The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989) features a younger but just as talented Helen Mirren, not to mention the esteemed Michael Gambon and Tim Roth. It is a well-crafted film and certainly worth the watch if you have never seen it.
Comments »The wife of an oafish restaurant owner becomes bored with her husband and considers an affair with a regular patron.
Written and Directed by John Singleton, Boyz n the Hood (1991) led the strong line of films in the “gangsploitation” genre of the early-mid 1990′s.
Starring Cuba Gooding Jr., Laurence Fishburne, and Ice Cube, South Central Los Angeles takes center stage as we see the ghetto life affect several young men.
See also: Menace II Society (1993), and New Jersey Drive (1995).
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The Last Good Time (1994) is an underrated gem of a film. Despite no major stars, or anything close to it, the cast features memorable character actors with decades of legitimate and seasoned performances, namely Armin Mueller-Stahl, Maureen Stapleton, and Lionel Stander.
From imdb.com:
Comments »A reclusive aging widower struggling with tax problems has a complete change in his views of life as he has a chance encounter with a young woman who moves in with him briefly.
Believe it or not, I had not seen Star Wars (1977) [or Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)], until a few months ago, in between Christmas and New Year’s. I knew I had been wanting to see it for a while now, given how lasting the entire storyline and often-referenced characters, quotes, and scenes have been.
To state the obvious, the entire series and brand have turned into an enormous industry with a fiercely loyal following.
But I was pleasantly surprised while watching it, even with a critical eye, to see how the film, itself, was truly an underdog, not in terms of the storyline, though, which, of course, is good versus evil and underdog versus the the big bad, Vader.
Instead, what I liked most about Star Wars was the sense that George Lucas and the now-famous cast of Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, among others, did not have an inkling that the movie and series would turn into what it has. They were having fun with it, winging it a bit, and hoping for the best. This stands in stark contrast to the shallow, over-budget and too-cocky Hollywood “blockbusters” we see too often these days.
The movie itself is an underdog which won the Super Bowl many times over. And I can identify with that on many levels, given my own life and experiences.
For that reason, and a few others, it will always be a special one for me.
Comments »Luke Skywalker joins forces with a Jedi Knight, a cocky pilot, a wookiee and two droids to save the universe from the Empire’s world-destroying battle-station, while also attempting to rescue Princess Leia from the evil Darth Vader.
I have a repeat recommendation tonight.
College basketball’s March Madness is underway Of all the places in America, the three most basketball-dominated states are Kentucky, Kansas, and Indiana.
Hoosiers (1986) is arguably the best sports film ever made and, in addition, is a great film regardless of genre. The plot is based on the true story of a small-town Indiana high school basketball team from 1954 that made the state finals, against all odds. There is also a clear homage paid by the stern coach (Gene Hackman at his best), to long-time Indiana University basketball legend Coach Bob Knight.
Special performances by Dennis Hopper and Barbary Hershey are not to be missed
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In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, a great Irish film to see is My Left Foot (1989), starring the legendary Daniel Day-Lewis. Day-Lewis won the Oscar for Best Actor.
Via imdb.com
Comments »The story of Christy Brown, who was born with cerebral palsy. He learned to paint and write with his only controllable limb – his left foot.
