Living for the Cinema

Forty years ago, this low-budget teen comedy featuring a mostly unknown cast was released to little fanfare but it became an instant sleeper hit and it happened to also introduce the world to the unique screen presence of Nicholas Cage who was only 18 during production.  He plays Randy, a bohemian punkish kid from Hollywood who falls hard for the titular girl from the Valley, Julie played by Deborah Foreman - their romance from opposite sides of the tracks starts to resemble the tragedy of Romeo & Juliet, only with much less death. ;) Martha Coolidge directed this charming time capsure from the early '80's featuring a KILLER soundtrack including tunes from Modern English, Men At Work, The Human League, and Sparks.

Host: Geoff Gershon
 
 Editors: Geoff and Ella Gershon

Producer: Marlene Gershon

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Our ongoing series of notable Tom Cruise vehicles from different eras continues, all leading to the release of Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part I coming this July.  This particular episode focuses on a time in the early '2000's when Cruise was both considered one of the biggest movie stars in the world AND still chasing interesting parts with top-flight directors....this was his first and only collaboration with the legendary Michael Mann who had just recently directed seminal films like Heat and The Insider.  Cruise plays an elite hit-man on a one night mission to assassinate six targets in six different areas of Los Angeles....and for transportation, he enlists Jamie Foxx' Max who drives a taxi but aspires to more.  He also never envisioned himself driving an assassin around for the night nor does he condone murder - Max is also of course scared for his OWN life which is where the story derives much of its tension.  

And what results is an elegantly shot night-time thriller as we follow both Vincent and Max to various locations to meet various characters with an extensive cast that also includes Jada Pinkett-Smith, Mark Ruffalo, Javier Bardem, and Bruce McGill.  Let's find out where the night takes us.....

Host: Geoff Gershon
 
 Editors: Geoff and Ella Gershon

Producer: Marlene Gershon

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Fifteen years ago, Jason Statham was gradually making his mark as one of our most reliable action stars having already headlined two Transporter movies and the first of two Crank movies.  Amidst all of this action insanity, he took a bit of a departure with a more cerebral starring role in this labyrinthine bank heist thriller based on a crazy series of true events occurring in London in 1971.  He leads an amateur gang of thieves out to raid the underground vault of a nearby bank who end up all biting off WAY more than they could have ever expected to chew as they end up getting mixed up with local druglords, government agents, and even members of the Royal Family!  Roger Donaldson directs this underrated gem of a thriller also starring Saffron Burrows and David Suchet.

Host: Geoff Gershon
 
 Editors: Geoff and Ella Gershon

Producer: Marlene Gershon

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Four armed men hijack a New York City subway car and demand a $1 million dollar ransom for the passengers - they are lead by Robert Shaw's Mr. Blue. (That's his codename among the other hijackers) In response, the city's police try to figure out how to respond - they are lead by transit cop Lieutenant Garber played by Walter Matthau.  And what results is a tense action-packed standoff between cops and criminals in a movie which was so influential that it inspired two star-studded remakes in the decades since....including the most recent 2009 remake starring Denzel Washington and John Travolta.  The stacked cast for this original version also includes Martin Balsam, Hector Elizondo, and James Broderick - it was directed by Joseph Sargent. 

Host: Geoff Gershon
 
 Editors: Geoff and Ella Gershon

Producer: Marlene Gershon

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As we are now in the midst of March Madness, let's revisit one of the more unsung basketball dramas of recent years which happens to feature VERY little actual basketball.  Andre Holland stars as Ray Burke, a hot-shot NBA agent representing an aspiring rookie (Melvin Gregg) who is struggling to figure out what to do with himself as the beginning of his first season is delayed as as a result of a protracted lockout forced by the league's owners.  Ray plots to figure out ways to both end the lockout AND a possible new way for the players to compete on the court SEPARATE from the League....and that's where the plot starts to thicken resulting in a sports drama which ends up focusing more on what happens OFF the court.  

"LFTC" stalwart Steven Soderbergh helmed, edited, and shot this entire film on his IPhone - this is now our FIFTH episode featuring one of his movies, a podcast record! :) Also co-starring are Zazie Beetz, Sonja Sohn, Kyle MacLachlan, and the irreplaceable Bill Duke. 

