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Living for the CinemaBooksmart (2019)Four years ago, the release of this film marked the directorial debut of Olivia Wilde who up until this time had mostly been well-known as an actress. And she really does make quite a memorable debut with this raunchy "One Crazy Night" comedy about two soon-to-be-high-school graduates (Kaitlyn Dever, Beanie Feldstein) who are the smartest students in their class and the best of friends. As one of them just found out that they are not the only graduates in their class who are going on to bigger and better things, they decide to spend this one last night before gr...2023-06-3025 min
Living for the CinemaThe Firm (1993) - "Living For The Cruise" SeriesOur 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. The next entry in this series focuses on one of the most successful thrillers of the '90's which is approaching its 30th Anniversary - it also happens to be one Cruise's biggest hits but for some reason, it doesn't receive nearly as much ongoing discussion as several of his other blockbusters like Jerry Maguire, Top Gun, or A Few Good Men. Could it be because it was SUCH a dense movie ge...2023-05-3024 minLiving for the CinemaSaving Private Ryan (1998)Throughout his illustrious career as a director, Steven Spielberg has never been afraid to tackle big subject matter and when this World War II epic was first released to theaters twenty five years ago this July, it was a BIG deal. Not only was he returning to the time period and broad category of subject matter (World War II) which had last earned him an Oscar and widespread acclaim with Schindler's List less than five years prior but he was collaborating with who was at the time our most beloved movie star Tom Hanks....who was coming off of t...2023-05-2520 minLiving for the CinemaCliffhanger (1993)We kick off our third season with this action blockbuster from thirty years ago starring Sylvester Stallone, John Lithgow, Janine Turner, and Michael Rooker. It came out just a few years after the first Die Hard and was looked upon as just the latest in a series of feature-length "Die Hard On A BLANK" homages released throughout the '90's. The premise of this movie is basically "Die Hard Around the Peaks of the Rocky Mountains" and it also happened to be directed by Renny Harlin who had helmed Die Hard 2 (Die Hart in an airport) just a couple of...2023-05-2318 minLiving for the Cinema2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)Yes kids, what you've heard is true! There was once a Fast & Furious sequel WITHOUT Vin Diesel, it featured the late, fondly remembered Paul Walker at his most endearing and Tyrese actually playing a charismatic anti-hero type Roman who is not the butt of the joke....and it was directed by the late, great John Singleton amidst a good run of action films he did in the early '00's. And believe it or not, it was actually a lot of fun. :) Just as the latest (Fast X) in this long-running saga is about to be released to theaters, let...2023-05-1919 minLiving for the CinemaThe Station Agent (2003)Peter Dinklage has won multiple Emmy awards for playing the iconic character Tyrion Lannister on HBO's "Game of Thrones" in a role that helped him become an international superstar. However roughly eight years before that show first went on the air, he had his first true breakout role playing the more unassuming Finbar McBride in this relatively unassuming comedy/drama directed by Tom McCarthy. McCarthy would also go on to bigger things as he would eventually direct the Best Picture-winning Spotlight in 2015. Together they collaborated here on a bittersweet story of a quiet loner who finds that despite his bes...2023-05-1517 min
Living for the CinemaAliens (1986) Re-ReleaseThirty seven years ago, one of the Greatest Sci-Fi Action Films and Best Sequels of All Time was released. And now to celebrate Mother's Day, here is a newly remastered review with a few extra features. HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!THIS time, it’s WAR. Ripley returns to LV-426 to take on the chest-bursting monsters that haunt her nightmares, but this time she is bringing along the Colonial Marines! James Cameron directed Sigourney Weaver in this rare genre performance to receive a Best Actress nomination at the Oscars.Host: Geoff Gershon E...2023-05-1416 min
Living for the CinemaAndor - Season One (2022)Apparently May the Fourth has become an official holiday to celebrate all things Star Wars on an annual basis so what better way to honor THIS May 4 than to revisit what is likely the most grown-up and possibly CINEMATIC of this recent crop of streaming shows from that universe? This Disney Plus series - which debuted last fall to critical acclaim and middling ratings - stars Diego Luna returning to play Cassian Andor, the lead character he also played in the recent Star Wars prequel, Rogue One. As you would expect, the show takes place before the events of Ro...2023-05-0429 minLiving for the CinemaHud (1963)Legendary filmmaker and former playwright Martin Ritt directed this family drama set on a farm starring the late, great Paul Newman as the titular Hud who works with the ranch with his father (Melvyn Douglas) and younger brother (Brandon De Wilde) while also making their lives difficult. You see Hud is a scoundrel who drinks too much and he's not making things any better for his family as they experience a looming crisis which could destroy their farm - this could very well be the most irredeemable character Newman ever played and it did earn him an Oscar nomination f...2023-04-2015 minLiving for the CinemaThe Color of Money (1986) - "Living For The Cruise" SeriesWhat happens when you hire one legendary TOP-tier movie star (Paul Newman) returning to play a character he played once before 25 years prior (Fast Eddie Felson in 1961's The Hustler)....pair him up with one giant up-and-coming movie star (Tom Cruise)....and then hire possibly THE greatest American filmmaker (Martin Scorcese) of the past 50 years to direct?? Well the result might very well be an excellent road movie/sports drama all set within the world of competitive billiards. If nothing else, it might be worth watching just to see Cruise learn the ropes from Newman....or DOES he...2023-04-1720 minLiving for the CinemaBlood In Blood Out (1993)Thirty years ago and after several delays and titles changes, we finally saw the release of this sprawling crime epic about three brothers growing up in East LA on different sides of the law. It lost money upon initial release as its studio didn't know how to market it nor did many critics know what to make of it. But over time, it garnered a VERY enthusiastic cult following through play on both cable and video.....to the point where you can just utter "Vatos Locos!" to a stranger and he'll smile if he's part of that very cult. :) I...2023-04-1320 minLiving for the CinemaThe Super Mario Bros Movie (2023)After decades of various attempts to bring this prized Nintendo video game property back to the big screen, Mario has finally returned....along with Luigi, Princess Peach, Donkey Kong and the rest of the gang! It's the long-awaited animated adaptation of the world of the Mario Brothers and it comes from Illumination Entertainment, the studio which gave us the Minions - you're welcome. :) And