Archive
LITTLE BUDDHA – Ryuichi Sakamoto
THROWBACK THIRTY
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
Little Buddha, directed by the Oscar-winning Italian filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci, is a drama film that intertwines two primary narratives. The first narrative follows a young boy named Jesse Conrad, living in Seattle with his parents, Dean and Lisa. Tibetan monks, led by Lama Norbu, visit the Conrad family, believing that Jesse is the reincarnation of a revered Buddhist teacher, Lama Dorje. As Jesse and his parents grapple with this revelation, they travel to Bhutan to further explore this possibility, and he meets two other boys – Raju and Gita – who may also be reincarnations of Lama Dorje . The second narrative is a historical recount of the life of Prince Siddhartha, who would later become the first Buddha and the founder of the Buddhist religion This story is woven throughout the film as Lama Norbu tells Jesse about Siddhartha’s journey. The film depicts Siddhartha’s sheltered life in his father’s palace, his encounters with suffering in the world, his renunciation of royal life, and his path to enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. Read more…
KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES – John Paesano
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is the fourth installment of the rebooted Planet of the Apes film series, inspired by the novels of Pierre Boulle and the 1960s film series originally starring Charlton Heston. It is set several hundred years after the time of Caesar, the leader of a community of increasingly intelligent apes who in the first film, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, was given increased intelligence and the ability to speak after being infected by a genetically modified virus intended to cure Alzheimer’s disease, but which accidentally killed a large portion of the world’s human population instead. Through the second and third films – Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and War for the Planet of the Apes – Caesar struggled to create a stable ape society while trying to broker an uneasy truce with the few humans who remained; he eventually died at the end of War for the Planet of the Apes, leaving the future of ape society uncertain. Read more…
THE RED DANUBE – Miklós Rózsa
GREATEST SCORES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Original Review by Craig Lysy
MGM Studios took an interest in the 1947 novel “Vespers in Vienna” by Bruce Marshall, believing that it would be well received by the post WWII American public beset by the rising tide of fear related to Communism. Carey Wilson was assigned production with a $1.96 million budget, George Sidney was tasked with directing, and Gina Kaus and Arthur Wimperis were hired to write the screenplay. An excellent cast was assembled, including Walter Pidgeon as Colonel Michael “Hooky” Nicobar, Ethel Barrymore as Mother Superior, Peter Lawford as Major John “Twingo” McPhimister, Angela Lansbury as Audrey Quail, and Janet Leigh as Maria Buhlen. Read more…
THE CROW – Graeme Revell
THROWBACK THIRTY
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
The Crow is a dark supernatural action thriller directed by Alex Proyas, based on the comic book of the same name by James O’Barr. The story follows Eric Draven, played by Brandon Lee, a rock musician who is brutally murdered along with his fiancée, Shelly, by a gang of criminals. One year after their deaths, Eric is resurrected by a mystical crow to seek vengeance on those who wronged him. Eric soon discovers he has supernatural abilities and is invulnerable to pain; guided by the crow, he methodically tracks down and eliminates the gang members responsible for his and Shelly’s deaths, until eventually he comes face-to-face with the gang’s vicious leader, Top Dollar. The film co-starred Michael Wincott, Sofia Shinas, and Michael Massee, as well as Ernie Hudson as sympathetic cop Albrecht, and Rochelle Davis as a young girl named Sarah who was close to Eric and Shelly. Read more…
THELMA THE UNICORN – John Powell
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
Thelma the Unicorn is an animated musical comedy adventure film written and directed by Jared and Jerusha Hess, based on the children’s book series of the same name by Aaron Blabey. The story follows the life of a pony named Thelma who dreams of becoming a famous musician; one day, after she and her bandmates Otis (a donkey) and Reggie (a llama) mess up their chance to qualify for a famous singing contest, Thelma uses a carrot as a fake horn, and is accidentally covered in pink paint and glitter; she is mistaken for a unicorn, and becomes famous overnight, adored by fans and living a life of luxury. However, Thelma soon realizes that fame comes with its downsides; she feels lonely and overwhelmed by the constant attention, and she starts to miss her simple life on the farm. The film has a voice cast that includes Brittany Howard as Thelma, alongside comedy stars such as Will Forte, Jemaine Clement, Fred Armisen, Zach Galifianakis, and Jon Heder, latter of whom famously appeared in the leading role in Hess’s cult film Napoleon Dynamite. The film debuted on Netflix in May 2024 to mostly positive reviews, with commentators praising the film for its wholesome message and cheerful, kid-friendly attitude. Read more…
SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON – Richard Hageman
GREATEST SCORES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Original Review by Craig Lysy
After the massive commercial success of his prior film Fort Apache, director John Ford decided to embark on a second film of what has come to be known as his famous “Cavalry Trilogy”. On conceiving the film, Ford decided to draw upon two short stories he read from the Saturday Evening Post, “The Big Sky” and “War Party”. Ford’s Argosy Pictures production company would fund the film with a $1.6 million budget, he would direct, and Frank S. Nugent and Laurence Stallings were tasked with writing the screenplay. For his cast, he was initially opposed to casting John Wayne in the lead, as the lead character Captain Nathan Brittles at 61 was 20 years older than Wayne, and he did not believe Wayne had the acting ability to provide the gravitas the role demanded. However, after watching his outstanding performance in Red River, he changed his mind. Joining him would be Joanne Dru as Olivia Dandridge, John Agar as Lieutenant Flint Cohill, Ben Johnson as Sergeant Tyree and Harry Carey Jr. as Lieutenant Ross Pennell. Read more…
CHAMPION – Dimitri Tiomkin
GREATEST SCORES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Original Review by Craig Lysy
Director Mark Robson was intrigued when presented with the short story “Champion” by Ring Lardner. He decided the riveting film noir boxing drama would translate well to the big screen and so secured financial backing from producer Stanley Kramer whose production company provided a $600,000 budget. Robson would direct and tasked Carl Foreman to write the screenplay. For the cast, Kramer took a gamble and offered the lead role of Midge Kelly to Kirk Douglas, and both benefited greatly with Kramer making a huge profit, and Douglas being rocketed into stardom. Joining him would be Marilyn Maxwell as Grace, Arthur Kennedy as Connie, Paul Stewart as Haley, and Ruth Roman as Emma. Read more…
THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE – Chris Benstead
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
Guy Ritchie and Matthew Vaughan do like making film and TV projects about ‘gentlemen,’ don’t they? After the 2019 film The Gentlemen, and the spinoff TV series of the same from earlier this year, we now have The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, a comic-book style action adventure set during World War II. Unexpectedly, the film is based on a mostly true story; it stars Henry Cavill as Major Gus March-Phillips, who in 1942 was recruited by Winston Churchill himself to carry out a dangerous secret mission codenamed Operation Postmaster, which required March-Phillips and his team to travel to the island of Fernando Po off the coast of west Africa and destroy the Italian ship Duquesa d’Aosta, thereby cutting off the supply chain to Nazi U-Boats in the north Atlantic. What follows is an unexpectedly violent but also tongue-in-cheek boys own adventure full of exotic locations, evil Nazis, spectacular action sequences, and lots of witty banter between March-Phillips and his men. Interestingly, one of the supporting characters in the movie is a young British officer named Ian Fleming; the real life Fleming supposedly based his character James Bond in part on March-Phillips and his exploits. Read more…
WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN – Zbigniew Preisner
THROWBACK THIRTY
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
When a Man Loves a Woman is a romantic drama about alcoholism. Directed by Mexican filmmaker Luis Mandoki from a screenplay by comedian Al Franken and Rain Man writer Ronald Bass, it stars Meg Ryan as Alice Green, a school counselor, who is married to Michael (Andy Garcia), an airline pilot, and whose outward persona masks the fact that she has a serious drinking problem. Alice is often reckless when drunk, and when one incident results in her endangering her children – nine-year-old Jess (Tina Majorino) and four-year-old Casey (Mae Whitman) – she finally agrees to enter a rehabilitation program. While Alice recovers, Michael must take on more responsibility at home and learn to cope with the challenges of supporting his wife through recovery. As such, the film portrays the complexities of their relationship, highlighting both the strain caused by Alice’s addiction, and the depth of Michael’s love and commitment. Read more…
CHALLENGERS – Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
The first truly buzzy film of 2024, Challengers is a sexy drama set in the competitive world of professional tennis. It stars Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a tennis prodigy who finds herself in the middle of a menage-a-trois with two other junior players, Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor) and Art Donaldson (Mike Faist), both of whom are attracted to Tashi, and who are also attracted to each other. Shockingly, Tashi’s career is ended by a devastating knee injury, and over the next few years she marries Art, becomes his coach, and transforms him from a mediocre tour player into a world-famous grand slam champion. However, to help jolt him out of a recent losing streak, Tashi enters Art into a second-tier challenger event… which brings them back into the world of the burnt-out Patrick, who is now an unknown player living out of his car, scraping by on winnings from the lower circuits, and whose presence threatens Art and Tashi’s already feisty relationship. The film is directed by Luca Guadagnino and has already been the recipient of a great deal of acclaim, but also some notoriety, both for its raw emotions, and for the sizzling sexual chemistry between its three leads. Read more…
