The Movie Sneak

Some films are perhaps too experimental (or just too ahead of their time) to be understood, ... even by their makers. After winning the Cannes Film Festival's Palm d'or for his 1989 breakout hit SEX, LIES AND VIDEOTAPE, Steven Soderbergh was dubbed the "poster boy of the Sundance generation". Eagerly courted by studios large and small, filmdom eagerly anticipated the wunderkind's next cinematic endeavor. Then when KAFKA hit theaters in November of 1991 there was a loud world-wide collective “What the f**k!” accompanied by a lot of head scratching. Close thematic, visual and tonal kin to Terry Gilliam's earlier BRAZIL, David Cronenberg's later NAKED LUNCH and Alex Proyas' DARK CITY, director Soderbergh and screenwriter Lem Dobbs fashioned KAFKA as their own version of Cronenberg's "Brundle-Fly" - wherein the genomes of different beings were fused together to create an all new one. In this case feeling it impossible to faithfully adapt a Kafka story to the screen “in toto”, they took literary DNA from various works by the author, combined them with references to Kafka's actual life, then stirred them together into a brand new narrative in which the budding author in 1919 Prauge takes place in a freakishly macabre mystery - elements of which would later find their way into some of his most famous stories.

A box office failure, and unavailable on home video for almost 20 years, the film has developed a fervent cult following, ... with us among the loudest members of this "misunderstood masterpiece's" cheerleading squad. Soderbergh himself has since even re-evaluated his own film, and has plans to do a new "Midnight Cut" which would make it even more "Rorshach"-like. If unfamiliar with this gem, join us for a 20 minute "mini pod" rundown of what still remains our all time favorite Soderbergh flick, and one of the most intriguing films of the entire decade of the 90s.

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THE MOVIE SNEAK PODCAST is part of The GullCottage/Sandlot - a film blog, cinema magazine, growing reference library and online network "Celebrating The Art of Cinema, ... And Cinema As Art".

Explore the GULLCOTTAGE / SANDLOT @ www.gullcottageonline.com

Rights to film / TV clips and other audio excerpts held by copyright owners. Presented here for educational and criticism purposes. 

Few big budget studio films since the 1970s exemplify the trichotomy of Luis Puenzo's 1989 historical drama / romance adventure / political treatise masquerading as pulp OLD GRINGO. The eagerly anticipated adaptation of Carlos Fuentes’ lauded 1985 novel “Gringo Viejo” (which took him 20 years off and on to complete), and from the director of the equally acclaimed 1985 Oscar winning film THE OFFICIAL STORY starred Jane Fonda, Gregory Peck and Jimmy Smits in a three-person-point of view narrative which brought together an American school teacher, a General in the Army of Pancho Villa during the Mexican Revolution, and aging legendary journalist / novelist Ambrose Bierce (a fictional version of him anyway) in the final days of his life … . The film took a long and winding road to the screen, premiered out of competition at the Cannes film festival - where it was booed, suffered a delayed then incomplete release in the U.S., and ended up as one of the most critically lambasted box office disappointments of the year. But then again so did other films which have since gone on to become essential cinema - among them John Frankenheimer’s SECONDS (also booed at Cannes), David Lean’s DOCTOR ZHIVAGO - a huge critical piñata when it first opened, and others from FANTASIA and BRINGING UP BABY to BLADE RUNNER and THE THING - all of which were not box office / audience hits upon their initial releases, but which grew in popularity over the years. Does OLD GRINGO deserve such a place in cinema history? We don’t know. But we’ve always felt it was treated incredibly unfair by critics of the day who failed to notice what was really going on below the surface - among the many subtextual themes it's analogy to the Iran-Contra Scandal of the day and more. We also believe that, like SECONDS, BLADE RUNNER et all, it will eventually find it’s audience appreciative of it‘s multi-layered cinematic brilliance and bravado, ... which is kind of why we're here in general. ;)  

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THE MOVIE SNEAK PODCAST is part of The GullCottage/Sandlot - a film blog, cinema magazine, growing reference library and online network "Celebrating The Art of Cinema, ... And Cinema As Art".

