Living for the Cinema

Oscar-winning writer/director Ethan Coen (No Country For Old Men, Fargo) and wrtier/producer/editor Tricia Cooke (The Big Lebowski, O Brother Where Art Thou) collaborate on their second film together for the second year in a row after 2024's Drive Away Dolls.  And once again, their film stars Emmy-nominee Margaret Qualley (Maid, Fosse/Verdon, The Substance) who this time is playing the titular Honey Donohue, who is a private detective investigating multiple murders around Bakersfield....could those crimes be connected?  And do they all lead to the local corrupt preacher Drew Devlin played by Chris Evans? (Captain America trilogy, Knives Out, Sunshine) And just how does a local cop named MG Falcone (Aubrey Plaza) whom Honey strikes up a romance with exactly factor into all of this?  Let's find out if even just one Coen brother can keep the magic going....  

Host: Geoff Gershon
Edited By Ella Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon

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Right at the height of his '90's powers, Oscar-winner Spike Lee (Do the Right Thing, Inside Man, Blackkklansman) decided to direct and co-adapt this powerful crime novel from Richard Price (creator of "The Wire") about a murder investigation in Brooklyn which goes much deeper than any one could have expected.  Among the prime suspects is Strike (Mekhi Phifer) who is a beleagured "clocker" which is another term for a middle-man drug pusher.  This racket is truly taking its toll on Strike who wants to find an escape.....and on his tail is the lead investigator of this murder, Detective Klein (Harvey Keitel).  Further complicating matters is that Strike's legit-working brother Victor (Isaiah Washington) becomes implicated and casting a shadow over all of this are the ruthless machinations of Strike's boss, the local druglord Rodney played by Delroy Lindo.  What results is a searing, unflinching crime drama which kind of got lost in the shuffle upon first release but has endured over the past thirty years as one of Lee's most accomplished films.  The stacked cast also includes John Turturro, Regina Taylor, Thomas Jefferson Byrd, and Keith David. 

Host: Geoff Gershon
Edited By Ella Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon

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For the first time in nineteen years, Oscar-winning director Spike Lee and Oscar-winning actor Denzel Washington have re-united for their fifth collaboration after Mo Better Blues, Malcolm X, He Got Game, and Inside Man.  Washington stars as David, a New York City music mogul with ONE goal at the outset of this story: to retain full control of the record label he had built over the past several decades to reconnect with the music.  However some other mysterious figure has other ideas as he calls David out of the blue claiming to suddently have kidnapped the mogul's son Trey (Aubrey Joseph) and he is demanding a LOT of money in return. :o In his corner is personal driver/bodyguard Paul played by Oscar-nominee Jeffrey Wright.  And what results is a high-energy thriller/musical/New York movie which also happens to be a loose remake of Akira Kurosawa's 1963 classic High and Low.    

Host: Geoff Gershon
Edited By Ella Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon

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Last night at 2:17 am every child from Mrs. Gandy's class woke up, got out of bed, went downstairs, opened the front door, walked into the dark ...and they never came back

That's the frightening premise which kicks off this folk horror tale taking place in a small town from writer/director Zach Cregger (Barbarian) and things just get crazier from there as we witness the aftermath of tragic incident from various POV's.  We follow various characters directly OR indirectly involved with this incident including Mrs. Gandy herself (Julia Garner), one of the missing kids' father (Josh Brolin), a local police officer (Alden Ehrenreich), and the school's principal (Benedict Wong) among a select few others.  And what results is one of the most buzzed about new original movies of the year, let's see if it lives up to the buzz....

Host: Geoff Gershon
Edited By Ella Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon

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For much of August, we will be taking a break to get our proverbial batteries recharged - we'll be back to releasing new episodes before the end of the month.

In the meantime, enjoy this special episode going back through our catalog of mor20 episodes to rank THE  TOP TEN SEQUELS OF ALL TIME!

Host: Geoff Gershon
Edited By Ella Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon

Links to Episodes Cited (alphabetical order by title):

https://livingforthecinema.buzzsprout.com/1764842/episodes/12843457-aliens-1986-re-release

https://livingforthecinema.buzzsprout.com/1764842/episodes/9697001-batman-returns-1992-living-for-the-batman-series

https://livingforthecinema.buzzsprout.com/1764842/episodes/13310394-blade-1998-blade-ii-2002

https://livingforthecinema.buzzsprout.com/1764842/episodes/12653515-the-color-of-money-1986-living-for-the-cruise-series

https://livingforthecinema.buzzsprout.com/1764842/episodes/14580697-dune-part-ii-2024

https://livingforthecinema.buzzsprout.com/1764842/episodes/17048990-the-empire-strikes-back-1980

https://livingforthecinema.buzzsprout.com/1764842/episodes/16187307-the-godfather-part-ii-1974

https://livingforthecinema.buzzsprout.com/1764842/episodes/15139326-lethal-weapon-2-1989

https://livingforthecinema.buzzsprout.com/1764842/episodes/14534986-the-road-warrior-1981-living-for-the-max-series

https://livingforthecinema.buzzsprout.com/1764842/episodes/10591791-star-trek-ii-the-wrath-of-khan-1982

https://livingforthecinema.buzzsprout.com/1764842/episodes/8718061-terminator-2-judgment-day-1991

https://livingforthecinema.buzzsprout.com/1764842/episodes/10698821-top-gun-maverick-2022

