It's a Wonderful Life (1946). I have one friend, for instance, who hates the film so much he always refers to it as “It's a Wonderful %$#*ing Life.” I happen to like it myself, warts and all, but regardless it would be interesting to know just how many of these Scrooges …
Highly Recommended NOTE: The images used to accompany this article are taken from online sources and do not represent the quality of the Blu-ray under review. The Movie: While American genre filmmakers tend not to shy away from depicting violence and brutality, their gory imaginations rarely scale the heights of bodily destruction realized onscreen by their colleagues working in Asia.
Highly Recommended THE FILMS: Spike Lee is a talented, polarizing director who sometimes lets politics get in the way of his filmmaking. His films of late have been disappointing, but this Spike Lee Joint Collection, Vol.
Recommended THE FILM: I am very much over found-footage horror films.
Recommended THE FILM: The second of six collaborations between director Michael Winner and Charles Bronson, The Mechanic is a tough, slow-burn 1970s thriller often remembered for its dialogue-free opening 15 minutes. Bronson is contract killer Arthur Bishop, who is very good at killing people and getting away with it
Recommended As far as “movie legends” go, Dominique Benicheti's Cousin Jules (1973) is tough to beat. Filmed over a five-year period, this music-free and almost entirely wordless 91-minute production offers an unyielding look at the satisfaction and monotony associated with a daily routine.
Rent It The Movie: In the interest of full disclosure, I have never really seen any of Arnold Schwarzenegger's work since his he exited the Governor's office in California some time back.