it's a rollicking adventure through a colorful world of mushrooms, karts, and various floating platforms which disintegrate once you step on them. The voice cast is lead by Chris Pratt, Charlie Day, Anya Taylor-Joy, Jack Bl...2023-04-1115 minLiving for the CinemaMan On Wire (2008)Fifteen years ago, director James Marsh delivered one of the most purely entertaining documentaries of the 21st century recounting one man's amazing journey.....between two skyscrapers....on a wire. This is the story of Phillip Petit, a French high wire artist who alongside several other conspirators planned and executed the death-defying feat of setting up and then walking on top of a wire connected to the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center back in August of 1974. It's quite a story and he's QUITE the character - let's revisit the film which won Best Documentary Feature at the 2009 Oscars.2023-04-0716 minLiving for the CinemaJohn Wick Chapter Four (2023)The kevlar-suited master assassin returns for his fourth (and possibly) final film. Yes Keanu Reeves has once again returned as the titular John Wick, this time on a mission to seek out his freedom by taking on the "High Table." He's a man on the run with very few options......but at least he has some necessary allies returning this time as well, once again played by Laurence Fishburne, Ian McShane, and the late, great Lance Reddick. He also has a new villain in his sights who's determined to take him out played by Bill Skarsgard along with a new...2023-04-0619 minLiving for the CinemaValley Girl (1983)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 t...2023-03-3018 minLiving for the CinemaCollateral (2004) - "Living For The Cruise" SeriesOur 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...2023-03-2722 minLiving for the CinemaThe Bank Job (2008)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...2023-03-2318 minLiving for the CinemaThe Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)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 T...2023-03-2016 minLiving for the CinemaHigh Flying Bird (2019)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 co...2023-03-1615 minLiving for the CinemaIn The Name of the Father (1993)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 - Ge...2023-03-1322 min
Living for the CinemaCreed III (2023)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 Bal...2023-03-0819 minLiving for the CinemaThe Big Lebowski (1998)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...2023-03-0620 minLiving for the CinemaTop Ten Films of 2022For 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...2023-02-2721 minLiving for the CinemaJFK (1991) Re-ReleaseFor 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 Joh...2023-02-2021 minLiving for the CinemaDays of Thunder (1990) - "Living For The Cruise" SeriesOver the past 40 years since his breakout starring role in the 1983 comedy Risky Business, one of our most enduring movie stars has been Thomas Mapother IV….otherwise known as Tom Cruise. Over the next several months, I will be revisiting one notable Cruise film each month – each from a different era of his career – culminating with the July 14th release of Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning….Part 1. This month's entry will be this racing drama starring Cruise as Cole Trickle, a mysterious driver from California working his way up the NASCAR circuit. This was very much modeled on the formul...2023-02-1720 minLiving for the CinemaMagic Mike's Last Dance (2023)This caps off a trilogy which kicked off in 2012 with the release of Magic Mike which was a surprise international hit - it was directed by Oscar-winner Stephen Soderbergh as a somewhat experimental tribute to male exotic dancers, which was star Channing Tatem's career before becoming an actor. After having his former editor direct the previous sequel, Soderbergh has return to direct this one along with Tatum returning. Our hero Mike has fallen on hard times recently no longer working as a dancer, mostly as a bartender....until while tending bar in Miami, he meets the wealthy and beautiful Ma...2023-02-1316 minLiving for the CinemaBrown Sugar (2002)Valentine's Day is almost upon us and what better time to revisit a romantic comedy from just over twenty years ago? This one stars Sanaa Lathan and Taye Diggs as two childhood friends who initially bonded through their love of hip-hop music and have remained best friends through adulthood while also both working in the world of hip-hop. But now as they both live in New York City, their lives are getting a bit more complicated as one of them is about to be married....and wouldn't you know it, they MIGHT want to be more than friends. This rom...2023-02-0919 min
Living for the CinemaKnock At The Cabin (2023)M. Night RETURNS....with this latest psychological thriller starring Dave Bautista, Ben Aldridge, and Jonathan Groff among a few others. A tight-knit family is having a relaxing vacation at a remote cabin when suddenly some one comes knocking....lead by Bautista's Leonard, the visitors are a group of four strangers armed with medieval weapons and a truly uniquely disturbing task for this family of two dads and their adopted daughter: willingly sacrifice one member of your family OR the world will end. :o It's a darkly intriguing premise adapted from the 2018 novel, "The Cabin At The End of the W...2023-02-0716 minLiving for the CinemaWhat's Love Got To Do With It (1993) w/ Tina (2021)RIP to Anna Mae Bullock otherwise known as Tina Tuner who was one of the greatest rock stars to ever perform. She sold millions of records while selling out thousands of concerts thanks to her powerful voice and legendary musical instincts. She also performed in just a few select movies including Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome yet left a memorable impression each time! Tina passed away at the age of 83 after living an extraordinary life and her legacy will live on....We kick off Black History Month with a stirring musical biopic that came out thirty yea...2023-02-0220 minLiving for the CinemaTar (2022)This was one of 2022's most acclaimed films and is now apparently one of the frontrunners in the current Oscar race. Among its nominees are Todd Field (In the Bedroom, Little Children) for both writing and directing, along with two-time Oscar winner Cate Blanchett for Best Actress for her memorable performance as the eponymous Lydia Tar. Tar is a renowned American composer/conductor leading an orchestra in Berlin - she's a worldwide celebrity with an impeccable reputation as a musical genius. But her life soon becomes engulfed in both scandal and a looming sense of danger.....and we follow he...2023-01-3115 minLiving for the CinemaThe King of Comedy (1983)Continuing this weeks's run of collaborations between Martin Scorsese and Robert DeNiro, we are now approaching the 40th Anniversary of likely the most obscure film which they worked on together. Scorsese returns to direct DeNiro in a completely different sort of role from his more recent tough guy ones in movies like Taxi Driver - this time he plays Rupert Pupkin, an "aspiring comedian" living in early '80's New York City who has only one dream.....to get a stand-up gig on "The Jerry Langford Show" which is the most popular night-time talkshow in the country, loosely