The next big title in DK Canada’s very enjoyable The Movie Book is the Coen Brothers’ classic, Fargo. Supposedly based on a true story, it’s not, the film follows the inept kidnapping and subsequent murder all organized by a car salesman, Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy). It seems Lundegaard is in a bit of financial…
Tag: oscars
L.A. Confidential (1997) – Curtis Hanson
Before we dive in to this one, I want to admit that yes, this one is sullied now because of Kevin Spacey, it doesn’t however change the fact that this is a fantastic film. Chinatown is the next big recommendation from DK Canada’s The Movie Book, but as I’ve covered it previously I jumped right…
Saving Private Ryan (1998) – Steven Spielberg
I was stunned when I first saw Saving Private Ryan on opening day, 24 July, 1998. I had never seen war depicted so realistically, so heart-breaking, graphic, and impactful. I held onto the names of Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks like a mantra through the film, to guide me through it, to make everything be…
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…
Life is Beautiful (1997) – Roberto Benigni
Walking away with Oscars for Best Foreign Film, Best Original Score, and Best Actor in a Leading Role for Benigni, Life is Beautiful is the next recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book following my screening of Schindler’s List. In this partly whimsical tale that touches on true humour while facing…
Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) – Michael Curtiz
As I continue my time with the Musical chapter in the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book, I dove into the biographical film, Yankee Doodle Dandy starring James Cagney. That gave me a pause. Despite everything I had ever heard about the film, I’d never seen him do anything like this. It was…
Forrest Gump (1994) – Robert Zemeckis
The final recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film following my screening of Apocalypse Now is Forrest Gump, Robert Zemeckis’ incredibly powerful, entertaining and Oscar winning film. While the film is not predominantly about Vietnam, the war sequences are very intense and well-crafted. The story, featuring an Tom Hanks in the titular…
Platoon (1986) – Oliver Stone
Walking away with Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Editing, and Best Sound, Platoon is the next recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film following my screening of Apocalypse Now. The film serves as a commentary on the horrors of war, even as two sergeants seem to be fighting for the…
Apocalypse Now (1979) – Francis Ford Coppola
The brilliant, Vietnam epic, an update on the Joseph Conrad novel Heart of Darkness, is the next stop in the War genre as I continue my cinematic journey with the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book. The story behind the film is almost as incredible as the film itself. Boasting a cast that…
Beauty And The Beast (1991) – Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise
The new classics of the Disney renaissance continue as the recommendations from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book following my screening of The Lion King brings me to Beauty and the Beast. Taking on the classic tale that had been visited in both film and television formats the story gets the Disney…
The Mind Reels 