Based on the novel of the same name del Toro’s latest is a lush, shining example of the noir genre, and features strong performances and visuals. I loved how faithful it was to the spirit of the novel, there were a few necessary changes, but none that change any of the overall arcs for any…
Tag: meaning
The X-Files (1997) – Christmas Carol, and Emily
Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) gets some solo time in this episode written by Vince Gilligan, John Shiban, and Frank Spotnitz. Mulder (David Duchovny) makes a small appearance (he was promoting Playing God at the time, and needed some time off)in this episode that first aired on 7 December, 1997. Dana and her mother, Margaret (Sheila…
Meshes of the Afternoon (1943) – Maya Deren and Alexander Hammid
As I explore the final pages of DK Canada’s immensely informative The Movie Book, I’ve moved into the last section of this catalogue of films. Herein lies another title from The Directory, a selection of titles that are exceptional but didn’t make the cut for the main body of the text. Meshes of the Afternoon…
The Seventh Seal (1957) – Ingmar Bergman
I love Max Von Sydow, and thanks to DK Canada’s The Movie Book, it was high time for me to dig into one of his most iconic roles in Bergman’s classic The Seventh Seal. This was the first time I had sat down to watch it, and I won’t lie, it also put me in…
Pretty Woman (1990) – Garry Marshall
The next big title that I come to in the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book as I return to the Romance and Melodrama section is this rom-com drama from 1990, Pretty Woman. Outside of a pretty solid soundtrack of hits this movie, honestly, never did much for me. The film stars Richard…
Annihilation (2014) – Jeff VanderMeer
Full disclosure: I had never heard of this book until I saw the trailer for this movie from the writer and director of Ex Machina, the visuals looked amazing, and the ambiguity and mystery conveyed by the short teaser drove me out to find a copy of the Southern Reach trilogy right away. Annihilation is…
West Side Story (1961) – Robert Wise & Jerome Robbins
Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins direct the film that brings me back to the musical genre in the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book. Stephen Sondheim pens the lyrics for this Academy Award winning musical (including Best Picture) that is an updated retelling of Shakespeare’s beautiful tragedy Romeo & Juliet with Richard Beymer…
La Belle et la Bete (1946) – Jean Cocteau
The Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book returns me to the Science Fiction and Fantasy genre, and this time, it’s to plunge me into this wonderfully imagined fairy tale. Long before Disney retold the story, first in animated format, then a stage musical, and then in a live action film, French director Cocteau…
The Mind Reels 