modeled o...2023-01-2619 minLiving for the CinemaTaxi Driver (1976)What can be said about one of THE most iconic movies of the past 50 years which hasn't been said already? Well you probably know that it was directed by Martin Scorsese, one of our greatest living American filmmakers. And you probably also know it stars the legendary Robert DeNiro in one of his most iconic roles playing Travis Bickle, the titular taxi driver. You might also know that it was also written by the renowned writer/director Paul Shrader who would go on to craft other iconic films including American Gigolo and Affliction, along with several other collaborations with Sco...2023-01-2317 minLiving for the CinemaFalling Down (1993)Thirty years ago, this urban thriller came out to mild acclaim and pretty strong box office - it stars one of our biggest stars of the time, Michael Douglas, in what would be one of his most iconic roles generally known as "D-Fens." He plays a recently divorced, disgruntled former defense engineer stuck in traffic one humid morning in LA when he suddenly decides....that he has just HAD it! He walks away from his car and starts to venture by foot into greater Los Angeles encountering his share of strangers who are either dangerous or scared of him.....an...2023-01-1918 minLiving for the CinemaJoker (2019)Director Todd Phillips (The Hangover) takes us through an alt-world origin story for the titular comic book villain from DC Comics. In this version, he's a struggling comedian/street clown in early '80's Gotham City named Arthur Fleck played by Joachin Phoenix in a role which won him the Oscar for Best Actor. Three years ago the hype for this movie was deafening, the early acclaim was forceful, the critical backlash was fierce, and the box office was HUGE - it ended up being the first (and only since then) R-rated film to gross more than $1 bill...2023-01-1616 minLiving for the CinemaThe China Syndrome (1979)Remember when Hollywood used to release actual THRILLERS focused on real Earth-based things which involved real regular people who didn't wear capes?? Well you don't have to go all the way back to 1979 to find a strong one (as there were many during the '90's) to find one but this might be one of the more memorable ones as it focuses on subject matter which was a hot-button topic at the time of release: the proliferation of nuclear power. Jane Fonda stars as a TV reporter who might have uncovered some unexpected dangers emerging from a local power pl...2023-01-1217 minLiving for the CinemaThe Warriors (1979)Could this be one of the most influential genre movies of the '70's? Well if you consider this to be one of the earliest movies to take place over ONE tense night traversing through big city, then the answer is likely yes. Walter Hill (48 Hours) directed this urban adventure of one young gang (the eponymous Warriors) trying to find their way back home to Coney Island from a violent event in The Bronx......all via 50 miles of subway train when they're not fending off rival gangs wearing facepaint, brandishing baseball bats, and/or gliding on old-school roller skates. The...2023-01-1017 minLiving for the CinemaJackie Brown (1997)As a writer/director, HOW do you follow up one of the most highly acclaimed and influential films of the past several decades? Well back in 1997, Quentin Tarantino initially disappointed many (myself included) by NOT just giving us a redux of Pulp Fiction which had come out three years prior. Though as it turns out, he actually gave us one hell of a movie which decades later holds up very well as a more mature character piece - this one stars Pam Grier as the titular Jackie Brown alongside Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Forster, Bridget Fonda, Robert DeNiro, and Mi...2023-01-0620 minLiving for the CinemaDen of Thieves (2018)Five years ago, this sprawling heist movie/crime drama came out to mixed reviews and solid box office. At the time of release, many dismissed it as a knock-off the 1995 classic Heat.....which it is somewhat is. But since then, it has garnered quite a cult following on cable and streaming for that VERY reason: it's a fun, engaging knock-off of Heat. :) And it features a nutso leading performance from Gerald Butler playing Big Nick, the dirty cop to end all dirty cops - he's on the trail of a proficient gang of bank robbers lead by ex-military, ex-con Me...2023-01-0415 minLiving for the CinemaRunaway Train (1985)Remember Cannon Films? They were an independent production company started in the '70s run by two Israeli cousins (Yoram Globus, Menahem Globus) who wanted to bring their cinematic ambitions to the United States....and they released a LOT of movies, most of which were considered schlock in retrospect. But every once in a while, they would release a GENUINE quality film and this was one of them. :) Directed by Andrei Konchalovsky, this is a tense action adventure focusing on two escaped convicts of an Alaskan prison who jump on to a nearby train before eventually realizing that its co...2022-12-2917 minLiving for the CinemaMalcolm X (1992)Thirty years ago, director Spike Lee released what at the time was his magnus opus...this highly ambitious biopic of the eponymous iconic civil rights leader played by Denzel Washington. We are taken through the entire life of Malcolm and his journey from street gangster to prominent spokesman for the Nation of Islam. His words and actions as an activist inspired millions while dividing many others. This 190 minute epic received much acclaim and a couple of Oscar nominations, including Best Actor or Denzel who gave one of - if not THE best - performance of his career. It also star...2022-12-2623 minLiving for the CinemaGlass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)Three years ago, most audiences were delighted by the breezy ensemble mystery comedy Knives Out directed by Rian Johnson and starring an impressive cast lead by Daniel Craig playing the brilliant detective Benoit Blanc. The film was a surprise box office hit when it came out so to no one's surprise, a sequel was planned and that sequel has also been directed by Johnson bringing back Craig's Blanc as our central protagonist. But this time, he has been invited to a pre-planned murder mystery set on the island of an eccentric billionaire played by Edward Norton....or WAS it pr...2022-12-2316 min
Living for the CinemaAvatar: The Way of Water (2022)Big Jim is back! I'm referring to James Cameron of course, the Oscar-winning director of Titanic who also gave us such modern classics as Aliens, The Terminator, Terminator 2, and most recently Avatar which came out in 2009. Despite a lengthy production process and going massively overbudget, that film shocked every one to become a worldwide phenomenon - it starred Sam Worthington as Jake and Zoe Saldana as Netyri, two star-crossed lovers fighting to protect the Navi people on the moon of Pandora.And now both Jake and Netyri are back as well, this time with several kids who ar...2022-12-2016 minLiving for the CinemaVice Versa (1988)This year's series of holiday-themed movies concludes with a body-switch comedy from 1988 starring Judge Reinhold and Fred Savage as a father and son who - you guessed it - switch bodies as a result of a mishap with an ancient artifact. What results are hijinks involving middle school bullies, board meetings, heavy metal concerts, motorcycle chases, department stores, etc.....and this all takes place around Chicago during Christmastime. Of course while father and son adapt to their circumstances, they get to know each other better and hilarity ensues. ;) Brian Gilbert directed and this film also co-stars Swoosie Kurtz, Jane Ka...2022-12-1515 min