Explore the GULLCOTTAGE / SANDLOT @ www.gullcottageonline.com

Rights to film / TV clips and other audio excerpts held by copyright owners. Presented here for educational and criticism purposes. 

Even those who don't subscribe to Cinema 101 "auteur theory" acknowledge that some of the most intriguing films are those wherein a director with a very distinctive and independent cinematic style / stamp / thematic brings that sensibility to what otherwise could be a standard genre programmer, and in so doing elevates it - at least a little - to a more memorable status. Think Donald Cammel's DEMON SEED, Nicolas Roeg's THE WITCHES, and Spike Lee producing TALES FROM THE HOOD, and that'll give a decent impression of the classic caper film (à la OCEAN'S 11 or TOPKAPI) as filtered through the sensibility of END OF THE ROAD director Aram Avakian's 11 HARROWHOUSE. Make no mistake, more than anything HARROWHOUSE is an unabashedly pulp-ish, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE-esque, old-school caper yarn wherein low level American diamond broker Charles Grodin and his thrill seeking ex pat girlfriend Candice Bergen are "coerced" into robbing a (not entirely legal) diamond clearing house in London of 12 billion dollars in undeclared gems stashed in a secret subterranean vault. But Avakian's thriller also manages to be a droll satire on 70s era social geopolitics, especially in regards to the "battle of the classes", ... or perhaps more accurately the "chess game" of the classes. Taking a bestselling novel which many considered "THE DAY OF THE JACKAL of the diamond trade" and turning it into a darkly acerbic adventure (say somewhere between the tone of THE HOT ROCK and MOTHER, JUGGS AND SPEED, but with a kick-ass car chase climax courtesy of ON HER HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE's Anthony Squire) was a decision which many back-in-the-day didn't much care for, but which over the years newer fans of the film have found to be one of it's greatest assets.

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THE MOVIE SNEAK PODCAST is part of The GullCottage/Sandlot - a film blog, cinema magazine, growing reference library and online network "Celebrating The Art of Cinema, ... And Cinema As Art".

Explore the GULLCOTTAGE / SANDLOT @ www.gullcottageonline.com

Rights to film / TV clips and other audio excerpts held by copyright owners. Presented here for educational and criticism purposes. 

A throwback to the idea & character-based sci fi of the 1970s, writer / director Paul J. Salamoff’s ENCOUNTER on the surface seems a near tropish yarn about a young artist who, after losing his daughter and the ability to walk in an accident, regains the power of his legs after a group of friends encounter a small alien “lifeform” / object after it crash lands in a field. Below the surface, however, it quickly becomes more a rift on Shakespeare’s THE TEMPEST - as the pod-like being (which we aren’t sure is “good” or “evil”) begins to fulfill the needs - physical and psychological - in the lives of the members of that group, but only … if!

From the amount of fun we had on this one you may find it hard to believe, but we were stone sober. Well, kind of, as we quickly became intoxicated by love of the genre - opening with a mini discussion of 70s era sci fi-ers (among them LOGAN’S RUN and WESTWORLD) which not only continue to creatively inspire us all - and Paul particularly on ENCOUNTER - but the creators of other recent independent “throwback” speculative thrillers like MOON, LOOPER and EX MACHINA. We then move to “mini film school” as Paul details his film’s origin, the assemblage of his cast (including genre faves Luke Hemsworth and Tom Atkins) and the shoot. And, oh, stay tuned after the end credits for a BONUS SECTION SPOILERS SPECIAL for those who’ve seen ENCOUNTER - where we talk Easter Eggs implanted within the film’s final sequence. Yeah, we pack quite a bit into one hour. 

