𝔽𝕠𝕝𝕝𝕠𝕨𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝔽𝕚𝕝𝕞𝕤

2014 Directed By Alfonso Gomez-Rejon Remakes are a tricky thing to pull off. Do you honor the original? Update it and make it feel modern? How do you find that element that you think could have been improved upon and expand it? We all have examples of remakes that work and others that utterly fail. The latest incarnation of The Town That Dreaded Sundown falls somewhere in between. Its in no way a failure but I'm not really sure how well it works. The 2014 film exists in a world where the original 1975 film also exists. The inhabitants of a small Texas/Arkansas border town watch the original film annually and on the night of the annual screening killings that resemble the "Moonlight Murders" start up again. We are 37 years removed from the 1976 film and 65 years removed from the real events that inspired it. Is this a copycat murderer or has the boogeyman returned to Teaxarkana? It might sound somewhat convoluted but the film pulls off its complicated exposition

1962 Directed By Andrei Tarkovsky  Starring  Nikolay Burlyaev , Valentin Zubkov and Evgeniy Zharikov | It's the middle of WWII in Russia. Orphaned pre-teen Ivan Bondarev does reconnaissance work for the military. He is able to get through small cracks where adults could not, both because of his small physical size and the fact that no one would suspect a boy of doing such work. Despite his tough exterior, he often dreams about happy situations with his mother, who, along with his sister, was exterminated in a concentration camp. Those dreams usually end violently. After Ivan obtains some information concerning an advancing German troop, his commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Gryaznov, wants to send him to military school as he believes the offensive is no place for a boy. Ivan vows to run away and join the partisans in their work if he is sent away. After an attempt to run away, Ivan is allowed to stay and continue his reconnaissance work during the offensive. Ivan&

1985 Directed by George A Romero Starring Lori Cardille, Joseph Pilato and Richard Liberty Most people seem to go with Night of the Living Dead, some go with Dawn of the Dead but very few go with my personal favorite in Romero's of the Dead films, Day of the Dead. All three films have satirical elements that elevate them above the splatter fests that they are often reduced to, but this one has a trump card... Goblin. They provide the driving synth soundtrack to the film that gives it an other worldly quality that never really allows you to feel comfortable. Best known for there work with Dario Argento Goblin had a short but impressive career scoring some of the most iconic horror films of the 70's and 80's. Day of the Dead follows a group of survivors held up in an underground military facility located off the coast of what I assume is Florida. Very few of the characters in this film are believable but something about them is intriguing. I love the setting of the

2005 Directed By David Slade Starring Patrick Wilson and Ellen Page David Slade's film takes a clear stance on pedophilia, its bad don't do it, or else. Jeff (Patrick Wilson) is an attractive photographer who likes to spend his time in internet chat rooms looking for young girls. If you've seen the To Catch A Predator episodes of Dateline you know how many men like Jeff are out there. After striking up a friendship with Hayley (Ellen Page) she agrees to meet him at a coffee shop. A few minutes into the couples date (I guess that's the right word) Jeff makes it clear that he is uncomfortable in the cafe and would like to continue their meeting at his house.  This film is a revenge tale that is both bloody as hell and brilliantly acted. A rare combination. Most films as intense as this one tend to ignore the acting in favor of focusing on effects and gags.  While it feels very cinematic (camera work, editing) it also feels like a play. I mean that i

1959 Directed By Francois Truffaut Starring Jean-Pierre Leaud and Albert Remy This could easily be one of the most potent films about youth that I have ever seen. Supposedly based on Truffaut's own personal experiences, this is the story of a troubled young man who was never really given a chance. We are shown a trouble maker whose home life is terrible. Its not just the poverty but the lack of warmth and bleakness that fills our protagonists life that makes his at home experience so grim. When he acts out and runs head first into a life of crime we never hold him to task, instead we are left feeling empathy and understand why he makes the decisions he makes. Nothing in this film feels unnecessary or dispensable every shot is essential and pulls us in further. Unlike many films today this movie is tight and lean. We are shown a young man who is an after thought to most of the people in his life. While some people border on kind, it is readily apparent that no one in t

2012 Directed By Mark Christopher Covino Have you heard Death? Let me phrase that another way have you heard of three black teenagers from Detroit who were playing punk rock “two years before The Ramones?”  David, Dannis and Bobby Hackney formed a band in the early 1970’s that would eventually land on the name Death. They played fast, loud and with undeniable heart. After David saw The Who play in Detroit he knew how his band should sound. Friends and neighbors called it “white boy” music but David had been inspired and could not be discouraged when it came to his artistic vision. The same steadfast attitude applied to the bands’ name.  As you might imagine the name Death was a huge turnoff to record executives, producers, and pretty much everyone else. While by today’s standards the name Death probably wouldn’t cause anyone to bat an eye, by 1970’s standards it was dangerous. The name and music were ahead of their time. When you look back it might give you some

Charlie Rose  is one of the few television personalities in the US that consistently does long-form interviews for artists and entertainment figures. When someone shows up on Rose’s show, you can reliably expect an in-depth conversation that will offer ideas that go much deeper than sound byte level. So having the cast and creators of  Gone Girl  on the show — author/screenwriter  Gillian Flynn , director  David Fincher , and stars Rosamund Pike  and  Ben Affleck  — is a great thing. This Charlie Rose Gone Girl talk is a half hour of in-depth conversation about the film and the personalities that created it.