Living for the CinemaZero Dark Thirty (2012)Ten years ago, we saw the release of Kathryn Bigelow's follow-up to The Hurt Locker, a film which not only won Best Picture at the Oscars but for which she became the first woman to be Best Director as well. She and writer Mark Boal decided to tackle the comprehensive subject of the US' ongoing ten year search for Osama Bin Laden....and history occurred just before they started filming, leading to a dramatic overhaul of the story they were trying to tell. What resulted was an in-depth dramatization of how the US intelligence community eventually found Bin Laden wi...2022-12-1222 minLiving for the CinemaWall Street (1987)Thirty-five years ago, writer/director Oliver Stone released the follow-up to his searing Vietnam War drama Platoon which came out the previous year winning Best Picture among several other Oscars.....and this time, his focus was on stock brokers? :o Of course his late father had been a stock broker so this was a very personal subject for Stone and he even brought back the star from his previous film to star in this one....Charlie Sheen. Sheen plays our main protagonist Bud Fox who's an aspiring young stock broker who idolizes one of the most exciting new titans o...2022-12-0922 minLiving for the CinemaThe Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)The Holiday Movie Season continues.....and strangely enough, this one has quite the pedigree: it's directed by Renny Harlin who gave us the underrated Christmas actioner Die Hard 2: Die Harder and it's written by Shane Black who gave us the Christmas classic, Lethal Weapon. Beyond that, it stars Oscar winner Geena Davis as Charli Baltimore, a former government assassin who contracted amnesia and is now mild-mannered midwestern school teacher with a young daughter.....until of course, former rivals come calling. :o Charli has also teamed up with Mitch Hennessy, a crafty private detective played by Oscar nominee Samuel L. J...2022-12-0717 min
Living for the CinemaStarship Troopers (1997)Twenty-five years ago, this biting satire loosely based upon Robert Heinlein's military science fiction novel of the same name was released - there was much fanfare as it was a very expensive production co-financed by two different studios and was directed by Paul Verhoeven who had recently given us Total Recall, Basic Instinct, and Robocop. The problem was that most folks who initially saw it didn't seem to get the joke, not audiences nor critics. Much of that was due to a cast of absurdly attractive actors playing absurdly written characters - it starred Casper Van Dien, Denise Richards, Di...2022-12-0217 minLiving for the CinemaElf (2003)Our ongoing parade of holiday movies continues with likely one of the more beloved ones of the 21st Century with this charming tale of Buddy, the oversized Christmas Elf played by Will Ferrell back when he was still an active cast member of Saturday Night Live. As Buddy is not always fitting in at the North Pole due to his unusual size for an elf, he decides to venture to New York City to seek out his REAL father whom he has been told lives there - the father is played by the late, great James Caan who is o...2022-11-2814 min
Living for the CinemaShe Said (2022)Based upon their Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation (and novelization) from just a few years ago, this docudrama tells the true story of New York Times' journalists Megan Twohey (Carey Mulligan) and Jodi Kantor (Zooey Kazan) in their exhaustive effort to get to the bottom of rampant sexual harassment and workplace abuse in Hollywood....mainly at Miramax Pictures under the thumb of Harvey Weinstein throughout the '90's and early '2000's. This film was directed by Maria Schrader and also stars Patricia Clarkson, Andre Braugher, and Samantha Morton among several others. Host: Geoff Gershon Editors: Geoff and...2022-11-2514 minLiving for the CinemaGremlins (1984)'Tis the season for holiday movies! And what better way to kick off this season than revisiting this Christmas-themed horror gem from the '80's directed by Joe Dante, starring Zach Galligan and Phoebe Cates? The REAL stars are actually the creatures of the title of course - they can start as cute, furry little things known as Mogwai. But if you violate two of the three rules - don't let them get wet and don't feed them after midnight - then they can multiply and transform into much less pleasant scaly creatures who relish violence and mischief! :o Wha...2022-11-2116 min
Living for the CinemaBlack Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)It's time to return to the fictional African kingdom introduced to us in one of the strongest films from the Marvel franchise which was also the RARE superhero movie to receive significant awards attention. Black Panther actually received seven Oscar nominations including for Best Picture and ended up winning three - not bad!Ryan Coogler also returns to direct though unfortunately the star of that film (Chadwick Boseman) passed away premature a few years after its release, leaving a void as this time around, there is no titular Black Panther. So for this installment, the focus shifts to...2022-11-1815 min
Living for the CinemaThe Crying Game (1992)Thirty years ago, this small little UK thriller from writer/director Neil Jordan took the world by storm - it was a surprise hit at the box office, received near universal critical acclaim, and it also received seven Oscar nominations including for Best Picture. What ended up being the main driver for much of this film's buzz and success was that it contained a "The Twist" which most audiences weren't expecting....and not just ANY twist either. ;) Besides that twist, the film features a stellar cast including Stephen Rea, Miranda Richardson, Forest Whitaker, and Jaye Davidson who ma...2022-11-1416 min
Living for the CinemaFirst Blood (1982)Forty years ago before this film directed by Ted Kotcheff came out, star Sylvester Stallone was generally associated with the popular character of Rocky Balboa which was created by him six years prior. Well all of that changed with the surprise success of this taut action thriller released in the fall of 1982 - this was the introduction to audiences of his OTHER beloved character, John Rambo. Rambo is a veteran of the Vietnam War who is simply wandering into a small northwestern town when he starts to get harassed by the local Sheriff Teasle played by the late great Bri...2022-11-1017 minLiving for the CinemaThe Good Nurse (2022)True crime dramas have been all the rage on various streaming services and here's a new one on Netflix which is affecting and disturbing, but also a bit different in its approach. Directed by Tobias Lindholm, we are told the true story of a Pennsylvania nurse who was suspected about twenty years of murdering dozens of his own patients in subtle ways at various local hospitals - his name is Charles and he's played by Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne. However