Bridge of Spies (2015) – Steven Spielberg

Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks are always a winning combination as far as I’m concerned, and their work on Bridge of Spies just continues to confirm that for me. Using the true life story of the Abel-Powers incident, the pair take us behind the scenes of one of the major events of the Cold War….

Amistad (1997) – Steven Spielberg

Spielberg returns to another examination of humanity and history with his 1997 film Amistad. Based on an actual event in 1839, the film explores a revolt of Mende captives aboard the Spanish ship La Amistad. When the captives take over the ship they demand that the surviving crew take them back to Africa, but instead,…

The Untouchables (1987) – 4K Review

For a lot of people, Carrie, Scarface, Dressed to Kill, Blow Out, or even Phantom of the Paradise was their introduction to Brian De Palma. For me, it was The Untouchables in 1987. And for the first time, I started to take notice of the language of film. I was a teen, wholly fascinated by…

My Fair Lady (1964) – 4K Review

A high definition upgrade can be a revelation, and if the film is a classic, it can not only revitalize the film (not to mention save it from further degradation), it can make it look better than it ever has. That is the verdict on Paramount Picture’s release of the 1964 Rex Harrison, Audrey Hepburn…

Cool Hand Luke (1967) – Stuart Rosenberg

Paul Newman is Cool Hand Luke, the next title up for watching as I delve into the What Else to Watch list of DK Canada’s The Movie Book following my screening of The Shawshank Redemption. Featuring an all-star cast including George Kennedy (who took home Best Supporting Oscar), Harry Dean Stanton, Dennis Hopper (though I…

A Star is Born (2018) – Blu-Ray Review

The Oscar nominated A Star is Born comes home today on blu-ray from Warner Brothers, and it makes a great addition to the collection, and a fantastic new iteration of the classic story. Starring Bradley Cooper (who also served as the film’s director) and a bravura performance by Lady Gaga (both of them were nominated…

The Defiant Ones (1958) – Stanley Kramer

The next big film for me to watch in DK Canada’s informative and entertaining The Movie Book is Bonnie and Clyde, but having reviewed that one previously, I jumped right to the What Else to Watch list and found a title that I hadn’t seen yet, Stanley Kramer’s The Defiant Ones. Boasting a stellar cast…

All the President’s Men (1976) – Alan J. Pakula

One of the films that are on DK Canada’s What Else to Watch list after I screened Battle of Algiers is one of my favorite newspaper films, All the President’s Men. Based on the brilliant expose by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein the film is as relevant now, perhaps more so, as when it was…

Sunset Boulevard (1950) – Billy Wilder

As I return to the films of yesteryear, thanks to DK Canada’s The Movie Book, I settled in for a film that I’ve never been sure I wanted to watch, Sunset Boulevard. I just never imagined it would be my thing, but it does have a great pedigree including a cast that includes Gloria Swanson…

The Deer Hunter (1978) – Micheal Cimino

Micheal Cimino’s examination of the effects of war, framed around the Vietnam conflict and a small industrial town in Pennsylvania is the next recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book following my screening of Apocalypse Now. Laying out the scars, physical, mental and unseen that affected those who fought in it,…