Kwai Asks Why

One of the real treats of the holidays in our home is being together at night, sitting by the fire and watching films. My wife and I are blessed to have thoughtful, insightful, and yes, opinionated children. All boys, they tend to gravitate to either Adam Sandler/Will Ferrell type comedies or action films, with a … Continue reading →

Hooraw for True Grit

True Grit proves that the Coen Brothers can not only adapt a beloved novel (see No Country for Old Men, Best Picture 2007), but can remake an Oscar-winning beloved film. Joel and Ethan Coen have teamed up with longtime collaborators Roger Deakins (cinematographer) and Carter Burwell (composer) to craft another rich and expertly structured film. John Wayne won his only Oscar portraying ‘Rooster Cogburn’ in the 1969 … Continue reading →

Next 3 Days Worth 2 Hours

He teaches community college, wears cashmere V-neck sweaters, carries an extra mid-life twenty around the belt, and drives a Prius. This is not your father’s Russell Crowe. Until, that is, he takes push to shove, rolls a couple of meth dealers, hijacks a medical delivery truck, breaks his wife out of prison, and bolts for the … Continue reading →

Knight and Day Vintage Cruise All the Way

Okay all you haters, sharpen your pencils and unpack your hand grenades because Lars B. is fixin’ to dive back in and defend Tom Cruise – yet again. So take a deep breath, open your minds, and shift into cruise control. I like to play a little game with actors when trying to gauge why I … Continue reading →

Tangled Up Anew

Disney has done it again, delivering yet another magical slice of cinema in time for the holidays. This time it’s the classic fairy tale of Rapunzel, the baby princess kidnapped and held captive in a hidden tower, in a wonderful new version of the love story called Tangled. The film opens like Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard … Continue reading →