Dr. Hannibal Lecter is one of cinema’s most appealing villains. Most remember his first on-screen appearance as being in 1991’s The Silence of the Lambs with Anthony Hopkins in the role. However, that’s not correct. The first person to play Hannibal Lecter was Brian Cox. The movie in which heContinue Reading
David Mamet’s early directorial work, including the previously reviewed Oleanna, featured what has become known in some circles as “Mamet-speak”. Mamet-speak has the characters spouting lines of dialogue almost on top of one another and, in most cases, repeating information back and forth and asking the same questions repeatedly. It’sContinue Reading
After sitting through it, I have only one question about Spun, one of the most horrifyingly bad movies I’ve ever seen: “How in the world did so many talented people agree to appear in this absolutely disgusting film?” To whit, we have a cast comprised of Jason Schwartzman, who wasContinue Reading
Have you heard the name Chiwetel Ejiofor before? Well, if there’s any justice in the world, you’ll hear it again at the Academy Awards ceremony in March, 2004. If you want to see the best male acting performance of the year (so far), you’ll find it in Stephen Frears’ DirtyContinue Reading
Walter Hill has a very diverse array of films in his directorial credits. From 1979’s The Warriors to 1992’s Trespass, most of Hill’s films have had a gritty, urban edge to them. 2002’s Undisputed keeps the grit, but takes the atmosphere behind bars. Monroe Hutchens (Wesley Snipes) was a promisingContinue Reading
In Australia, Mark Brandon “Chopper” Read is a celebrity. He’s a best-selling author. He does public service announcements against drunk driving. He’s been made into an animated cartoon character. He’s also a self-admitted murderer and a convicted criminal. Chopper, a film by Andrew Dominik, tells at least some of hisContinue Reading
The Coen Brothers have never failed to make a film that didn’t either royally entertain me or make me scratch my head and wonder, “What was that all about?” O, Brother Where Art Thou? is royally entertaining. I’m still scratching my head as to why it took me so long to seeContinue Reading