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THE MOVIE SNEAK PODCAST is part of The GullCottage/Sandlot - a film blog, cinema magazine, growing reference library and online network "Celebrating The Art of Cinema, ... And Cinema As Art".

Explore the GULLCOTTAGE / SANDLOT @ www.gullcottageonline.com

Rights to film / TV clips and other audio excerpts held by copyright owners. Presented here for educational and criticism purposes. 

Our candid conversation continues with one of the most laid-back / chill men in the biz - writer / director Tab Murphy (GORILLAS IN THE MIST, LAST OF THE DOGMEN), this time delving into his work as screenwriter on animated classics such as Disney's THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, ATLANTIS, TARZAN and BROTHER BEAR (and why he passed on TOY STORY and HERCULES), the 2011 revival of THUNDERCATS, the DC Universe films SUPERMAN / BATMAN: APOCALYPSE, BATMAN: YEAR ONE and more. Crack one open, kick back, learn, laugh and enjoy. We sure as hell did!

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THE MOVIE SNEAK PODCAST is part of The GullCottage/Sandlot - a film blog, cinema magazine, growing reference library and online network "Celebrating The Art of Cinema, ... And Cinema As Art".

Explore the GULLCOTTAGE / SANDLOT @ www.gullcottageonline.com

Rights to film / TV clips and other audio excerpts held by copyright owners. Presented here for educational and criticism purposes. 

Everyone knows Tab Murphy, ... even if they don't immediately know his name. The Oscar-nominated writer behind GORILLAS IN THE MIST, Disney's THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, ATLANTIS, TARZAN and BROTHER BEAR, critically acclaimed D.C. actioners such as BATMAN: YEAR ONE, BATMAN / SUPERMAN: APOCALYPSE, and Warner's much loved 2011 THUNDERCATS revival (see, told 'ya you knew him!) ... . Well, he's something of a film industry rarity. Weaned on classic horror, 60s era TV, 70s Drive-in triple bills and an avalanche of old-school adventure novels, his inspiration springs from venerable staples such as Edgar Rice Burroughs and Sergio Leone, but he's got an inate facility to translate that ageless vibe into new era cinema classics for an all new generation. In this regard there is perhaps no greater example of "Murphy's Law" than Tab's underrated 1995 modern day lost civilization saga - and directorial debut - LAST OF THE DOGMEN starring Tom Berenger and Barbara Hershey. Kinda / sorta "LOST HORIZON meets DANCES WITH WOLVES", he and producer Joel Michaels are presently preparing a new "Director's Edition" Blu-ray set for release next year. And in what proves perfect timing we've managed a sitdown with Tab which falls somewhere between a film school guest professorship ... and a neighborhood watering hole beer summit between movie geeks! ... wherein we candidly dive into his background and earliest creative endeavors, how he went from late night 7/11 clerk to much-sought-after screenwriter, his (at times topsy-turvy) experiences on films such as GORILLAS IN THE MIST and his involvement in the famous Art Buchwald / COMING TO AMERICA case, his writing and directing DOGMEN, the animated films and much more. So much more in fact, we had to break this one up into two parts - with Part 1 focusing mostly on the live action films and Pt. 2 on his voluminous output in animation. Crack one open, light 'em if you got 'em, and sit back and chill, and learn and enjoy as "Murphy's Law" takes on a whole new (much more positive) meaning.

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THE MOVIE SNEAK PODCAST is part of The GullCottage/Sandlot - a film blog, cinema magazine, growing reference library and online network "Celebrating The Art of Cinema, ... And Cinema As Art".

Explore the GULLCOTTAGE / SANDLOT @ www.gullcottageonline.com

Rights to film / TV clips and other audio excerpts held by copyright owners. Presented here for educational and criticism purposes.

