Category: Forgotten Gems
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Forgotten Gems: The Bucket List has life spilling over the edges
The Bucket List – 2007 Director Rob Reiner Starring Morgan Freeman, Jack Nicholson, Sean Hayes, Beverly Todd, Rob Morrow, Alfonso Freeman Screenplay Justin Zackham Rob Reiner is a remarkable director. He has a knack for making things simultaneously funny and poignant. The Bucket List may be his finest work. Everyone talks about a bucket list since this movie…
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Forgotten Gems: Once We Were Kings…The Lethal Weapon Series
Lethal Weapon Collection – 1987, 1989, 1992, 1998 Director Richard Donner Starring Martin Riggs Mel Gibson Roger Murtaugh Danny Glover Leo Getz Joe Pesci (2-4) Lorna Cole Rene Russo (3-4) Lee Butters Chris Rock (4) Trish Murtaugh Darlene Love Rianne Murtaugh Traci Wolfe Nick Murtaugh Damon Hines Carrie Murtaugh Ebonie Smith Captain Ed Murphy Steve Kahan…
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Forgotten Gems: Phenomenon Dance with life
Phenomenon – 1996 Director John Turteltaub Starring John Travolta, Kyra Sedgwick, Forest Whitaker, Robert Duvall, Brent Spiner Screenplay Gerald Di Pego When one ponders the fate of the film Phenomenon, it really shows how much time has passed since its début in 1996. At the time it was a sizeable hit, never reaching #1 but certainly lingering in the top 10.…
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The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (*****) is loaded with simplicity
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance – 1962 Director John Ford Starring John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, Lee Marvin, Vera Miles, Edmond O’Brien, Lee Van Cleef, Andy Devine, Ken Murray, John Carradine, Woody Strode, Denver Pyle, Strother Martin Screenplay Willis Golbeck and James Warner Bellah based upon the story by Dorothy M. Johnson There is a…
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Forgotten Gems: The Changeling house as haunted as the Man
The Changeling – 1980 Director Peter Medak Starring George C. Scott, Trish Van Devere, Melvyn Douglas, John Colicos, Jean Marsh, Helen Burns, Madeleine Sherwood Screenplay Russell Hunter, William Gray, Diana Maddox It’s hard for me to picture George C. Scott as a happy man. While I am sure many could agree with me on this sentiment, our reasons may differ. My mind’s eye has forever…
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Forgotten Gem: My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done?
My Son, My Son What Have Ye Done? – 2009 Director Werner Herzog Starring Michael Shannon, Willem Dafoe, Chloë Sevigny, Udo Kier, Michael Peña, Grace Zabriskie, Brad Dourif Screenplay by Herzog and Herbert Golder Herzog and Golder were thinking of making a movie about the real life murderer Mark Yavorsky, who committed a matricide, mirroring the play of Orestes. He…
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Forgotten Gem: John Carpenter’s Halloween 35th Anniversary Edition finally comes to High Def
Halloween – 1978 Director John Carpenter Starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence, P.J. Soles, Nancy Loomis, Charles Cyphers, Kyle Richards, Brian Andrews Screenplay Carpenter and Debra Hill The Shape. The Innocence. The piano score. The lens that showed the danger just out of focus, and then in focus. Just for a second. The leaves that blow in, almost…
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Forgotten Gem: Sayles’ Passion Fish takes us for longing
Passion Fish – 1992 Written and Directed by John Sayles Starring Mary McDonnell, Alfre Woodard, David Strathairn, Angela Bassett, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Leo Burmester, Lenore Banks, John Henry Redwood “White trash?” said Chantrelle. “It’s more complicated than that…” Mary-Alice replied. There is a mid-way through Passion Fish where Mary-Alice (McDonnell) sees her “more complicated than that” crush Rennie…
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Forgotten Gem: Sayles’ Casa de los Babys has something to show
Casa de los Babys – 2003 Written and Directed by John Sayles Starring Daryl Hannah, Marcia Gray Harden, Mary Steenburgen, Lili Taylor, Susan Lynch, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Rita Moreno, Martha Higareda, Vanessa Martinez There is a point in Casa de los Babys that is startlingly different than most anything else that he has portrayed before. A somewhat muted…
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