the story is mostly told through the point of view of the nurse who befriended him and eventually helped br...2022-11-0714 minLiving for the CinemaTootsie (1982)Forty years ago, Sydney Pollack directed one of the most acclaimed and most successful comedies of all time with this gender-bending sorta-romantic comedy starring Dustin Hoffman as Michael Dorsey. Dorsey is an unemployed actor who suddenly finds success disguised as Dorothy Michaels, a suddenly successful actress who becomes of the leads of a popular daytime soap opera. Jessica Lange plays Julie, her co-star whom Michael falls in love with, Charles Durning plays Julie's father Les who falls in love with Dorothy....and hilarity ensues! The stellar cast also includes Teri Garr, Dabney Coleman, Geena Davis, and Bill Murray.2022-11-0420 minLiving for the CinemaPassenger 57 (1992)More than thirty-five years after its release, Die Hard remains among the most influential action films of all time. Since its release, we have seen dozens of movies following its formula of having ONE good guy within an enclosed space having to take down a group of bad guys lead by a terrorist mastermind. This came out only four years after Die Hard and pretty much followed that formula to a T: in this case, the good guy is played by Wesley Snipes and he's a counter-terrorism expert now trapped on a passenger plane with a group of...2022-10-3116 min
Living for the CinemaBram Stoker's Dracula (1992)What better way to close out this scary season than to revisit a gothic horror romance from one of our greatest living directors, Francis Ford Coppola, who directed The Godfather Trilogy among several other modern classics. This adaptation of the classic 1897 vampire novel of course tells the epic tale of Count Dracula himself played with wild abandon by Gary Oldman clad in various memorable costumes and under gobs of convincing make-up depending on the scene – the story focuses on his star-crossed romance with Mina played by Winona Ryder. The cast also includes Keanu Reeves, Anthony Hopkins, and Sadie Frost amon...2022-10-2817 minLiving for the CinemaBlack Adam (2022)This latest addition to the DC Cinematic Universe stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as the titular hero….well he’s not actually a hero, more of an anti-hero who has been bestowed the almighty powers of the gods, THIS is his origin story. Along with that, we also get introduced to the Justice Society lead by Hawkman played by Aldis Hodge who is joined by Doctor Fate played by Pierce Brosnan along with other heroes. The story mostly takes place in the fictional Middle Eastern city of Kahndaq which has been overrun by foreign military powers…..and only ONE man is there...2022-10-2414 minLiving for the CinemaEvent Horizon (1997)Spooky Season continues with this late ‘90’s throwback to sci-fi horror which is very reminiscent of both Alien and The Shining – this was directed by Paul W.S. Anderson who gave us the Resident Evil series. It’s basically a very gory haunted-house-in-space thriller which flopped upon initial release 25 years ago but has since gained quite a cult following. And for good reason because it features a lot of freaky imagery along with a pretty strong cast including Laurence Fishburne, Sam Neill, Kathleen Quinlan, Joely Richardson, and Jason Isaacs. Let’s head off into space where no one….can understand your...2022-10-2015 min
Living for the CinemaReservoir Dogs (1992)Happy 30th Anniversary to one of the most influential independent films of the 1990’s. This was the directorial debut of future Oscar-winner Quentin Tarantino – he also wrote the screenplay and co-stars as Mr. Brown, who is part of a criminal gang assembled to perpetrate a large diamond heist. The overall story focuses on both the lead-up and aftermath of said heist…..and everything that goes wrong. And along the way, we get to meet a unique set of characters played by Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, and Steve Buscemi along with several others.Host: Geoff Gershon 2022-10-1720 min
Living for the CinemaNear Dark (1987)Thirty-five years ago, we saw the release of a vampire thriller from a hot new director which truly connected with audiences and is beloved to this day – that film was The Lost Boys and it remains pretty beloved to this day. This was the OTHER vampire thriller released that same year – it was the second film to be directed by future Oscar-winner Kathryn Bigelow and it stars Adrian Pasdar as Caleb, a young man living in Oklahoma who meets a mysterious young woman (Jenny Wright) one night. The two lovebirds connect and then he meets the rest of the family...2022-10-1417 minLiving for the CinemaMichael Clayton (2007)Fifteen years ago, the screenwriter of The Bourne Trilogy delivered his directorial debut and it was quite a memorable one! Tony Gilroy both wrote and directed this complex legal thriller starring George Clooney in the title role as a legal “fixer” who solves problems for the clients of his law firm that their lawyers really can’t touch. And now Michael comes upon a problem involving one of those said lawyers – his long-time friend Arthur played by Tom Wilkinson – and his involvement with a major class action lawsuit involving a major agricultural company who might be breaking the law. Tilda Swinton...2022-10-1018 minLiving for the CinemaBros (2022)Billy Eichner stars as Bobby, a single, successful, gay podcaster in his ‘40’s living in the big city who thinks he has everything he wants….until he meets Aaron one night in a club, a dreamy attorney played by Luke MacFarlane. And now Bobby THINKS he wants love…..as does Aaron…but it’s never that simple is it? Nicholas Stoller (Neighbors, Forgetting Sarah Marshall) directs this raucous romantic comedy which has attracted a lot of attention for what it signifies and how that plays with mainstream audiences….but is it any good? Let’s find out….Host: Geoff Gershon2022-10-0618 minLiving for the CinemaFrances Ha (2012)Noah Baumbach directs this wistful coming-of-age comedy starring Greta Gerwig as the eponymous Frances who is a 27 year old aspiring dancer trying to find her place in the world after her best friend/roommate Sophie (Mickey Sumner) decides to move away with her fiancé to France. We follow her misadventures as Frances struggles to find steady work, a suitable home, and maybe even a bit of romance. This acclaimed indie from ten years ago also stars Adam Driver in one of his earliest roles and was co-written by both Baumbach and Gerwig - both of them would eventually not onl...2022-10-0414 min
Living for the CinemaOne False Move (1992)1992 was just a great year for independent cinema……you had SO many memorable smaller films directed by both new directors like Quentin Tarantino (Reservoir Dogs) and veteran directors like Robert Altman (The Player). Amidst this crop was this underseen gem directed by Carl Franklin which didn’t have much of a theatrical release nor did it receive much in the way of Oscar attention. However it DID eventually garner a following on home video thanks to being loudly championed by the two premiere film critics of the time on their regular weekly review show….Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert. In fact bot...2022-09-3016 min
