Matching the legend status branding and first-name-only titling of Baz Luhrmann, Coppola’s aim was to present the little-known side of the Presley story that happened under domestic lamplights instead of the flashbulbs of the public eye. The writer-director had to do so with a certain degree of difficulty similar to Ava DuVernay’s challenge on Selma nine years ago where the estate of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had granted licenses for King’s speeches to another studio and film project. Thanks to approval given to Luhrmann already, no Elvis Presley music is used in Priscilla.
Read MorePlenty of regular everyday people make New Year's Resolutions, but I think bigger entities, namely movie makers and movie moguls, need to make them too. Annually, including this seventh edition, this is my absolute favorite editorial to write every year. I have fun taking the movie industry to task for things they need to change. You would hope Hollywood would learn from those lessons going forward. Alas, here we go again! Enjoy!
Read MoreSofia Coppola's film may have been lauded at the Cannes Film Festival, but The Beguiled was a bit of a miss for me, despite its rich aesthetics. Here my full review, complete with new intro music and title card, and watch an interactive whiteboard lesson of notes and fun created by the ShowMe app for iPad over on my YouTube channel and "Movie Classroom" series.
Read MoreThe transitive verb “beguile,” as defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, means “to engage the interest of” or “lead by deception.” Hoodwink and divert are synonyms. Director Sofia Coppola’s remake of The Beguiled means to charm our corsets and britches off right in line with its title’s root definition. Methodically and dastardly, the film wishes to seduce us with a heightened intrigue of challenged sexual repression.
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