Welcome to "SHOOTIN' IT" (Vol. I) - a MOVIE SNEAK mini-podcast wherein Craig and Jim informally kick back to discuss a topic currently at the entertainment industry forefront. While all of those "Spielberg Hates NETFLIX" headlines aren't entirely accurate (the legendary filmmaker loves TV and has produced material for every major network - including NETFLIX! - over the last near 40 years) he was fairly emphatic about wanting to steer the Motion Picture Academy away from nominating films which essentially premiere via streaming after what some call a limited "token" theatrical run. And while both sides of the debate rages (with the Department of Justice even recently weighing in), keep in mind that this really isn't anything new. In the 1970s filmmakers were outraged when Ingmar Bergman's SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE - originally produced as a Swedish mini-series then culled down to a theatrical film for the U.S. market - was deemed ineligible for Oscar consideration. The rule was amended, thus allowing Wolfgang Peterson's DAS BOOT (also edited down from a European mini-series) to be nominated for six Oscars a few years later. Then the rule was later amended yet again - then back-and-forth in various forms - for the next 35 years. Craig & Jim chase this ever-elusive football across it's decades long field, factoring in the simultaneous changes in Hollywood's production, distribution and union history - along with the ever-evolving technological face of how films themselves are made and marketed - in an attempt to hone in on a sensible outlook (and hopefully successful outcome) for both future filmmakers and fans.

We also review Jordan Peele's horror thriller US, and the MCU's new CAPTAIN MARVEL starring Brie Larson & Samuel L. Jackson / Includes film, news and archival audio clips.

Learn more @

* The Vaulted Treasure Film Blog: THE STORIES OF "US" - BRUCE LEE MEETS "THE TWILIGHT ZONE" IN JORDAN PEELE'S TERROR TRIP THROUGH GENRE HISTORY

* IndieWire: ANNAPURA LOST BETWEEN $8 - $20 MILLION EACH ON "VICE", "BEALE STREET" AND "DESTROYER"

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THE MOVIE SNEAK PODCAST is part of The GullCottage/Sandlot - a film blog, cinema magazine, growing reference library and online network "Celebrating The Art of Cinema, ... And Cinema As Art".

Explore the GULLCOTTAGE / SANDLOT @ www.gullcottageonline.com

Rights to film / TV clips and other audio excerpts held by copyright owners. Presented here for educational and criticism purposes.

No statuettes, campaigns, "Best", "Worst" or "artistic merit" controversies. For those burnt out on months of Globes, Grammys, Oscars and gossip, THE MOVIE SNEAK is back with our CHEAPIE BIN post awards season hangover remedy geared towards those who just wanna love 'em some movies for movies sake. There's nothing like taking a flyer, picking up five or six movies for a sawbuck in a supermarket, Goodwill Store or Rite-Aid cheapie bin, then watching them over the next few weeks. Maybe two or three you'll like, and (if you're lucky) maybe one becomes a cherished favorite for years because you either discovered it all on your own with no critics', friends' or Netflix recommendations, or you waited till the hoopla died down to experience it more objectively on your own. As before, accompanied by film audio clips, Craig and Jim delve into eight lesser known (and / or appreciated) earlier films from 2019's crop of Oscar nominees which - while they may not have opened in 2018 - our guys only saw for the first time in 2018 because of that cinematic and economic Well Of The Souls known as the Great American Cheapie Bin. "Choose wisely"!

Also includes a review of Robert Rodriguez & James Cameron's ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL.

(more on ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL - incl. film clips, trailer, score excerpts and cast and crew video interviews @ http://www.gullcottageonline.com/ALITAfilmReveiwDissectCEJ.html )

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THE MOVIE SNEAK PODCAST is part of The GullCottage/Sandlot - a film blog, cinema magazine, growing reference library and online network "Celebrating The Art of Cinema, ... And Cinema As Art".

Explore the GULLCOTTAGE / SANDLOT @ www.gullcottageonline.com

Rights to film / TV clips and other audio excerpts held by copyright owners. Presented here for educational and criticism purposes.

