Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts with the label movies

Italy's True Movie Poster King

What you see here is the hand-crafted magic of Renato Casaro, the late Italian designer who practically defined an era of cinematic cool. His work wasn't just advertising; it was art. Casaro's journey into becoming one of the most recognizable poster artists wasn't by chance; it was a pure obsession. As a kid, he was fascinated by billboards, trying to mimic the styles of Norman Rockwell and Angelo Cesselon. Think of a teen so determined that he was drawing right onto the walls of a local cinema just to snag a few free tickets. Casaro created posters for a lot of Spaghetti Westerns. His big break came with A Fistful of Dollars in 1964. The movie starred Clint Eastwood and was directed by Sergio Leone. The poster didn’t just promote the film; it helped make it a global hit. Naturally, Leone came calling again, commissioning posters for My Name Is Nobody (1973) and the epic crime saga, Once Upon a Time in America (1984). A Casaro poster is easy to spot because of his uniqu...

Turning the Darkness into an Electric, Poetic Light

Come See Me in the Good Light follows two poets, Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley, as they confront an unimaginable challenge: an incurable cancer diagnosis. Hearing that premise, you might instinctively think, "Hard pass, I'm looking for something light." But here’s the catch: the film is described as a perfect blend of poignant honesty and unexpected humor. Instead of wallowing in darkness, these two transform their pain into an electric, joyful purpose. The result is a profoundly powerful celebration of resilience and their partnership. This isn't a story about losing a battle; it’s about winning by remaining relentlessly and authentically themselves until the credits roll. It is one of those rare documentary pieces that truly touches the soul, leaving you with a deep desire to connect with your loved ones and feel things fully. Come See Me in the Good Light hits select theaters and streams globally on Apple TV on November 14, 2025. Check out the trailer below:

When Mickey Went Gothic

In the 1930s, Universal's hits like Dracula and Frankenstein had everyone buzzing, and Walt Disney wanted a piece of that spooky action for his biggest star. The result was The Mad Doctor —a frantic, gothic horror show where Mickey Mouse has to brave a booby-trapped castle full of dancing, self-assembling skeletons to rescue his snatched dog, Pluto. It was the first time audiences saw a truly terrified Mickey. Not only did some theaters refuse to screen the short film, but the British Board of Film Censors (BBFC) outright banned it, deeming it "too gruesome" for kids.

The Sundance Kid is Gone

Robert Redford was the kind of actor who made you believe in the characters he played, and in the stories he told. He will be missed, but his legacy will live on forever. My favorite of his films has to be Spy Game . Released in 2001, this movie is a masterclass in tension and dialogue – a spy flick without the futuristic gadgets and the insane stunts. And, watching him pull strings from behind a desk, is as gripping as any car chase.

Press Play Again

You know that feeling when you stumble upon an old movie you haven't seen in years? It's like finding a dusty photo album and flipping through the pages, only instead of bad hairstyles, you're greeted with hideous special effects and awful dialogue. Also, the dramatic tension I remembered as nail-biting was now… well, a little slow-paced. But the truly entertaining part of rewatching a movie is that you notice things you never did before. For example, in Midnight Cowboy , I didn't know that the guy who gave Joe Buck (Jon Voight) a blow job was played by Bob Balaban, who later became known for his role as Russell Dalrymple, the fictional president of NBC in Seinfeld . Released in 1969, Midnight Cowboy is a raw, sometimes uncomfortable, often heartbreaking, but ultimately deeply human. And seriously, the chemistry between Ratso Rizzo (Dustin Hoffman) and Buck is pure gold. Rewatching a movie is like visiting an old friend. You know their idiosyncrasies, their stories, bu...

Bats, Cats, and Dancing Skeletons

It’s now been fifty-eight years since Walt Disney died of lung cancer, and as a great way to remember his legacy is watch this short film he did in 1929. It’s truly impressive, and you can still see the impact he made on animation today.

Chaos in the Courtroom

You have to hand it to David E. Kelley. The success of Picket Fences , Ally McBeal , and Big Little Lies bought him the freedom to do whatever he wants with Presumed Innocent . The trailer looks promising, but few had high hopes for an adaptation of Scott Turow's first novel that had already spawned a Harrison Ford flick 34 years ago. Ah, 1990…the Gulf War. It was the year when I was afraid to go to birthday parties for fear that everyone would start singing Taylor Dayne's Love Will Lead You Back . 1990 was the year when I caught mumps and chickenpox. It was the year when no one was quite sure what happened between my science teacher and my classmate's dad, but they were sure happy about it. A reason to see Presumed Innocent is the amazing performances by Jake Gyllenhaal and Bill Camp. A reason not to see it is if you're already very familiar with the book and the movie. For some reason, I even had a paperback…but I'd never read it, start to finish. So here I am, ...

Inside the making of 'Dunkirk'

Saudi Arabia just pulled off one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history but I was in my intermittent "don't pay much attention to football" moods, so I watched this instead.

Let's run away somewhere.

I saw Akira on Betamax when I was a kid. Trust me, it was a pretty astonishing thing to see at the time. I've seen it five times. I still marvel.

