Making a smart movie about dumb characters is no easy business. Overplay their dim-wittedness and the characters become unlikable. Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure has always, for me, threaded that needle very skillfully, to deliver an endearing comedy about a pair of lovable doofuses. In this week’s Film at 11 podcast, I take one of… Read More Film at 11 Podcast: Episode 7 | Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)
For our Film at 11 podcast this week, my young son learns a valuable life lesson from watching the 1984 sci-fi adventure The Last Starfighter, which unambiguously delivers the message that playing video games is the most important skill any kid can ever learn and may literally help save the universe. As a parent, I… Read More Film at 11 Podcast: Episode 6 | The Last Starfighter (1984)
In this week’s episode of the Film at 11 podcast, I sit down with my son to watch the very kid-friendly baseball flick The Sandlot. It was a first-time viewing for the both of us. Afterward, we share our thoughts on the movie from both a parent’s and a Fifth Grader’s perspective. I was 19-years-old… Read More Film at 11 Podcast: Episode 5 | The Sandlot (1993)
Up, up and away! Richard Donner’s 1978 Superman (typically marketed as Superman: The Movie, even though that’s not how it’s credited on screen) was a record-setting blockbuster in its day and has endured as a beloved classic of its genre. However, can the movie still hold the attention of today’s kids raised on the CGI… Read More Film at 11 Podcast: Episode 4 | Superman (1978)
The Film at 11 podcast is back with its original co-host, my 11-year-old son Joseph. This week, I introduce him to Edward Scissorhands, the movie that may serve as a statement piece to define director Tim Burton’s entire career. Joseph tells me he doesn’t typically like movies with too much drama, and this one sure… Read More Film at 11 Podcast: Episode 3 | Edward Scissorhands (1990)
For the second episode of our new Film at 11 podcast series, I’ve both chosen a new movie and switched 11-year-olds! This week, I introduce my son Thomas to director Joe Dante’s delightfully wicked dark comedy Gremlins. The kid was actually a little nervous going into this one. I first saw Gremlins when I was… Read More Film at 11 Podcast: Episode 2 | Gremlins (1984)
This week, we launch a new feature here at The Video File blog. For the past couple months, I’ve been quietly working on a video podcast called Film at 11, in which I’ve convinced my sons to watch famous movies they’ve never seen before and discuss them with me, offering their reviews from an 11-year-old… Read More Introducing “Film at 11,” A New Movie Podcast from The Video File: Episode 1 | Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
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