Art, entertainment, and the hard-boiled mystique
The Maltese Falcon (1941). DB here: The traditional opposition between Art and Entertainment still holds some sway. Art, some believe, is the realm of higher significance and profound emotion, while entertainment yields mere diversion and superficial engagement. Art embodies wisdom and technical breakthroughs, while at best entertainment is home to talent and cleverness. Art harbors […]
The Alternate Movie Title Game (Musicals Edition)
Here are the rules: We will provide an "alternate title" for a movie musical and ask you to name the actual film. Most of these are pretty easy. Please answer no more than three questions per day so others can play. You may have an answer other than th...
“Best Picture” ≠ “Live Action”
Wreck-It Ralph (2012). Kristin here: Way back in 2006, I posted a long piece on the increasing prominence of animated features being released each year. This was in the infancy of the blog, and the entry shows it–few photos, inserted as thumbnails. We only gradually worked up to our format of posting plenty of illustrations. […]
Rod Serling Saddles the Wind
John Cassavetes glares.The opening of notes of Jay Livingston and Ray Evans's title tune--a torch song whispered intimately by Julie London--lets you know that Saddle the Wind (1958) won't be a conventional Western. But if you start to doubt ...
POKER FACE: Detective off the grid
Poker Face, Ep. 10 (“The Hook”). DB here: Charlie Cale, an easygoing but tough young woman from New Jersey, has a unique gift. She can detect when someone is lying. She has exploited this in a career as an itinerant poker player, but after the word gets out about her ability, she winds up working […]
12 Great World War II Movies of the 1960s…and How to Watch Them for Free
Lee Marvin in The Dirty Dozen.Last year, I asked my 27,000 (awesome) Twitter followers to rate eleven of the finest World War II films of the 1960s. I wanted to keep my survey to a reasonable length, but it was tough to cut off the list at eleven. In f...
The Alternate Movie Title Game (Private Eye Edition)
Here are the rules: We will provide an "alternate title" for a private eye film and ask you to name it. Most of these are pretty easy. Please answer no more than three questions per day so others can play. You may have an answer other than the intended...
ASTEROID CITY adrift in the cosmos
Asteroid City (2023). DB here: Asteroid City tells two stories. One ends more or less happily, the other more or less sadly. The first one takes place in roadside America, 1955. In a minuscule town made famous by an asteroid crater, five finalists for Junior Stargazer awards assemble with parents and siblings for the […]
BABYLON and the alchemy of fame
Babylon (2023). DB here: The circus parade has just passed, and behind it comes a little man mopping up all the droppings left by the lions, tigers, camels, and elephants. Somebody calls out, “Why don’t you quit that lousy job?” The little man answers: “Are you kidding? And leave show business?” From one angle, the […]
Teaser Length And Release Details Of Ranveer Singh And Alia Bhatt Starrer Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani
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