Various and Sundry

That Line from That Film

It’s been a packed week, so I’m looking forward to relaxing with some filmwatching this weekend. But which film? An old one? A new one? That one where they say…? To give you, and perhaps me, some ideas about which films to wile away the hours, the folks at Cine Fix helpfully compiled a list of the top 100 movie quotes of all time: Not content with that (and perhaps because of the comments, they…

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Producing Various and Sundry

Yet More History Going to the Movies

I posted about the accuracy of The Bear on Wednesday and I’m still into these sorts of YouTube videos, possibly because I’ve been watching a number of docu-drama or other historical films of late. Here, historian Dan Snow looks at five historical films audiences give high marks to… but we all know that doesn’t mean they pass factual muster, right? I like how he can rave about the storytelling power of a give film or…

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Various and Sundry

This Looks, if not Fantastic, in the Right Direction

The Fantastic Four were never my favorite team of superheroes, certainly not wowing me in their various on-screen incarnations despite some of the cast. However, I always felt like there was a place for these public do-gooders and their matching “can-do” attitude… and by gum, I think this latest iteration seems to have tapped into the right tone! I also appreciate that they released it on the fourth (which I gotta guess is on purpose).

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Acting Producing Writing

It’s Time for a Montage: A 2024 Film Montage

“Supercuts” are always fun and supercuts of a past year’s films are a fine tradition to uphold. For over a decade, I’m enjoyed the meticulously crafted montages by David Ehrlich, a film critic and, as quickly becomes apparent: wholly unrepentant cinemaniac. His tastes and judgment on films are as varied as they are unexpected, paired beautifully with a veritable mixtape of a soundtrack that grabs you as much as it startles you. Basically, one minute…

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Various and Sundry

My 50 Favorite Films, 2024 Edition

Denizens of the Internet rank things all day every day and I too must do my part. And so, since it’s an even year I go through the many films I’ve seen and rank my fifty favorites. I’ve done some version of this sorting for about 35 years, but since much of that has been offline, it does nothing for the algorithm. And so, in honor of Georges Méliès, possible patron saint of films fantastical,…

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Various and Sundry

TCM Remembers 2024

It’s time once again for TCM’s annual remembrance of film folk we’ve lost over the past year. I’ve taken to posting this every year, though there’s always the question of whether to wait until the new year or no (they generally release a first edition right around Yule and often tweak it early in January). In any case, there’s plenty of faces you’ll recognize. Like last year, here’s an annotated with links in case you…

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Various and Sundry

Okay, I might believe a man can fly…

I’m still not sure what movies I’ll be able to see in theaters in the last two weeks of the year, but as for selections next summer, DC is clearly bringing a Gunn to a superhero knife fight: Come on. You thought “oh yeah, this is Gunn” the moment you saw Supes whistle… because you knew Krypto was going to appear. So yeah, it looks promising enough to check out in theaters… something I can’t…

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Producing

Making the Most of Your Bad Film Watch

Like many a cinemaniac, I watch a lot of movies and, much to the confusion of friends and family, I will watch movies that are not only clearly bad, but are not of the so-bad-it’s-good variety. Why do I do this to myself? Well, if it’s a version of the Robin Hood legend or Treasure Island (see also my post last week), then I gotta see how they treat the story. Some folklore and pop…

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Raves Various and Sundry

Vikings on Horseback… as Anime!

Given my name and the fact that I’m a cinemaniac, it should come as no surprise that I enjoy seeing Vikings on the big screen. I mean, all seven or nine of my regular readers know I like to post about Vikings. And my brother and I have a particular love of the Rohirrim from Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings (whose film versions aforementioned readers may recall are always somewhere in my list of 50…

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