Living for the Cinema

It's CHRISTMAS MOVIE WEEK 2023, Season's Greetings!!!  

What better way to kick things off than the much-anticipated sequel to one of THE greatest Christmas movies ever....Die Hard?  This came out only two years later and needless to say, it brings back a lot of the elements from that first action classic from '88.....our hero John McClane (Bruce Willis) taking on several terrorists (lead by William Sadler) within a somewhat confined space, his wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia) once again in peril, law enforcement on the ground who only make things worse, and unexpected sidekicks who help him along the way.  Only this time the action is set at a crowded airport being pummeled by snow AND it's directed by some one new....'90's action-master Renny Harlin who would go on to also direct several other notable action films throughout the '90's including Cliffhanger and The Long Kiss Goodnight, the latter of which is ALSO a memorable Christmas action movie.  So strap in, remember to have reliable shoes on, keep extra cartridges handy, be prepared to crawl through new ducts....because it's time to DIE HARDER. ;) 

 Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon 

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The legendary director of Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, American Gangster, and.....Exodus: Gods and Kings (!) has returned to deliver another historical epic.  Oscar-nominated legend Ridley Scott (also Alien, Thelma & Louise) directs the story of Napoleon Bonaparte, the renowned French King/General who took Europe by storm just over 200 years ago....and he's played by recent Oscar-winner Joaquin Phoenix.  His beloved wife/empress Josephine is also played by recent Oscar-nominee Vanessa Kirby.

The narrative takes us through Napoleon's tumultuous relationship with Josephine and also through several of the most memorable battles in which he participated....but does it cover his WHOLE story?  And does that even matter?  Sir Ridley takes us back through history in a manner only he can.  

 Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon 

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Thirty years ago in the lead-up to its release, this Western historical epic was looked upon as "the Other Wyatt Earp" movie with the troubled production as the following year, there was a much hyped bigger budget biopic of Wyatt Earp starring Kevin Costner coming out.  Since they covered similar subjects, both films were in a race for production and this one was first.....with some costs.  Over the time of production, it had three different directors eventually landing on star Kurt Russell who also played Wyatt Earp. (The official director is still listed as George P. Cosmatos) 

But lo and behold....once it hit theaters in December 1993, people LOVED it!  The story focuses on the Earp family (Bill Paxton and Sam Elliott play his brothers) coming to the gold rush town of Tombstone to strike it rich and they do....but they also make enemies with a gang known as "The Cowboys" lead by Curly Bill played by the late, great Powers Boothe.  The movie became a sleeper cult hit with a following which just grew and grew over time - to most audiences, it was exciting, funny, emotional, and eminently quotable!  Most of the better quotes came from the character of Doc Holliday played by Val Kilmer in an iconic performance.  Let's see how it holds up....

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon 

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Just over thirty years ago, we saw the unheralded release of this latest futuristic action thriller directed by Marco Brambilla starring Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes....only it was actually more of a comedy. :o   And Stallone was actually being INTENTIONALLY funny for a change.....and here was Snipes at the peak of his stardom playing a Joker-like homicidal villain....and playing a prominent supporting role was a younger up-and-coming actress named Sandra Bullock who kind of steals the movie?  

Yup this movie ended up surprising audiences and critics alike, not only becoming a solid box office hit but building a legacy of being one of the more quotable and meme-able comedies of its era.  It takes place in the not-too-distant future of 2030 in the utopian (?) metropolis of San Angeles where there is no crime, no profanity, and no place to eat out besides Taco Bell! :) A master criminal Simon Phoenix (Snipes) has been released into this environment and they are clearly NOT ready for him....so what better way to take on a maniac than sending in ANOTHER maniac from the past who would be the notorious cop John Spartan (Stallone)?  It's STALLONE vs. SNIPES!   

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon 

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Aren't movie weddings SUCH fun?? :) Well it certainly depends on who's attending of course along with the current emotional states of the families involved.  This highly acclaimed melodrama from fifteen years ago focuses on the Buchman's, a family which MIGHT not be in the best place at this time despite their oldest daughter Rachel....getting married. (Hence the title)  Rachel is played by Rosemarie DeWitt and the potential monkey wrench in her wedding weekend is the return of her sister Kym who is still in recovery after battling drug addiction for most of her life.  Kym is played by Anne Hathaway delivering a shattering performance which earned her an Oscar nomination.  What follows is a crazy weekend filled with memorable reunions, loads of music, and some intense arguments.  This was directed by the late, great Jonathan Demme (Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia, Something Wild) towards the end of his storied career.  It also stars Bill Irwin, Debra Winger, Anna Deavere Smith, and Tunde Adebimpe along with several others.

