The Last Hurrah #1: Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now (1979)

Film Title

Apocalypse Now

Synopsis

“I wanted a mission and, for my sins, they gave me one… I was going to the worst place in the world.”

Director

Francis Ford Coppola

Cast

Martin Sheen
Frederic Forrest
Laurence Fishburne,
Robert Duvall
Dennis Hopper
Marlon Brando

It’s always a mystery when a gargantuan talent falls off a cliff. How can an auteur like Coppola, a man who ruled the cinematic landscape of the seventies by combining searing art with the most fantastic consistency, fail to make another great movie after 1979? A mesmerizing gift can’t just evaporate, can it? I mean, […]

The Day Of The Jackal (1973)

Film Title

The Day of the Jackal

Synopsis

A professional assassin is hired to kill President Charles DeGaulle

Director

Fred Zinnemann

Cast

Edward Fox
Terence Alexander
Michael Auclair
Denis Carrey
Tony Britton
Cyril Cusack

“August 1962 was a stormy time for France. Many people felt that President Charles de Gaulle had betrayed France by giving independence to Algeria. Extremists, mostly from the army, swore to kill him in revenge. They banded together in an underground movement and called themselves the OAS.” This was the beginning narration of what would […]

Air

Film Title

Air

Synopsis

Happy Feet

Director

Ben Affleck

Cast

Matt Damon
Ben Affleck
Jason Bateman
Chris Messina
Viola Davis
Chris Tucker
Matthew Maher

Now that we are into the beginning of the blockbuster season, we have a lot to choose from. Super Mario, John Wick, Adonis Creed, Ghostface, and a Dungeons and Dragons party are all vying for our attention. Would you believe me if I told you your best option is none of those, but instead Air […]

Memorable Movie Scenes: Part 44

Movie: Angel Heart Despite depicting one of the most animalistic sex scenes committed to celluloid, and a plethora of visual motifs on constant loop, Angel Heart is not remembered for any visual artistry. Impassioned tributes to any such moment of striking photography don’t typically litter the web for such titles. It did, however, feature its […]

A Decade Of Chucking Up

During the groovy, Colosseum-set climax of 1972’s phenomenally successful Way of the Dragon, Chuck Norris took on the legendary Bruce Lee. Next to the lithe Asian superstar, he looked fat, slow, very hairy and curiously graceless. No matter, for he played his part in a terrific dust-up that fight fans still salivate over. He followed […]

Starring Debuts #21: Jennifer Beals in Flashdance (1983)

Film Title

Flashdance

Synopsis

Dreams can come true, but only if they start from the most unlikely place and someone powerful pulls a string or two.

Director

Adrian Lyne

Cast

Jennifer Beals
Michael Nouri
Lilia Skala
Sunny Johnson
Kyle T. Heffner

I’ve long acknowledged graduates from the Kelly McGillis Top Gun School of Absurd Roles and no one deserves a bigger pat on the back than Flashdance’s Alex Owens. I mean, name one other flick with a wannabe ballerina working as a welder in a Pennsylvanian steel mill. Not only that, but she appears to be […]

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Film Title

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Synopsis

A Campaign worth playing

Director

John Francis Daley/Jonathan Goldstein

Cast

Chris Pine
Chloe Coleman
Hugh Grant
Michelle Rodrigeuz
Rege-Jean Page
Justice Smith

The last serious attempt at a Dungeons & Dragons movie was in 2000, resulting in a critical and commercial bomb (10% on Rotten Tomatoes, grossing just $33.8 million on a $45 million budget) and a legion of angry dungeon masters. Impossibly, two direct-to-DVD sequels were filmed and released in 2005 and 2012, presumably as a […]

Looper (2012)

Film Title

Looper (2012)

Synopsis

Time travel, yet again. This time with goons.

Director

Rian Johnson

Cast

Bruce Willis
Josphen Gordon-Levitt
Emily Blunt
Jeff Daniels
Paul Dano
Piper Perabo

Time travel really messes with your mind, doesn’t it? I mean, The Grandfather-paradox, Back to the Future, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure: it just fucks with your idea of time. Like: what is it? Is it a steady stream, from the roiling past through this very present moment right here and now into the bright […]

5 Tips for Starting an Acting Career Later in Life

It’s always possible to follow your dreams and pursue a career in acting. Famous actors such as Samuel L. Jackson and Christoph Waltz, both started their successful careers after the age 40. Many successful actors started their careers later in life, proving that age is just a number when pursuing your passion. Whether you have […]

Spread Your Legs For Daddy: Part 4

Eyes Wide Shut (1999) The story: Cruise and Kidman mope through Kubrick’s flaccid finale. Does it make me wanna incorporate anything into my sex life? I guess you’re asking if I fancy an orgy, right? Well, I wouldn’t mind dipping a toe (fnar! fnar!) There is something appealing about turning up at an isolated country […]