A personal journal of film and documentary reviews, and reviews of anything else that intrigues me.
Terry Gilliam, “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” (1998) From that period of Johnny Depp’s acting career when the films he was making were actually quite…
Philip Kaufman, “Quills” (2000) Intended as an inquiry into the extremes of sexual licentiousness and prudishness, with regard to the tolerance of societies and the freedoms…
Eduardo Sanchez and Daniel Myrick, “The Blair Witch Project” (1998) About fifteen years after it was made and the hype surrounding it died down, this hokey…
Richard Fleischer, “Fantastic Voyage” (1966) Set during the Cold War in the 1960s – or was it the 1990s? – “Fantastic Voyage” has a wonderful premise…
George Lucas, “THX1138” (1971) Before he became famous for his “Star Wars” series of films, George Lucas was noted chiefly for his dystopian sci-fi flick “THX1138”…
Joel Coen, “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” (2000) An amusing road film based on Homer’s The Odyssey, “O Brother …?” takes viewers on a quick and…
Bob Rafelson, “Five Easy Pieces” (1970) One of the saddest films I have seen, “Five Easy Pieces” was conceived as a character study vehicle by the…
Trey Parker, “Team America: World Police” (2004) A silly and puerile satire on American society, culture, the nature of power and the celebration of style over…
Bob Fosse, “Cabaret” (1972) Loosely based on a Broadway play and a 1950s film which in turn were based on two novellas by British writer Christopher…
Michael Curtiz, “Casablanca” (1942) One of Hollywood’s finest gems, “Casablanca” initially presents as a romantic drama in the middle of war. It’s 1942, France is ruled…