Beat Street (1984) – Stan Lathan

I remember seeing the poster and soundtrack for Beat Street everywhere in the mid-80s, and I remember some of the songs popping up in my life. I didn’t recall much of the film itself, just the breakdancing and I figured maybe I should revisit it. It’s definitely worth the watch. There’s a grittiness to the…

Isle of Dogs (2018) – Wes Anderson

Wes Anderson delivers another highly-enjoyable stop-motion animated feature with Isle of Dogs. He penned the script from a story he developed with Jason Schwartzman, Kunichi Nomura, and Roman Coppola. Set in a not-so-distant future in Japan, the story follows young Atari (Koyu Rankin) who travels to an island to seek out his missing canine, Spots…

You Only Live Twice (1964) – Ian Fleming

Ian Fleming’s penultimate James Bond novel, there is one more to come, and then a collection of short stories, was the last one published before his death in August of 1964. Picking up nine months after the events of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service we find 007 a broken man. Still in a deep state…

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1963) – Ian Fleming

The eleventh 007 book, and tenth novel, by Ian Fleming is this week’s entry on the Book Shelf, and you could see how the film series would begin to influence the continuing novels as we get a mention of Bond’s parentage, with his father being a Scot, and there is an increasing sense of Connery…

Futureworld (1976) – Richard T. Heffron

  This sequel to Westworld is the next stop on the Sci-Fi Chronicles book. It sees Yul Brynner returning, ever so briefly, and in the oddest way possible, as the Gunslinger, while two reporters, Chuck (Peter Fonda) and Tracy (Blythe Danner)investigate the strange theme park, Futureworld, after another reporter is killed while trying to get…

Into the Wild (2007) – Sean Penn

  The final recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book for my screening of American Beauty is this drama that casts Emile Hirsch in the role of Christopher McCandless. A top student, a promising athlete, Christopher, upon his graduation from Emory University, gives away his money to charity, and begins a…

All Cheerleaders Die (2013) – Lucy McKee & Chris Silverston

  Hitting DVD and Blu-Ray today is this entertaining romp that is bound to become a cult classic, All Cheerleaders Die. The opening night feature for the Toronto International Film Festival’s (TIFF) Midnight Madness, I was a little unsure about this one, but thought I’d give it a shot. I was happily surprised. What could…