Living for the Cinema

This was the directorial debut of the late, great Penny Marshall (Big, A League of Their Own, Awakenings) and it stars (in only her second on-screen acting role) Oscar-winner Whoopi Goldberg (Ghost, Sister Act, The Color Purple) who plays Terry Doolittle, a computer whiz who works at an international bank when one day her terminal starts receiving mysterious messages from an individual overseas with the online handle, "Jumpin' Jack Flash."  Being a lonely, curious person in search of adventure and intrigue, Terry not only forms a relationship with 'Jack but becomes enveloped within an increasingly complicated espionage plot involving the KGB and British Intelligence. :o And what results is a somewhat dated (with regards to technology) but very funny techno-thriller comedy with Whoopi at its center at the height of her comedic powers!  This film's stacked supporting cast includes John Wood, Stephen Collins, Annie Potts, Carol Kane, Jeroen Krabbe and Jonathan Pryce along with several alumni of Saturday Night Live including Jon Lovitz, Jim Belushi, and the late, great Phil Hartman.  It's a gas, gas, gas!!!

As referenced within this review, see below for a link to the official music video for Aretha Franklin's cover version of the title song!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9biAp1-mBQ&list=RDO9biAp1-mBQ&start_radio=1

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon  

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Considered by many to be his best film overall, this was the late, great David Lynch's (Mulholland Drive, Wild At Heart, Twin Peaks) follow-up to the massive flop which was his adaptation of Dune just two years prior - he both wrote and direct this mind-bender and also earned an Oscar nominatiion for Best Director.  The story focuses on Jeffrey (Kyle McLachlan), a small-town college student who's home to take care of his father's local hardware store when suddenly one day....he finds a severed ear in a nearby forest and decides to take it upon himself to investigate WHOSE ear this might be and the mystery surrounding it.  Initially helping him is local student Sandy (Laura Dern) whom he develops a romance with.  Their investigation leads him to the apartment of a local lounge singer named Dorothy (Isabella Rossellini) who has both a beautiful voice and some very dark secrets.  One night, Jeffrey sneaks into her apartment to find out what Dorothy's hiding and he witnesses some shocking brutality from a local villain thug named Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper).....and what results is a dizzying, haunting thriller which defies explanation and remains one of the more ground-breaking films of the 1980's! 

WARNING: DISTURBING VIOLENCE PORTRAYED VIA MOVIE CLIPS HEARD WITHIN THIS EPISODE

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon  

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Accclaimed creators Nathan Fielder (The Curse, The Rehearsal) and Lance Oppenheim (Primetime, Ren Fair) have collaborated to direct this now highly-buzzed about documentary about infamous former tech billionaire Elizabeth Holmes.  Just over 30 days before she is to report to federal prison for crimes convicted in association with the creation of Theranos, Holmes has invited Nathan Fielder to her beachfront home to spend time getting to know Elizabeth and her family, including entrepeneur Billy Evans and the three young children they have had together.  What results ends up being much more than your standard documentary interview.....

As mentioned within this review, see below for links to my written Letterboxd reviews of both "The Dropout" Hulu series and "The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley" documentary on HBO Max:

https://letterboxd.com/living4cinema/film/the-dropout/

https://letterboxd.com/living4cinema/film/the-inventor-out-for-blood-in-silicon-valley/

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon  

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Set in Spain during World War II, this is the moving story of a young girl named Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) who is sent along with her pregnant mother (Ariadna Gil) to live with her new stephfather (Sergi Lopez), a ruthless captain of the Spanish army.  During her first night there, she meets a fairy who takes her to meet an old faun (Doug Jones) in the nearby forest.....which is also at the center of a labyrinch.  And thus begins a haunting, fantastical adventure which is part fairy tale and part war story.  This modern classic was both written and directed by Oscar-winner Guillermo Del Toro (The Shape of Water, Hellboy, Blade II, Nightmare Alley) and became a worldwide phenomenon, eventually winning three Oscars for Cinematography, Art Direction, and Makeup.  

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon  

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Based (loosely) upon real events, this is the incredible story of an incident which occurred in 1896 on a railroad construction site in Africa run by the British Empire.  Two mysterious lions started mauling and killing dozen's of local workers, resulting in an intense effort lead by the British Colonel (Val Kilmer) overseeing the site....to hunt AND take down these two murderous lions.  The lions are nicknamed, "The Ghost" and "The Darkness" and they prove VERY difficult to find and kill! :o Written by Oscar-winner William Goldman (All the President's Men Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid) and directed by Stephen Hopkins (Predator 2, Blown Away, Lost in Space), this rousing adventure opened thirty years ago to middling box office and reviews....but has since built a bit of a cult following.  It co-stars Michael Douglas, John Kani, and Tom Wilkinson.

