Pretentious French Movies About Pretentious French Movies Are Still Pretentious | Irma Vep (1996) Criterion Collection Blu-ray

Irma Vep (1996) - Maggie Cheung

Like countless fictional films about the making of other fictional films (Day for Night, The Player, etc.), French director Olivier Assayas’ 1996 comedy (?) Irma Vep attempts to blur some sort of line between fantasy and reality. However, this one begs a particularly frustrating question: Can a movie really be a satire of pretentious French… Read More Pretentious French Movies About Pretentious French Movies Are Still Pretentious | Irma Vep (1996) Criterion Collection Blu-ray

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You’ll Get Your Rags All Dirty | Jabberwocky (1977) Criterion Collection Blu-ray

Jabberwocky (1977)

During an early scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, a Medieval peasant woman digging in a pool of mud calls up to her son (Michael Palin), “Dennis, there’s some lovely filth down here!” Wallowing in filth is the best either of them can hope for, and is likely better than their current circumstances.… Read More You’ll Get Your Rags All Dirty | Jabberwocky (1977) Criterion Collection Blu-ray

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Film After 11 Podcast | O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)

O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) - Jon Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson & George Clooney

Having saddled myself with the arbitrary gimmick of choosing titles for the Film After 11 podcast this year in alphabetical order, I find myself struggling with the “O” this week. Most of the movies I own beginning with that letter are either inappropriate for a 12-year-old or just not something he’d enjoy. I wound up… Read More Film After 11 Podcast | O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)

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The Sin, the Glitter, the Wickedness | Klute (1971) Blu-ray

Klute (1971) - Jane Fonda

The movie that won Jane Fonda her first acting Oscar, Klute deserves equal credit for director Alan J. Pakula, master of the 1970s paranoid conspiracy thriller. If not a conspiracy story, per se (though a little bit so), Klute is certainly rife with paranoia, and Pakula subverts the thriller genre in unexpected and remarkably effective… Read More The Sin, the Glitter, the Wickedness | Klute (1971) Blu-ray

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Friday Night’s a Great Night for Football | The Last Boyscout (1991) Blu-ray

The Last Boyscout (1991) - Bruce Willis & Damon Wayans

I have one serious gripe against the 1991 Bruce Willis action movie directed by Tony Scott. IMDb, Wikipedia, and just about every other reference source I can find today insist on spelling the title as The Last Boy Scout (four words total), even though the movie’s poster art and opening credits clearly (as I read… Read More Friday Night’s a Great Night for Football | The Last Boyscout (1991) Blu-ray

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Film After 11 Podcast | Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

I’m typically a little wary of watching comedies with my kids for the Film After 11 podcast. The humor in older movies doesn’t always play well for the younger generation. My own boys also almost never laugh during comedies, leaving me unable to read their reactions until asking them later. Nevertheless, this week I introduced… Read More Film After 11 Podcast | Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

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Some Days Just Go Like That | Mystery Train (1989) Criterion Collection Blu-ray

Mystery Train (1989) - Joe Strummer, Steve Buscemi, & Rick Aviles

The appeal of films by Jim Jarmusch, especially his early work, is difficult to explain to someone who’s never watched one, and frankly even to some who have. His movies don’t exactly feel or behave like anything you’d expect from a regular movie. 1989’s Mystery Train, for example, has little story or plot to speak… Read More Some Days Just Go Like That | Mystery Train (1989) Criterion Collection Blu-ray

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