In honor of the passing of film and television star Andy Griffith this past week, the "Alphabet Film Club" (after I already watched and posted my piece below on the original top vote-getter The Frighteners) decided to substitute the other "F" nominee, A Face in the Crowd, starring Andy Griffith, in place of the original winner, as this week's selection as a tribute to the departed actor. Here's my "extra credit" write-up on A Face in the Crowd.
Read MoreThe Frighteners is definitely a up-and-down roller coaster ride of comedy and horror. Peter Jackson, with nods to many B-movies, conveys a faster pace, a more chipper spirit, and a more domestic tone than a gloomy-yet-decadent Tim Burton feature.
Read MoreThe Amazing Spider-Man, though flawed and familiar at times, succeeds in giving us a new start for this beloved character. It's not a bold new direction, but a positive one.
Read MoreFor all of the strange tones, weird performances, and inherent precociousness that one associates with Wes Anderson, his latest film, Moonrise Kingdom, is an absolute winner and crowd pleaser. With a story driven by two unknown child leads, Wes has made his most accessible and approachable feature to date. As a guy who wasn't a fan of of his before, Moonrise Kingdom has changed my opinion of him.
Read MoreSafety Not Guaranteed dares to keep your attention at every turn and really succeeds. The script is brilliant and deserves the praise it has already gotten. From diving deeper into Kenneth's world to seeing the different motivations that come to light, for both our time travelers and our magazine team tailing him, more and more layers of interest keep coming into play. All the while, you feel the countdown and are driven to wonder if Kenneth and his time machine are the real deal when the time comes to leave. This pace makes the movie breeze by and, unlike some other edgy indie movies that sell you with teases, the payoff is really rich and deserved.
Read MoreEast of Eden is required viewing for cinephiles and completely fits the phrase "they don't make them like this anymore."
Read MoreFor now, here are the best movies and performances of 2012 (so far). Since we are only halfway, the typical "10 Best" lists are reduced to just five and, in keeping with my website's theme, they are accompanied by their best life lesson.
Read MoreBrave is a fantastically empowering movie for mothers and daughters. Many daughters, young and old, can relate to this kind of story about the plans and expectations that their mothers have for them that differ from their own interests. The story is a bold one and devoid of cheese and syrup that can sometimes come with Disney's movies.
Read MoreAlright, here's my list of the ten best movies based of folklore and, of course, I sneak a few ties in to add more. Enjoy!
Read MoreJust to add to the discussion, I wanted to lay out some movie recommendations for those seeking stories of folklore brought to the big screen. With so many possibilities, the lines became blurred again. In order to give a more broad view to movies basked on folklore, I ended up making regional and legend groupings.
Read MoreDark City is an immensely challenging film to watch and "read," so to speak. Its ideas, implications, and revelations dealing with mortality, the human soul, reality, memories, and the parallels to Christ within a science fiction setting are so big that they are daunting to buy into (and a slow start with a lot of unanswered questions doesn't help).
Read MoreIn honor of Disney/Pixar's Brave coming out this weekend, highlighting a blazing redhead heroine, I felt obliged to make a list of the top movie redheads. As a "ginger" myself, the subject is close to my heart.
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