I remember the summer of the duelling asteroid movies, 1998. There was Michael Bay’s Armageddon and Mimi Leder’s, with Steven Spielberg in her corner, Deep Impact from Paramount Pictures. Deep Impact opened first in May, with Armageddon following up in July, which completely ended up overshadowing Impact, which is unfortunate, because of the two films,…
Tag: morgan freeman
The Sum of All Fears (2002) – Phil Alden Robinson
Ben Affleck steps into the role of CIA analyst Jack Ryan as Paramount Pictures relaunches the Tom Clancy hero, yet again, in The Sum of All Fears. They make him younger, near the beginning of his career, and his relationship with Cathy (Bridget Moynahan). Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with relaunching a…
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,…
Oblivion (2013) – Joseph Kosinski
I love the visuals of this film. I love the way it looks, and I also really enjoy the way the narrative takes you in. Tom Cruise stars alongside Morgan Freeman, Andrea Riseborough, and Olga Kurylenko in this science fiction adventure. Cruise is Jack a tech working with his controller, Victoria (Riseborough) on the ruined…
The Shawshank Redemption (1994) – Frank Darabont
If there is a near perfect drama film for me, it is the next recommendation in DK Canada’s The Movie Book, The Shawshank Redemption directed by Frank Darabont, who wrote the screenplay as well, basing it on the short story by Stephen King. Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman headline at the iconic King-universe prison, Shawshank,…
Se7en (1995) – David Fincher
The final big title in the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book in the Thriller section is The Silence of the Lambs. It should not be a surprise that I have covered that one before, as well as most of the recommendations, except for this one, David Fincher’s noir-esque thriller, Se7en. Starring Brad…
Unforgiven (1992) – Clint Eastwood
The next recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book following my screening of The Wild Bunch, is my all-time favourite western, Eastwood’s multi-Oscar winning film (Best Director, Best Picture, Best Editing, and Best Supporting Actor for Gene Hackman). An ageing gunfighter, William Munny (Eastwood) wants to tend to his tiny parcel…
Deep Impact (1998) – Mimi Leder
Releasing the same year as Michael Bay’s big budget, small story, extravaganza, Armageddon, Deep Impact got a little lost in the rubble. But with Steven Spielberg’s name attached to it as executive producer, it’s my next stop on the Sci-Fi Chronicles. Eschewing the flash-bang, style over substance, popcorn nature of Bay’s film, Deep Impact, ably…
Glory (1989) – Edward Zwick
An all-star cast, including Matthew Broderick, Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington, Cary Elwes and Andre Braugher bring the next recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book for my screening of The Red Badge of Courage. Based on the letters by Robert Gould Shaw, played in the film by Broderick, the film…
Batman Begins (2005) – Christopher Nolan
Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale take over the reigns of one of DC’s greatest characters, Batman, in the next film to be watched for the Sci-Fi Chronicles book, and the last one to review, as I’ve reviewed Nolan’s latter entries into the trilogy before. On reflection this morning, as much as I like this…
The Mind Reels 