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Directed by Akiva Schaffer (Hot Rod, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping), this is a a 21st Century relaunch of the crime spoof franchise which kicked off in 1988 with the original "The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!" which starred the late, great Leslie Neilsen as Lt. Frank Drebin.  Well the mantle has now been passed to Oscar-nominee Liam Neeson (Schindler's List, Darkman, Taken) who plays his son, Lt. Frank Drebin Jr.  This time around, he has his own crimes to solve kicking off with the murder of the brother of the mysterious Beth Davenport played by Pamela Anderson (The Last Showgirl, Barb Wire, Baywatch).  Furthermore, the prime suspect MIGHT be tech billionaire Richard Cane played by Danny Huston (The Constant Gardener, Wonder Woman, Children of Men).  And hilarity ensues?  Let's find out if this latest reboot can bring the funny as well as the original....  

See below for a link to a special video featuring a DELIGHTFUL scene from another movie featuring a needle-drop used within this movie:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77m3XlhQwaI

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon

Editor: Ella Gershon

Producer: Marlene Gershon

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From Sam Raimi, the acclaimed directer of the Evil Dead Trilogy AND Spider-Man Trilogy comes this action thriller which FEELS as if it was based upon a comic book though was actually an original concept developed by Raimi when he was unable to land the rights for The Shadow back in the late '80's.  Oscar-nominee Liam Neeson (Schindler's List, Taken) stars as Payton, a mild-mannered scientist trying to develop synthetic skin.   Oscar-winner Frances McDormand (Fargo, Nomadland) plays his attorney girlfriend Julie who uncovers a real estate scam, and Emmy-winner Larry Drake (LA Law, Dr. Giggles) plays Durant, the mob enforcer who comes along with his goons to rough up Peyton for the evidence, brutalize him, and leave him for dead after dipping much of his body in acid leaving him burned all over....only Peyton isn't dead.  And what results is a wild, crazy, and quotable revenge thriller which came out 35 years ago this summer and developed into a cult hit.

WARNING: GRAPHIC VIOLENCE PORTRAYED VIA MOVIE CLIPS

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon

Editor: Ella Gershon

Producer: Marlene Gershon

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As a follow-up to her beloved '80's cult class Valley Girl, director Martha Coolidge delivered another beloved cult classic two years later with this science-based (sort of) campus comedy starring the late, great Val Kilmer in one of his earliest roles as the wisecracking titular genius Chris Knight.  Knight has been tasked with building a laser by his duplicitous professor (William Atherton) though at least he has help in the form of the latest young genius to be recruited to the fictional Pacific Tech - that would be Mitch Taylor played by Gabriel Jarret (Apollo 13, Frost/Nixon) who's definitely in over his head away from his parents for the first time in his life and the ripe young age of 16.  Chris has to show Mitch the ropes, they both learn from each other as they work to build that laser, and hijinks ensue!  

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon

Editor: Ella Gershon

Producer: Marlene Gershon

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Marvel's First Family has returned to the big screen.....could the THIRD (or actually fourth if we're counting the Roger Corman version which never got a proper theatrical release) time be the charm?  Well it helps that they brought out the big guns: Matt Shankman (WandaVision) is directing and the all-star cast features Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us, The Mandalorian) as Reed Richards otherwise known as Mr. Fantastic, Vaness Kirby (Mission Impossible Fallout, Napoleon) as Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn (A Quiet Place: Day One, Gladiator II) playing Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, and Emmy-winner Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear, Girls) as Ben Grimm otherwise known as Thing.  This is still very much a stand-alone story mostly separate from the MCU (which this is a part of) as the Fab Four are settled in New York City but on an alternative Earth.  And THIS Earth has some scary new visitors....the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) has come calling declaring that GALACTUS (Ralph Ineson) is on his way to consume the planet....who can stop them??  Let's find out out if Producer Kevin Feige's latest big screen heroes are up to the task.....

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon

Editor: Ella Gershon

Producer: Marlene Gershon

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On paper, the set-up for this movie seems fairly conventional: a mild-mannered small-town diner owner named Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) is living an idyllic life in the Indiana countryside with his wife Edie (Maria Bello) and two children when suddenly one night just before closing....two thugs enter his diner and start threatening everyone, start to get violent...and Tom channels the hero inside him to dispatch them and save everyone, then becoming a local hero known all around which starts to attract some attention from the wrong people who go after him and his family.

It almost sounds inspiring....or quirky....or maybe the setup for your typical Liam Neeson action vehicle post-2010. :/ But of course, it's ALL about the execution and thanks to director David Cronenberg (The Fly, Eastern Promises, Naked Lunch) adapting this story from a hyperviolent graphic novel, it's anything BUT conventional.  Also co-starring Ed Harris and William Hurt who received an Oscar nominaion for his performance, this is a tense psychological thriller about one man, his violent nature, and how it affects those around him.  

WARNING: GRAPHIC VIOLENCE PORTRAYED VIA MOVIE CLIPS

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon

Editor: Ella Gershon

Producer: Marlene Gershon

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