I remember reading Stephen King’s novel for Misery, and getting caught up in the tension. The same happened the first time I watched Rob Reiner’s film version featuring an adapted script by William Goldman and featured James Caan, Kathy Bates, Richard Farnsworth, Lauren Bacall, and Frances Sternhagen. I hadn’t watched it since it first came…
Tag: close-ups
TIFF24: Heretic dir. Scott Beck and Bryan Woods
Scott Beck and Bryan Woods deliver a masterclass in anxiety-inducing tension with Heretic. Shot brilliantly with tight close-ups, Beck and Woods continually ratchet things up even as they present a theology lesson that is as conversation-starting as the film is unnerving. Sister Paxton (Chloe East) and Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) are young Mormons canvassing for…
TIFF ’23: Reptile
I love a good film noir, and Reptile, having its World Premiere at TIFF, definitely falls into that category. Being released by Netflix (which means if you can’t see it on the silver screen you;ll be able to see it on your big screen at home in October) the film is a tightly wound spring…
The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) – Carl Theodor Dreyer
No makeup, close-ups and harsh lighting put Maria Falconetti on the screen as Joan of Arc in a way that hasn’t been seen since. Carl Dreyer’s retelling of the story of the French heroine is the next big title in DK Book’s The Movie Book. We are invited to take a front row seat for…
Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) – Sergio Leone
The Great Movies – The 100 Years of Film book returns me to the western genre with this Sergio Leone epic that stars Jason Robards, Chalres Bronson, Henry Fonda and Claudia Cardinale. Playing against type, Fonda is the villain, Frank, who is working for the railroad, and trying to drive a woman, Jill McBain (Cardinale),…
Dead Calm (1989) – Phillip Noyce
Sam Neill, Nicole Kidman and Billy Zane take us on a high seas thrill ride filled with suspense in Phillip Noyce’s Dead Calm, the next recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book. Clocking in at a tightly paced 93 minutes, this thriller captivates with a well-scripted story, and strong performances….
Philadelphia (1993) – Jonathan Demme
The next title following my screening of On the Waterfront for the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book is this classic drama that features the combined star power of Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington. I hadn’t seen this one since it was in the theater, and I was eager to have another…
The Mind Reels 