Living for the CinemaDredd (2012)Ten years ago, we saw the second big-screen adaptation of a popular British graphic novel – the previous one (Judge Dredd) which came out in the 1995 starred Sylvester Stallone and was widely disliked by both fans and non-fans of the original comic. As a result, expectations for this latest version were pretty low in the lead-up to its fall release. And then people saw it…..and most were pretty blown away! The story was straightforward, the villain was memorable (Ma-Ma played by Lena Headey), the action was exciting, and even Dredd himself was portrayed by star Karl Urban as the...2022-09-2618 minLiving for the CinemaDon't Worry Darling (2022)Back in 2019, actress Olivia Wilde dazzled many folks with Booksmart which was her directorial debut – it remains one of the funniest and most inventive comedies of recent years. So as her follow-up, she has given us an original thriller which is much more ambitious….but is it just as good? Well it has a mind-bending premise about a seemingly utopian sequestered village in the desert known as the “Victory Project” and it stars Oscar nominee Florence Pugh as a seemingly happy housewife living there with her adoring husband played by Harry Styles, who’s working for a mysterious boss played by Ch...2022-09-2317 minLiving for the CinemaThe Last of the Mohicans (1992)Twenty-five years ago, audiences saw what would be THE first true movie star performance from eventual three-time Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis headlining a large, mainstream action adventure film….and this would also be the last time they would see this as well. No matter because as directed by Michael Mann, it was quite memorable to be taken back to 1757 and told the story of Hawkeye, a white man raised and adopted by the Mohican tribe. Russell Means plays his father, Madeline Stowe plays the British aristocrat whom he falls in love with, and Wes Studi plays a local indigenous guid...2022-09-1920 minLiving for the CinemaCobra Kai - Season Five (2022)In a first for this podcast, I review an entire season of a streaming/TV show….But not just ANY show... this one happens to be the surprisingly popular spin-off from The Karate Kid movie trilogy from the 1980’s. It’s a serialized continuation of the adventures of Johnny Lawrence (Billy Zabka), Danny LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), and so many other kooky characters inhabiting this crazy martial arts-obsessed universe mainly taking place around “The Valley” just outside of Los Angeles. Let’s jump-kick into a world filled with Coors Banquet, cassette tapes, crane kicks an...2022-09-1622 minLiving for the CinemaThree O'Clock High (1987)Seeing as it’s September, it’s that time of year again…..time for the kids to go back to school! And what better way to commemorate this time period than revisiting what MIGHT be one of the strangest high school comedies from the ‘80’s? It’s the simple of story of Jerry Mitchell (Casey Siemaszko) a mild-mannered Senior student who gets challenged to an after-school brawl by the new intimidating kid in school, the much gossiped about Buddy Revell played menacingly by Richard Tyson. And then we watch over the next six hours as Jerry attempts to exhaust all options to...2022-09-1318 min
Living for the CinemaChinatown (1974)“LA Crime Week” continues with this Neo-Noir thriller directed by Roman Polanski which is considered by many cinephiles to be one of the best films of the 1970’s. It’s a complex mystery focusing on water distribution, adultery, and murder among other several other matters – the private detective who has been hired to investigate is played by Jack Nicholson in one of his earlier breakout performances. As Nicholson’s Jake Gittes delves further into his investigation, he starts to uncover unforeseen levels of corruption, mainly from local water baron Noah Cross played by the late great John Huston. But at the center o...2022-09-0918 min
Living for the CinemaLA Confidential (1997)Right on the heels of Boogie Nights, yet ANOTHER all-timer is about to turn twenty-five! And this one is one hell of a sprawling crime drama set in the Los Angeles in the 1950’s focusing on three different LAPD cops played by Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, and Kevin Spacey. It’s quite an elaborate tale involving murder, prostitution, racism, corruption, blackmail, abuse, and even glamour at points – this was directed by Curtis Hanson and adapted from an acclaimed novel from James Ellroy. The stacked cast also includes James Cromwell, David Straitharn, Danny DeVito, and Kim Basinger in the role that won...2022-09-0519 min
Living for the CinemaRRR (2022)RRR (2022)This is the epic story of Ramu (Allur Sitarama Raju) and Bheem (NT Rama Rao Jr), two fierce soldiers on opposite sides of a long-running conflict in India one hundred years ago between the local residents and their British colonizers. Ramu reports to the British military and is on a mission to find the lead revolutionary who has been hiding in nearby forests - that revolutionary happens to be Bheem. Of course, they become friends at one point starting to fight together unaware of the other one’s roots…..and what results is a CRAZY...2022-09-0118 minLiving for the CinemaBoogie Nights (1997)Twenty-five years ago, director Paul Thomas Anderson shook up the cinematic world with this epic tale focusing on the adult film industry in the 1970’s and 1980’s. He borrowed techniques from Robert Altman and Martin Scorcese but he made them his own with this sprawling tale of Eddie Adams, a teenager played by Mark Wahlberg with ONE special gift. This one special gift helps Eddie become an instant star with the name of Dirk Diggler – we witness his rise and fall within the industry along with stories of so many others around him portrayed by an impressively stacked cast includin...2022-08-2917 minLiving for the CinemaFast Times At Ridgemont High (1982)Remember when Nicholas Cage was known as Nicolas Coppola? Remember when the mall was THE place to hang out? Remember when half the girls in your high school class were trying to look like Pat Benatar? Remember when Sean Penn was funny?? :o Well if you don’t remember any of those things, here is an iconic time capsule movie to remind of those and many other things from forty years ago. Yes this high school comedy came out forty years ago and it was not only the directorial debut for Amy Heckerling who would go on to direct Cluele...2022-08-2516 minLiving for the CinemaPrey (2022)The Predator has returned! Well an earlier version of the fierce hunter from another planet…..and THIS time, he has visited America’s Great Plains more than 300 years ago. So is this a prequel to the 1987 sci-fi action thriller starring Arnold Schwarzenegger? Well sort of....This time, the story focuses on Naru (Amber Midthunder), a young member of the Comanche Nation who fancies herself a hunter even though she is expected to work more as a gatherer or healer. So she’s off on the hunt to prove herself….and guess who she runs into?? Eventually, more of her fellow...2022-08-2114 minLiving for the CinemaTop Ten Film ScoresFor the next couple of weeks, we will be taking a break to get our proverbial batteries recharged - we'll be ok and 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 more than 120 episodes to rank THE Best Needle-Drops so far – for this episode, we are ranking the BEST FILM SCORES so far.....Host: Geoff Gershon Editors: Geoff and Ella GershonProducer: Marlene Gershonhttps://livingforthecinema.com/...2022-08-1530 minLiving for the CinemaTop Ten Needle-Drops (Songs)For the next couple of weeks, 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 more than 120 episodes to rank THE Best Needle-Drops so far – there will be two separate episodes for SONGS and MUSICAL SCORES. This one is for the songs - enjoy!Host: Geoff Gershon Editors: Geoff and Ella GershonProducer: Marlene Gershonhttp...2022-08-0927 min