Prey For The Hunters.  

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon  

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Someone's Taken Their Love of Scary Movies One Step Too Far.....

It has been almost one year since high-school student Sydney (Neve Campbell) had to deal with the aftermath of the brutal murder of her mother.....now there's a new killer on the loose around the sleepy town of Woodsboro and apparently, he's now targeting her?? :o Teenagers are being killed all over town and everyone's a suspect....and what results is one of THE more influential horror films of all time which is approaching it's 30th Anniversary!  Directed by horror master Wes Craven (Nightmare on Elm Street, The People Under the Stairs, The Hills Have Eyes), this iconic thriller also co-stars Skeet Ulrich, Rose McGowan, Matthew Lillard, Jamie Kennedy, and Henry Winkler.  

It's a SCREAM baby!!!

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon  

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Digger Rockwell (Oscar-nominee Tom Cruise) is one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in the world who runs a lucrative oil company which has been digging for oill in the Arctic.  One fateful morning, it is revaled to him that a drilling operation in that part of the world has inadverdently caused a massive glacier to break apart.....and it's headed towards Europe, which would result in a MAJOR environmental catastrophe. :o Suddenly he finds himself surrounded by American leaders, scientists, family members, and various other lackeys ALL freaking out over the impending disaster....how will he handle this, will he come up with a solution, is it too late to save the world??  Oscar-winner Alejando G. Inarritu (The Revenant, Birdman, Amores Perros) directs this over-the-top satire which now seems destined to be one of the biggest box office flops of recent years....does it deserve the hate?  Also co-starring Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Huller, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jesse Plemons, and Emma D'arcy among several others....there's only way to find out. ;) Let's enter the world of Digger.....

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon  

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A punk rock band is forced to fight for survival after witnessing something they shouldn't have at a bar run by Neo-Nazi skinheads.....and those skinheads are lead by Sir Patrick Stewart (Star Trek: The Next Generation, X-Men)?? :o What results is a brutal thriller when the band lead by Pat (Anton Yelchin) and Sam (Alia Shakwat) have to figure out increasingly ruthless ways to escape this situation alive.  Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Jeremy Saulnier (Rebel Ridge, Blue Ruin) and just in time for spooky season, let's revisit one of the more intense horror thrillers of recent years.....

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon  

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Based upon one of the earliest novels from Stephen King, this is the tragic story of Carrie White (Oscar-winner Sissy Spacek) who's a troubled teenage girl struggling to fit in at her local high school.  Carries's life is dominated by her very religious mother, Margaret (Oscar-nominee Piper Laurie) who has completely isolated her from every one else around her.  Carrie also discovers that she has a special gift...an ability to move people and objects with her mind. :o Suddenly, Carrie finds herself being courted by Tommy (William Katt) who has asked her to be his prom date.  So then one fateful night, Carrie goes to the Prom with Tommy hoping to finally enjoy herself among her fellow students, but some other students (Nancy Allen, John Travolta) have other plans for her.....and chaos ensues!  This enduring horror classic received two Oscar nominations for both Spacek and Laurie, while also being the first breakout hit for director Brian DePalma (Scarface, The Untouchables, Mission Impossible, Blow Out).

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon  

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Nick Styles (Oscar-winner Denzel Washington) is a hot shot LAPD cop-turned-Assistant DA who took off after publicly nabbing a murderous criminal named Earl Talbot Blake (Oscar-nominee John Lithgow) who ends up in prison afterwards.  Only Earl has other ideas.....not just escape, but REVENGE.:o So after a brutal prison scape, Earl plots to ruin Nick's life and terrorize every one involved with him.....and violent, sleazy chao ensues!  This was one of Denzel's first major starring vehicles and his first true action role not longer after his first Oscar win in 1990 - it was a minor hit upon release but has since become a cult classic not ony resulting Denzel's stardom but a genuinely over-the-top villain performance from Lithgow. (Is there any kind? :P)) Directed by Russell Mulcahy (Highlander, The Shadow), this hard-core '90's actioner also co-stars Ice T, Kevin Pollak, and Victoria Dillard. 

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon  

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