As part of our "Can 'Ya Dig It?" series of artists you need to know, THE MOVIE SNEAK is proud to present our sit-down with musician / composer Nathalie Bonin. While many first came to know her as the mesmerizing "aerial violinist" at the center of Cirque Elioize's 2009 NHL All Star Game pregame show, she had already been a decades long master of the craft. A member of the instrumentalist new wave which combined virtuoso performances with jazz, rock, hip-hop, DJ break beats and more, she and others helped usher out the clichéd image of the stone-faced classical musician, and replaced it with that of the athletic, hip and sexy master of the craft - in the process encouraging an entire new generation to expand their own musical horizons. Highlights of her eclectic resume include performances and recordings with Wynton Marsalis, Stevie Wonder, Charles Aznavour, Luciano Pavoratti and film composers such as Christopher Young - for whom she was featured soloist in special concert and recorded versions of his acclaimed DRAG ME TO HELL “Concerto To Hell” suite. In TV and film she has been concertmaster of LA VOIX (Canada’s version of THE VOICE), has scored numerous series (including the international hit - HYP-GAGS WITH MESSMER), commercials (such as that for Celine Dioni’s UN SEULE FOIS) and filmic shorts - including the thriller WHO LIVES HERE for which she took home an award from 2014’s 24 Hour Film Race. A member of the Grammys and Television’s Emmy Academy, Ms. Bonin recently ended the cycle of rotating between Canada, New York and Los Angles by putting down roots in the City of Angles where she’s recently been throwing a considerable amount of her considerable talents into film composition.

Part interview / part biography-docu, our portrait of an artist includes music by Ms. Bonin - who brings a great deal of heart and soul (... and humor) to a series of professional and personal reminiscences, craft insights, humorous anecdotes and inspirational encouragements. It's a MOVIE SNEAK one-on-one you won't soon forget.

VISIT AND LEARN MORE OF NATHALIE BONIN @

• her official website KINEMUSE: http://www.nathalieboninmusic.com/kinemuse-main
• on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathaliebonin.violin
• on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nbonin?lang=en
• on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ65TGlHKT4Cc4VcXU3Ptpw

Rights to film / TV clips and other audio excerpts held by copyright owners. Presented here for educational and criticism purposes.

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THE MOVIE SNEAK PODCAST is part of The GullCottage/Sandlot - a film blog, cinema magazine, growing reference library and online network "Celebrating The Art of Cinema, ... And Cinema As Art".

Explore the GULLCOTTAGE / SANDLOT @ www.gullcottageonline.com

"Remake", "Re-do" or "Re-imagining" - whatever you call them, don't be too quick to automatically write off a new version of a film as a studio dictated "hit & run" money grab. Over the years some have proven to be every bit as good (and in some cases even better) than the originals on which they were based. Carpenter's THE THING, Cronenberg's THE FLY, A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS and THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN are some of the most famous. But what about those which pretend not to be remakes? Do movies like RESERVOIR DOGS and SKYFALL fall into that category? Who's right when you personally love one the rest of the world hates? And what about those you were fully prepared to despise but (surprise! surprise!) actually ended up liking? Fasten your rebreathers because Craig & Jim deep in this one - ferreting out how era and context can distinguish a great redo from a so-so or downright crappy one; and dissecting a cinema classic or two to determine if they're genuine gems which should be considered off limits, ... or overrated sentimental favorites which can be improved upon? Our mini retro-fest takes an in depth look at twelve films, a handful of runner-ups, and includes film audio clips, archival interview material featuring John Carpenter, Steven Spielberg, Roger Ebert & Gene Siskel, and more. "Action!"

Rights to film / TV clips and other audio excerpts held by copyright owners. Presented here for educational and criticism purposes.

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THE MOVIE SNEAK PODCAST is part of The GullCottage/Sandlot - a film blog, cinema magazine, growing reference library and online network "Celebrating The Art of Cinema, ... And Cinema As Art".

Explore the GULLCOTTAGE / SANDLOT @ www.gullcottageonline.com