Living for the CinemaBullet Train (2022)Brad Pitt stars in this fast-paced (literally) action comedy from director David Leitch who previously helmed Deadpool 2 and Atomic Blonde. It almost entirely takes place on a high speed train barreling through Japan which has some antagonistic passengers to say the least. Among them are a group of assassins who each seem to have different missions but involving the same set of people, mainly a local crime organization lead by the feared gangster White Death. There’s also a valuable suitcase onboard filled with money that every one seems to want and will kill for…..and chaos ensues! This film als...2022-08-0518 min
Living for the CinemaHeat (1995)“Don’t let yourself get attached to anything you are not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat if you feel the heat around the corner….” – Neil McCauley, 1995And that’s the apparent thesis for one of the most beloved films of the past thirty years spoken by living legend Robert DeNiro sitting across from fellow living legend Al Pacino. Or is it really the main theme of the movie? Maybe it’s just something cool-sounding that a tough guy says but doesn’t really follow through on….director Michael Mann examines that very question among so many others durin...2022-08-0224 minLiving for the CinemaThe Spy Who Loved Me (1977)45 years ago during the summer of Star Wars and Smokey & the Bandit….there was only one action hero who dared to step into the ring and his name was Moore…Sir Roger Moore. 😊 By this point, Moore had played the character of James Bond in two previous entries in this franchise that made some money and had their fans but were still dwarfed by the popularity of the previous films starring Sean Connery – that all changed with this being an international smash hit and establishing Moore’s quippier version of 007 as a fan favorite for years to come. For his late...2022-07-2916 minLiving for the CinemaNope (2022)Oscar-winning writer/director Jordan Peele returns with this third film after the horror smashes Get Out and Us…..and this time, he’s taking things in a slightly different direction. There’s still horror involved but there’s also sci-fi and even many western elements. This story focuses on the Haywoods, a brother (Oscar-winner Daniel Kaluuya) and sister (Keke Palmer) running a horse ranch in southern California that was left them by their father (Keith David) who died under mysterious circumstances emanating from something dangerous….up in the sky. :o And one night as they’re trying to figure out w...2022-07-2517 minLiving for the CinemaOne Hour Photo (2002)Remember when taking pictures required the use of an actual CAMERA and how the best way to see the fruits of your labor was to have them developed as PHOTOS? Well even if you don’t, it wasn’t that long ago before the age of smartphones – this film actually came out just twenty years ago and features at its center, one unique individual whose job is to develop these pictures for the general public. His name is Seymour Parrish (otherwise known to others as “Sy the Photo Guy") and he was played by the late, great Robin Will...2022-07-2217 min
Living for the CinemaRobocop (1987)When this film first came out 35 years ago, one of the taglines was “The Future of Law Enforcement.” Well it’s become abundantly clear that the future has now become the present upon revisiting this sci-fi action classic directed by the legendary Paul Verhoeven who would also go on to direct films such as Total Recall, Starship Troopers, and…..Showgirls? This remains of his best and most influential as it tells the story of Alex Murphy (Peter Weller) a police officer who is new to the dangerous streets of Detroit and gets brutally gunned down his first day on the job. ...2022-07-1817 minLiving for the CinemaThor: Love and Thunder (2022)The son of Odon returns in his fourth movie within the Marvel Cinematic Universe once again starring Chris Hemsworth as the titular her and directed for the second time (after the previous one, Thor Ragnarok) by Taika Waititi. This time, he has a dangerous new enemy who is out to kill ALL gods (himself included) played by Oscar winner Christian Bale. He is also reuniting with a former love – returning from the first two films is Oscar winner Natalie Portman playing the earth-bound scientist Jane Foster, only this time she seems to be in possession of Thor’s favorite hammer...2022-07-1517 minLiving for the CinemaThief (1981)RIP to James Caan, one of the more legendary American actors to emerge from the stellar crop of the 1970’s. ☹ He has delivered many a strong performance in many strong movies including The Godfather where he played Sonny Corleone. Over his impressive 50+ year acting career, his starring role as the eponymous thief in this crime drama is considered by many (himself included) to be his best overall performance. He plays Frank, a seasoned safe-cracker living in Chicago looking for that one “last big score” and he just have found it…..working with local crime boss Leo (the late great R...2022-07-1116 minLiving for the CinemaElvis (2022)Elvis Presley remains one the most popular rock and roll performers since the inception of rock and roll – his music dominated the pop music landscape in the 1950’s and he remained a rock & roll icon through his unfortunate death in 1977. His life has been dissected, discussed, and of course has been portrayed in several movies going back decades. Acclaimed Australian filmmaker Buz Luhrmann (Romeo & Juliet, Moulin Rouge) directs this latest version, an epic biopic about the rise and fall of the man known to many as “The King” who is played by up-and-coming young actor Austin Butler. Tom Hanks a...2022-07-0118 minLiving for the CinemaA League of Their Own (1992)Happy 30th Anniversary to this classic fictionalized sports drama about the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) which was started in 1943 during World War II as a temporary replacement or Major League Baseball as most players were serving overseas at the time – it featured several great female athletes from account the country who had never had the opportunity to play baseball at this level before. Geena Davis starts as the catcher Dottie Hinson with Lori Petty as her sister Kit who’s a pitcher – they play for the Rockford Peaches who are being managed by Jimmy Dugan played by Tom...2022-06-2817 min
