Month: July 2020

If there was ever any testament to the endless talents of Alfred Hitchcock, it was that he managed to take an utterly absurd premise, a pair of uncharismatic leads, a shrill supporting cast and dated special effects and turn it into inarguably one of the greatest horror films ever made. There’s no need to wax […]… Continue reading The Birds (1963) — Movies Unchained

I have now returned to work to pour pints to people who tell me that Coronavirus is a myth. Yippie. I guess that means my lockdown is over. However, for all of you still stuck with your bottoms on sofas, here is some inspiration for what to switch on that screen you’ve been ogling for […]… Continue reading Lockdown Cinema — INFLICT

https://youtube.com/watch?v=GVQbeG5yW78%3Fversion%3D3%26rel%3D1%26fs%3D1%26autohide%3D2%26showsearch%3D0%26showinfo%3D1%26iv_load_policy%3D1%26wmode%3Dtransparent “Just Mercy” reminds us of the inherent worth of all human beings and that we are all more than our worst misdeed. It pleads for justice but also for mercy and unmerited grace. And if you’re going to pour the moralizing on a little thick, that seems like a pretty good lesson to double… Continue reading The power and grace of “Just Mercy” — Static and Screen

https://youtube.com/watch?v=O_aKOvm7bHQ%3Fversion%3D3%26rel%3D1%26fs%3D1%26autohide%3D2%26showsearch%3D0%26showinfo%3D1%26iv_load_policy%3D1%26wmode%3Dtransparent Could another filmmaker have told this story with more nuance? Almost certainly. Would it have been better? I’m not sure. In telling the stories of serial abusers like Ailes, nuance can feel a little bit like using kid gloves. Sometimes, you need to scream these stories from the rooftops in order to get your… Continue reading “Bombshell” is not subtle, nor should it be — Static and Screen

https://youtube.com/watch?v=RSUq4VfWfjE%3Fversion%3D3%26rel%3D1%26fs%3D1%26autohide%3D2%26showsearch%3D0%26showinfo%3D1%26iv_load_policy%3D1%26wmode%3Dtransparent While it’s not quite bad enough to make you long for the bad old days of “jiggle TV,” it’s also hard to shake the feeling that the old “Angels,” as offensive as it was, was at least a little more fun than this. via “Charlie’s Angels” have fallen — Static and Screen

https://youtube.com/watch?v=rs_GQ3nsYDM%3Fversion%3D3%26rel%3D1%26fs%3D1%26autohide%3D2%26showsearch%3D0%26showinfo%3D1%26iv_load_policy%3D1%26wmode%3Dtransparent As disposable as the film is, it’s hard to completely denigrate a film that has this much willingness to make you chuckle. Laughter is good medicine, especially right now, and Bautista and company dispense it with ease. via “My Spy” has an arsenal full of laughs — Static and Screen

https://youtube.com/watch?v=RB-_oNDH0d8%3Fversion%3D3%26rel%3D1%26fs%3D1%26autohide%3D2%26showsearch%3D0%26showinfo%3D1%26iv_load_policy%3D1%26wmode%3Dtransparent Even as the impossibilities of the plot swirl around them like a gathering storm, Oyelowo and Reid stand firm as the film’s emotional anchors. via “Don’t Let Go” of these great actors — Static and Screen

https://youtube.com/watch?v=wtWSyFNT9qY%3Fversion%3D3%26rel%3D1%26fs%3D1%26autohide%3D2%26showsearch%3D0%26showinfo%3D1%26iv_load_policy%3D1%26wmode%3Dtransparent By depicting the brutality of the Soviet regime, Holland reminds us of the value of human life and of the press, and how the latter has an integral role in preserving the former. via Thesis, truth and “Mr. Jones” — Static and Screen

It makes you feel so … embarrassed and ashamed: At the foot of Mount Rushmore’s granite monument to his presidential forebears, President Trump on Friday delivered a dark speech ahead of Independence Day in which he sought to exploit the nation’s racial and social divisions and rally supporters around a law-and-order message that has become… via… Continue reading American carnage Part II — Digby’s Hullabaloo

Enjoy your cookout, movie night, fireworks or whatever else you are doing safely on this 4th of July. There is a lot to think about this year. Email via Patriotism — Digby’s Hullabaloo