I need only one reason to see Last Night in Soho, and it's Anya Taylor Joy in a stunning peach chiffon tent dress.

I'm not sure why I liked the movie as much as I did. It might have had something to do with the soundtrack and how captivating Anya and Thomasin McKenzie were.

10 to Midnight

Before the internet, when audio cassettes, VCRs, and floppy disks were the most easily shared technologies, the things that went viral were sexy, bizarre, or just plain f*cked up. When I was 10, I dubbed four copies of 10 to Midnight on VHS and gave them to my friends. Piracy was as simple as hooking two VCRs together with a cable. It was fun. That movie wasn't. 10 to Midnight , starring Charles Bronson, is one of the weirdest slasher flicks from my childhood. You all know Charles, who somehow managed to become a top box office attraction in the seventies and eighties for his badassness. Here's two minutes of him trying to take the law into his own hands.

The Velvet Underground

Todd Haynes' first documentary feature offers a fresh take on the influential 60s group. Critics call it " as radical, daring and brilliant as the band itself ."

The Most Reluctant Convert

Here is the official trailer for The Most Reluctant Convert , the C.S. Lewis biopic that you probably didn't know existed. I know it is unfair to judge solely on the basis of a trailer, and I hope that I am wrong, but the movie looks terrible and I'm just not sure who it is for.

Living A Double Life

I should have better things to do—but I have to admit to splurging an excessive amount of time and attention last week on an Italian confection strangely titled Baby . It's about a bunch of kids in Rome who deal with domestic strife and school bullies by selling drugs, getting really wasted and "seducing" older men with their youthful beauty. Baby gives you the perpetual, skin-crawling reminder that you're sitting and staring at young women's bodies, enjoying the way you can set foot into their lives and then turn away when the scenes do not interest you any longer. Oh my god. Chiara. Chiara is so hot. The series has a contagious misery, and may remind you of your younger, brasher, more energetic self. Here's another fact: It was inspired by the real-life Baby Squillo (Baby Prostitute) scandal, in which a group of young girls became involved in a prostitution ring. In many of the episodes, sex and teenage romance get mixed up without much effort and I never s...

Here's a short doc about the unofficial illustrator of conspiracy theorists.

Do You See What I See tells the story of David Dees, who started out working for Disney, Hanna-Barbera, and Sesame Street and eventually became the artist-in-residence for internet truthers. Short of the Week's Chelsea Lupkin has a review of the Brad Abrahams-directed documentary. A film that will frustrate, enlighten, and enrage, Do you see what I see? is an unsettling, yet empathetic portrait of the "notorious" illustrator, his beliefs and his eye-catching, yet problematic works of art. The spread of misinformation is now so commonplace the issues Do you see what I see? raises are certainly not to be ignored. Presenting a glimpse into the psyche of someone who has gone so far down the rabbit hole they are living in an alternate reality, Abrahams’ short provides a chilling word of warning for us all. I don't really know what that was about, but that, uh, that was intense. Anyway, here's the video:

Dune's new trailer

I know you've probably seen the second trailer for Denis Villeneuve's Dune by now but I was out for a late night walk and missed it so we're all going to watch it together all right? Possibly the greatest science-fiction novel ever written, Dune is even more relevant now than when it was first published. It's a political saga. It's a technological thriller. It's an ecological drama. If you've never read Dune , do pick it up.

Guessing Game

From Jimmy Kimmel's show recently, Quentin Tarantino tries to guess several obscure films from the VHS synopsis alone. I don't know about you, but I find myself enjoying a crazy B movie from time to time.

I binge-watched 'Cruel Summer' and got nostalgic for '90s stuff

Last week, having walked home from the market—a nice, effortless stroll but for the danger of contracting coronavirus—I cleaned the house, fed the dogs, showered, and played with my kids to watch four episodes of Cruel Summer . Set in a small town in Texas in the early nineties, Freeform's new series tells the story of two teen girls: the dorky Jeanette Turner (Chiara Aurelia) and the popular Kate Wallis (Olivia Holt). It reminds me of Pretty Little Liars , but when I first heard the title I thought it was a biopic of Bananarama in their prime years. Cruel Summer is just so-so, but it has enough charm to keep me interested. The secret is to make things that appeal to my inner teen without equating youth with stupidity. It's also loaded with iconic throwback hits, including songs by The Cranberries, INXS, Mazzy Star, and 4 Non Blondes. If you were a kid in the '90s, the soundtrack will likely take you right back.

When Cookie Met Sally

This is the Sesame Street parody of When Harry Met Sally . Until now I don't know why Sesame Street does parodies of movies and TV shows that kids haven't seen or shouldn't be seeing.

Boot It

Strange Days came out when I was in high school, and although it was considered a commercial failure, it made a huge impression on me. Kathryn Bigelow's uncanny tech noir was way ahead of its time. It was released in 1995; was set in 1999; but was really just about now. I have a history of sometimes liking films that critics despise — Capone would be a recent example — and not liking movies that critics applaud. No, I haven't seen Mortal Kombat yet. But one of these days when I have time, I will.