Host: Geoff Gershon
 
 Editors: Geoff and Ella Gershon

Producer: Marlene Gershon

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Just in time for St. Patrick's Day, we revisit the 30th anniversary of one of the most memorable dramas recounting one of the darker periods in the ongoing conflict between the Irish and the British in the 20th Century.  This is the unforgettable story of Gerry Conlon, a young man from Belfast who was wrongly convicted and imprisoned for orchestrating the IRA bombing of a British pub in 1974, which resulted in several deaths.  His father Guiseppe is also imprisoned and we watch as father and son battle to earn their freedom along with getting to know each other - Gerry is played by Daniel Day-Lewis and Guiseppe is played by Pete Posthelwaite, both of whom earned Oscar nominations.  Also earning nominations were Emma Thompson who co-stars as the lead attorney representing the Conlons and the director of the film, Jim Sheridan.

Host: Geoff Gershon
 
 Editors: Geoff and Ella Gershon

Producer: Marlene Gershon

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Professional boxing champion Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) returns and this time he MIGHT be facing his toughest opponent.  That would be childhood friend and recent ex-con Damian Anderson played by Jonathan Majors.  Damian might also have more on his mind than just rekindling their friendship as he's apparently focused on one thing....become the new champion. :o What results is one part psychological thriller, one part boxing drama and ALL of it is helmed by Michael B. Jordan in his directorial debut.  Also returning is Tessa Thompson as Bianca Creed although NOT returning is Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa.....hmmm. 

Host: Geoff Gershon
 
 Editors: Geoff and Ella Gershon

Producer: Marlene Gershon

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Twenty-five years ago, the writing/director duo Joel & Ethan Coen released this as the follow-up to their Oscar-winning classic from two years prior, Fargo.  Whereas that film was a tense kidnapping thriller for the most part, the tone of this film was much sillier, filled with jokes related to bowling, nihilism, and White Russians.  As a result, the reception from most critics AND American audiences at the time was decidedly mixed....the film was generally viewed as a disappointment back in 1998.  But over time, this film started to garner a sizeable cult following and nowadays, many look back on it fondly as a modern classic and one of the Coens' best.  

Maybe it's due to the stacked cast?  This film stars Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Sam Elliott among several others......The Dude Abides!

Host: Geoff Gershon
 
 Editors: Geoff and Ella Gershon

Producer: Marlene Gershon

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For the next two weeks, we will be taking a break to get our proverbial batteries recharged - we'll be ok and will be back to releasing new episodes by the beginning of March! ;)

In the meantime, feel free to  enjoy this special episode counting down the best films released in 2022....just in time for the Oscars which are coming up soon! 

If you would like to hear the full stand-alone episodes for any films cited, they are each linked below....

Host: Geoff Gershon
 
 Editors: Geoff and Ella Gershon

Producer: Marlene Gershon

LINKS FOR FULL REVIEWS OF
2022 FILMS CITED IN THIS EPISODE:
BROS
EVERYTHING EVERWHERE ALL AT ONCE
GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY
KIMI
NOPE
PREY
R.R.R.
SHE SAID
TAR
THE BATMAN
THE GOOD NURSE
TOP GUN MAVERICK

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For the next two weeks, we will be taking a break to get our proverbial batteries recharged - we'll be ok and be back to releasing new episodes by the beginning of March! ;)  In the meantime to celebrate President's Day, enjoy this remastered episode reviewing a dizzying '90's epic.....

Just over thirty years ago, three-time Oscar Winner Oliver Stone directed one of the most controversial major studio films of all time and it was about one of the most consequential events of the latter half of the 20th Century….the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in November 1963. 

But it wasn’t just about the assassination of a sitting President, it was even more so about the CONSPIRACY behind that assassination and the investigation to uncover the truth about this conspiracy….or at least how Oliver Stone saw things. 

And what resulted was a dizzying 3+ hour epic conspiracy thriller/courtroom drama featuring a high-powered cast including Kevin Costner, Joe Pesci, Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland, Gary Oldman, and too many other notable actors to mention. 

Much of what was portrayed in this film was based on fact but much was also based on speculation – how much does this film blur the lines between those two?  It’s time to revisit one of the most influential films of the ’90s and how it still holds up even as just a movie…..

Host: Geoff Gershon
 
 Editors: Geoff and Ella Gershon

Producer: Marlene Gershon

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