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon 

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The long-awaited sequel to the 2019 smash hit Captain Marvel is finally here.....and is the Marvel fanbase excited?  Well it seems that due to much negative coverage in the lead-up to to its release, they might not be.  But is that reflective of its quality?  Well for this new entry in the franchise, we have a new talented director on board with Nia DaCosta (2021's Candyman) along with a couple of talented new cast-members including Miss Marvel (Iman Vellani) and Monica Rambeua (Teyonah Parris) who are now joining Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) on her latest adventure to defend the universe.  Let's see if this latest entry in the massively successful MCU franchise lives up (or down) to the hype.....

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon 

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Over the past five decades, there have been several docudramas devoted to stories from The Nixon Era including films focusing on his presidency (Nixon), the investigation of the Watergate break-in (All The President's Men, Dick), and even smaller episodes WITHIN his presidency such as Elvis & Nixon which came out just a few years ago starring Michael Shannon as Elvis and Kevin Spacey as Richard Nixon.  But about 15 years ago, Ron Howard directed a somewhat unique POV of President Nixon.....the story of an independently filmed interview between Tricky Dick himself (Frank Langella) and a then somewhat well-known media personality David Frost who was played by Michael Sheen.  This movie was also adapted by an acclaimed stage play written by Peter Morgan (The Crown) who would himself adapt his play for the big screen.  And not only did it receive some awards attention (nominated for Best Picture) but considering its subject matter, it turned out to be quite entertaining!  So it's time to revisit this often funny docudrama also co-starring Kevin Bacon, Oliver Platt, Matthew Macfayden, and Rebecca Hall and remember.....if the President does it, it's NOT ILLEGAL! ;) 

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon 

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Fincher's back!  (David that is) As it is Fassbender...Michael Fassbender as his star.  The Oscar-nominated director of Seven, Fight Club, and The Social Network has returned towards directing his first full-on thriller in more than a decade.  (If we're not counting Gone Girl which is as much a social satire and domestic comedy/drama) Fincher is telling us a story (based on a French graphic novel of the same name) about an unnamed lone assassin (Fassbender) traversing across the globe, determined to go up the chain of another planned kill which affected some one close to him.  It's a lean, mean, chilly excursion into the world of a man who specializes in only one particular set of skills....and as he encounters others in this world, those skills are undoubtedly tested.   Co-stars included Arliss Howard, Charles Parnell, and Tilda Swinton.  It's time to make a killing.....

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon 

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For a long-running franchise like the James Bond series, the release of Casino Royale in 2006 was just a shot in the arm - this was the first film starring Daniel Craig as Agent 007 and it was also THE first film in the history of this franchise to be a genuine reboot.  It received stellar reviews, made a ton of money, and was beloved by fans....it was also the first entry to end on a genuine cliffhanger.  The plan for the next film was to have an immediate follow-up for our lead character as that ending would directly lead into this next story from the first scene on.  So needless to say, expectations were QUITE high for this follow-up sequel released just about two years later....

And while this movie did make as much money as its predecessor, the reviews were much worse and for the most part, fans were quite disappointed.  This came from a director (Marc Forster) who had never directed a big budget entertainment like this before and it also started filming without a finished script.....and since there was a writer's strike at the time, that script remained largely unfinished through production.  AND....this was a generally downbeat story also filmed in an admitted more claustrophobic style.  It just left a sour taste in the mouths of audiences which fortunately was forgotten four years later with the release of the beloved Skyfall.

So now revisiting this sequel 15 years later, was it really that bad?  Well it featured a strong cast including Olga Kurylenko as the latest "Bond girl," Mathieu Amalric as the latest villain, and some returning cast from the previous film including Judi Dench, Giancarlo Giannini, and Jeffrey Wright.  So let's find out....if there was a quantum....of....solace? :\

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon 

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Welcome to the second half of this week's run of Brian DePalma/Al Pacino collaborations as this crime drama came out ten years after Scarface starring Pacino in title role in his first performance following his long overdue (and several say not deserved) Oscar win for Best Actor for Scent of a Woman earlier that same year.  This was now an older, wiser Pacino....yet arguably just as loud, this time portraying a renowned former drug dealer who just got released from prison and is now trying to go straight. 

Only several folks around him have other ideas... including his trusted attorney Kleinfeld (Sean Penn) and potential new rival gangster Benny Blanco (John Leguizamo)....all the while he's trying to rekindle the romance with his former flame Gale played by Penelope Ann Miller.  And what results is a big, brash crime epic set in New York City the '70's which is loaded with no shortage of memorable costumes, locales, lines of dialogue, and of course - this being DePalma - some unforgettable suspense set-pieces.  Luis Guzman and Viggo Mortensen also co-star in this seminal film which is about to turn 30.

WARNING: GRAPHIC LANGUAGE & GRAPHIC VIOLENCE PORTRAYED THROUGHOUT MOVIE CLIPS

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon 

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