Living for the CinemaJohn Carpenter's The Thing (1982)Forty years ago, this sci-fi horror thriller was released as director Carpenter’s follow-up to Escape From New York and Halloween, both of which were quite popular and pretty groundbreaking for the time. It was a remake of the horror classic The Thing From Another World directed by the late great Howard Hawks – it has a top-flight cast of veteran actors lead by Kurt Russell including Keith David, Wilford Brimley, Richard Masur, Donald Moffett, and Alan Dysart among others. It also featured state-of-the-art special effects from modern master Rob Bottin, a hummable score from the legendary Ennio Morricone, and crisp...2022-06-2419 minLiving for the CinemaCall Me By Your Name (2017)Luca Guadagnino directs this touching coming of age drama about a 17 year old aspiring musician named Elio (Timothee Chalamet) living with his parents in Italy who falls in love with Oliver (Armie Hammer) the archeological grad student who is staying with them for the summer. The film is set during the Summer of 1983 and we are treated to sequences of dancing, swimming, bicycling, sumptuous meals, lovely people…..you’ll almost want to be there vacationing alongside them. 😊 This film was nominated for four Oscars including Best Picture and ended up winning Best Adapted Screenplay which was written by the legendar...2022-06-2119 min
Living for the CinemaFace/Off (1997)What’s the BEST way to capture vital information from a renowned terrorist who’s currently in a coma with the only potential source being his extremely paranoid brother? Well if you’re living within the heightened world of this crazy action thriller directed by John Woo, the most obvious suggestion would be for you to surgically swap faces with that terrorist who’s in the coma. :o As wild as this premise seems, now imagine the two faces involved being those of John Travolta and Nicholas Cage at the height of their powers. :o What results is likely...2022-06-1718 minLiving for the CinemaJurassic World Dominion (2022)Just when you thought it was safe to try to interact with genetically developed prehistoric creatures….here’s another sequel to this long-running franchise to maybe pour some more cold water on that idea. Yes we are back in the world of raptors, T Rex’, and Chris Pratt looking manly which he certainly does. And every one else is back too from the original 1993 movie including Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum to try to get to the bottom of what seems to be a global ecological disaster that might be emanating from one corporation…..and there MIGHT even be di...2022-06-1315 minLiving for the CinemaUnlawful Entry (1992) & Single White Female (1992)Two trashy urban thrillers from the 1990’s are about to turn 30 and gratefully, they feature top-flight talent! In Unlawful Entry, Kurt Russell and Madeline Stowe play a mild-mannered couple who become the focus of an increasingly unhinged police officer played by Ray Liotta – RIP. ☹ And in Single White Female, Bridget Fonda stars as fashionable Manhattanite who just broke up with her cheating boyfriend and is now seeking a new roommate in her swank apartment – enter Jennifer Jason Leigh’s Hedra who at first seems nice but proves increasingly……let’s say clingy. :o Both films pretty much follow a time-tes...2022-06-1019 minLiving for the CinemaMilk (2008) w/ The Times of Harvey Milk (1984)We kick off Pride Month 2022 with this Oscar-winning biopic directed by Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting) which delves in the life of slain civil rights activist Harvey Milk who took the city of San Francisco AND the country by storm by becoming the first openly gay politician elected to major office in 1978. His story is both inspiring and touching, with much of the structure of this film and several highlights coming from the 1984 documentary of his life called “The Times of Harvey Milk” which also won the Best Documentary Oscar that year. Sean Penn stars in the 20...2022-06-0622 minLiving for the CinemaPirates of the Caribbean (2003)Apparently the star of this movie has been in the news a lot lately? Well let's revisit the film and the role that helped cement him into superstar status nineteen years ago....and that would of course be Johnny Depp playing the iconic Captain Jack Sparrow, resulting in not only a blockbuster franchise featuring him at its center but an Oscar nomination he would receive for this VERY role in 2003. Gore Verbinski directed this rollicking adventure on the high seas also starring Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey Rush, Keira Knightley, and Jonathan Pryce....AHOY MATEY!!!Host: Geoff Gershon 2022-06-0115 min
Living for the CinemaTop Gun: Maverick (2022)He still feels the need, the need for speed! Maverick (Tom Cruise) is back after more than 36 years – he’s still toiling with the Navy as a Captain and still likes flying jets. He has now been called back to the Top Gun academy at Miramar by his superiors….to train a NEW crop of flyers for a top secret mission. Those new flyers include various characters with various call-signs including Hangman, Phoenix, Coyote, and…..Rooster (Miles Teller) who is actually the son of Goose, which was his best friend who died during a training exercise in the first movie. Yes...2022-05-3018 minLiving for the CinemaPaths of Glory (1957)In honor of Memorial Day, let’s revisit one of the earliest films from a true titan of cinema, the late great Stanley Kubrick – this was only the third feature film he directed, and it came three years before what many consider his true breakout film, Spartacus starring Kirk Douglas. Douglas stars in this as well as a Colonel in the French Army during World War I who is ordered to lead his battalion into an untenable situation right at the edge of the European Front, though No Man’s Land. What results is a tragic incident involvin...2022-05-2714 minLiving for the CinemaDesperado (1995)We kick off our Second Season with this gem from the mid '90's. Back in the early ‘90’s, a young aspiring filmmaker from Austin made his first movie for $7,000 with much of the financing coming from selling his body for science – the filmmaker was Robert Rodriguez and his first feature was the celebrated El Mariachi, an inventive action film about a guitar player-turned-assassin seeking revenge. A couple of years later, he followed this up with a bigger budget Hollywood version of this story which was originally going to be a remake but ended up being a sequel…...2022-05-2315 minLiving for the CinemaPredator (1987)Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as Dutch, the head of an elite mercenary extraction squad who are sent deep into the Latin American jungle to “rescue” some high-level US diplomats. And they are quite the crew also including CIA operative Dillon played by Carl Weathers, Mac played by Bill Duke, Billy played by Sonny Landham, and Blaine played by Jesse “The Mind” Ventura – they have all of the fire-power they could possibly need plus a cast including TWO future governors, so what could go wrong? Well there happens to be a special visitor from WAY out of town who’s on the hunt…...2022-05-2017 min
Living for the CinemaBound (1996)Twenty-five years ago, this small indie neo-noir grabbed the attention of both critics and cinephiles by announcing a talented new duo of directors….the Wachowskis. Three years later, they would direct The Matrix, and of course, the rest of the world noticed them after that blockbuster!Gina Gershon and Jennifer Tilly star as two neighbors who fall for each other…only one of them is living with a local gangster played by Joe Pantoliano who just laundered more than $2 million in mob money. And what results is tense, twisty, sexy, and probably one of the be...2021-10-0816 min