Islands in drama have always been mystical, mysterious places. From the islands in Shakespeare’s “Tempest,” to Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Treasure Island,” every island seems to be rife with a lot of things that might not be found on the mainland. Add to the list director Phyllida Lloyd’s film version of the hit stage musical, “Mama …
Starting in the early 1980s, the practice of ‘tagging,’ adding your name or nickname to signs, walls and subway cars began to take off in a big way in New York.
“In the simplest terms and the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain… an athlete… and a basket case… a princess… and a criminal. Does that answer your question?”- ‘The Breakfast Club,’ by John Hughes With director Nanette Burstein’s first solo documentary film, ‘American Teen,’ …
‘Crawford’ despite its centering around George Bush excels in its ability to tell a story of real people, rather then taking the agenda pushing docutainment route that is so prevalent in the world of documentary cinema.
John Patrick Shanley returns to the director’s chair with this adaptation of his Pulitizer-prize winning play, ‘Doubt.’ (For those of you who remember such things, Shanley’s first film was ‘Joe vs. the Volcano.) Shanley’s second film, is, clearly, worlds away from his first.
What is hope? Why is it important? Can it ever be taken away? Judging from Danny Boyle’s new movie, ‘Slumdog Millionaire,’ the answer to these questions are, simply, let me tell you a story.
‘My name is Harvey Milk and I’m here to recruit you.’ That’s how politician Harvey Milk began almost all of his speeches. And even though he died 30 years ago, both he and his story is still recruiting people. Recruiting people to stand up for what they believe in and to not be afraid …
The Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night inspired the creation of The Monkees, a television series/band whose Beatles-inspired, critics-divined nickname, the Pre-Fab Four, ultimately inspired The Monkees’ first and only foray into film: Head. Follow that? Everything The Beatles were, The Monkees were considered not, despite their later efforts to take what they were given and …
‘Should I Stay or Should I Go?’ ‘Schizophrenia,’ and ‘Stayin’ Alive.’ Sounds like a set list from a high school punk band. It’s actually three songs performed by the group ‘Young @ Heart,’ a singing group made up of 70, 80 and 90 year olds.
One of my picks for one of the best documentaries of the year has to be Second Skin. Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games or MMORPG have been around for a quite a few years, with an estimated user based at $50 million, many see this as the future of gaming.