THE SNAKE PIT – Alfred Newman
GREATEST SCORES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Original Review by Craig Lysy
The genesis of the film lay with Bennett Cerf, the president of Random House who presented director Anatole Litvak with a copy of the novel “The Snake Pit” (1946) by Mary Jane Ward. Litvak saw opportunity exploring a topic unknown to cinema and so bought the film rights. He sold his vision to 20th Century Fox studio executive Darryl F. Zanuck who personally took charge of production with a $3.8 million budget. Litvak would direct, and Frank Partos and Millen Brand would write the screenplay. For the cast, Gene Tierney would star as Virginia Stuart Cunningham, but was replaced by Olivia de Havilland due to her pregnancy. Joining her would be Mark Stevens as Robert Cunningham, Leo Glenn as Dr. Mark H. Van Kensdelaerik AKA Dr. Kik, and Celeste Holm as Grace. Read more…
NO ESCAPE – Graeme Revell
THROWBACK THIRTY
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
No Escape is a brutal, violent, but unexpectedly enjoyable action-thriller film directed by Martin Campbell, based on the 1987 novel The Penal Colony by Richard Herley. The film is set in a dystopian future – the hellscape of 2022! – where a former US marine named Robbins, played by Ray Liotta, is wrongfully convicted of murder and sent to a remote island prison called Absolom as punishment. This island is a lawless penal colony where the inmates are left to fend for themselves without guards or rules. Robbins must navigate this harsh and violent environment while trying to survive and escape from the island; he encounters different factions of inmates who have formed their own societies, some more hostile than others, and as Robbins learns the brutal ways of Absolom, he becomes determined to find a way off the island and regain his freedom. The film is a testosterone-fest that has an excellent supporting cast including Lance Henriksen, Stuart Wilson, Kevin Dillon, Kevin J. O’Connor, Michael Lerner, and Ernie Hudson. Read more…
FORT APACHE – Richard Hageman
GREATEST SCORES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Original Review by Craig Lysy
Director John Ford believed the Saturday Evening Post story “Massacre” by James Warner Bellah told a story he believed needed to be brought to the big screen. This film would be the first of Ford’s renowned “Cavalry Trilogy”, followed by “She Wore A Yellow Ribbon” in 1949, and “Rio Grande” in 1950, which all starred John Wayne. Ford’s production company Argosy Pictures purchased the film rights, with he and Merian C. Cooper overseeing production with a $2.1 million budget. Ford would also direct and Frank S. Nugent would write the screenplay. Ford assembled an impressive cast, which included John Wayne as Captain Kirby York, Henry Fonda as Lieutenant Colonel Owen Thursday, Shirley Temple as Miss Philadelphia Thursday, John Agar as Second Lieutenant Michael Shannon “Mickey” O’Rourke, and Pedro Armendáriz as Sergeant Beaufort. Read more…
FRANK AND JESSE – Mark McKenzie
THROWBACK THIRTY
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
Frank and Jesse is a mid-budget western film directed by Robert Boris, starring Bill Paxton and Rob Lowe in the roles of the notorious outlaw brothers Frank and Jesse James, who became cult figures for their exploits robbing banks and trains in the Wild West in the 1860s and 1870s. It’s a complete hagiography of course, treating the James Brothers as folk heroes akin to Robin Hood rather than the thieves and murderers that they were; the film specifically looks at the period immediately after the end of the Civil War when Frank and Jesse – disillusioned by the result of the conflict and suffering severe financial hardship caused by unscrupulous Chicago railroad investors – get a gang together and set off on a trail of bank robberies, train heists, and stage holdups while evading the dogged pursuit of Allan Pinkerton and his newly-created detective agency. The film co-starred country superstar Randy Travis, Dana Wheeler-Nicholson, and William Atherton as Pinkerton; it originally aired on HBO, before receiving a limited theatrical run, where it grossed a mere $50,000, and then essentially disappeared into obscurity. Read more…
DRAGONKEEPER – Arturo Cardelús
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
Dragonkeeper is a Spanish-Chinese-American animated fantasy adventure film directed by Salvador Simó and Li Jianping, adapted from the popular novel by Australian author Carole Wilkinson. The film is set in ancient China and follows Ping, a slave girl for the evil master Lan, who saves the life of an aging dragon named Danzi and escapes from Lan’s palace. Pursued by a ruthless dragon hunter named Diao, Ping and Danzi make an epic journey across China carrying a mysterious stone that must be protected as it is vital to the dragon’s legacy. The film’s English-language voice cast includes Bill Nighy, Bill Bailey, Anthony Howell, and young Mayalinee Griffiths as Ping. Read more…
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