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Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981, Steven Spielberg)
Don Siegel had an anecdote about the length of titles. He showed them to his boss, who kept asking for them to be longer, then showed them to the boss again, telling him each time he’d made the...
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The Da Vinci Code (2006, Ron Howard)
Hans Zimmer did the score for The Da Vinci Code? I hope he apologized to James Horner for all the plagiarisms (particularly from Horner’s two Star Trek scores and then Aliens). I don’t know where to...
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Boogie Nights (1997, Paul Thomas Anderson)
Boogie Nights is so well-made, so stunningly made–I’m not even thinking about Anderson’s wonderful, lengthy steadicam sequences, I’m thinking about Philip Seymour Hoffman alone in his freshly painted...
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Magnolia (1999, Paul Thomas Anderson)
Writing about Magnolia seems a daunting prospect (I don’t think I’ve ever read a review of the film). Following the prologue, which one could (or could not) see as a way to ease the viewer into the...
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The Lodger (2009, David Ondaatje)
Okay, I thought Lodger auteur David Ondaatje was really his uncle (English Patient author) Michael Ondaatje. I wished I’d checked before starting the movie… even with Hope Davis in it, I’m not sure I...
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Wonder Woman (2009, Lauren Montgomery)
They really should have cast Rosario Dawson as Wonder Woman. Never thought I’d be typing those words–even if it is just voice casting–but Dawson is so much better than Keri Russell, whose Wonder Woman...
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Spider-Man 2 (2004, Sam Raimi), the extended version
Ah, so the only other film Raimi directed Panavision was the unwatchable For Love of the Game. His Panavision composition here–with Bill Pope shooting it–is exquisite. Raimi and Pope correct, from the...
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Species (1995, Roger Donaldson)
Roger Donaldson has these great sweeping camera shots in Species. He doesn’t restrict them to the action scenes, but uses them to dynamically bring his five principals into the frame together. It’s...
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Maverick (1994, Richard Donner)
Maverick is a lot of fun. In fact, it’s so much fun, when the film runs into problems in its second act, it’s impossible to be disappointed. It’s still so likable, one just feels bad it doesn’t...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Man Who Knew Too Little (1997, Jon Amiel)
As unlikely as it might seem, The Man Who Knew Too Little could have been really good. Here’s the basic plot–an American rube, who loves movies and television so much he knows the lines, is confused...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981, Steven Spielberg)
Maybe it was the viewing atmosphere… I also was obsessing about something I’d read from either Spielberg or Lucas claiming credit for “MTV-style” editing with Raiders. Once the film was edited, the two...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Species (1995, Roger Donaldson)
Roger Donaldson has these great sweeping camera shots in Species. He doesn’t restrict them to the action scenes, but uses them to dynamically bring his five principals into the frame together. It’s...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Maverick (1994, Richard Donner)
Maverick is a lot of fun. In fact, it’s so much fun, when the film runs into problems in its second act, it’s impossible to be disappointed. It’s still so likable, one just feels bad it doesn’t...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Man Who Knew Too Little (1997, Jon Amiel)
As unlikely as it might seem, The Man Who Knew Too Little could have been really good. Here’s the basic plot–an American rube, who loves movies and television so much he knows the lines, is confused...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Ladyhawke (1985, Richard Donner)
Two things about Ladyhawke without getting to the script or some of the acting. First, Andrew Powell’s music. It’s godawful; it’s stunning to see a director as competent as Richard Donner put something...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981, Steven Spielberg)
Maybe it was the viewing atmosphere… I also was obsessing about something I’d read from either Spielberg or Lucas claiming credit for “MTV-style” editing with Raiders. Once the film was edited, the two...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Species (1995, Roger Donaldson)
Roger Donaldson has these great sweeping camera shots in Species. He doesn’t restrict them to the action scenes, but uses them to dynamically bring his five principals into the frame together. It’s...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Maverick (1994, Richard Donner)
Maverick is a lot of fun. In fact, it’s so much fun, when the film runs into problems in its second act, it’s impossible to be disappointed. It’s still so likable, one just feels bad it doesn’t...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Man Who Knew Too Little (1997, Jon Amiel)
As unlikely as it might seem, The Man Who Knew Too Little could have been really good. Here’s the basic plot–an American rube, who loves movies and television so much he knows the lines, is confused...
View ArticleLadyhawke (1985, Richard Donner)
Two things about Ladyhawke without getting to the script or some of the acting. First, Andrew Powell’s music. It’s godawful; it’s stunning to see a director as competent as Richard Donner put something...
View Article