Pub.lished Movie Reviews
Movies that changed the world
At a time when people with disabilities were hidden away or treated as objects of ridicule in circuses and sideshows, "Freaks" presented people with visible deformities as people worthy of dignity, with their own desires, fears, and humanity. "Freaks" contributed to a gradual shift in the rights and dignity of disabled people, which are ongoing to this day.
"I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang" is a dramatic American film released in 1932 that served as an exposé on the harsh realities faced by inmates on chain gangs. This monumental film awakened social interest, playing a vital role in ending the widespread use of chain gangs in the American South.
Pauline Kael - the critic who changed the world
Pauline Kael was known for her witty, biting, and highly opinionated reviews. Paulines reviews often didn't align with the public. She often wrote scathing reviews of box office successes. Yet her reviews were highly influential, shaping public perception of movies like "Bonnie and Clyde." Quintin Tarrintino said she did more than any other critic to inform his aesthetic.
Can you guess which incredibly well known, extremely successful blockbuster movies, that Pauline Kael wrote these devastating one liners for?
- 70s Sci Fi - "...you never catch the actors deliberately acting badly; they just seem to be bad actors"
- 80's Action - "Kinesthetically, the film gets to you, but there's no exhilaration, and no surge of feeling at the end."
- 70's Drama - "The picture is poorly made, yet its naive, emotional shamelessness is funny and engaging."
- 80's Sci Fi - "...this is an impersonal and rather junky piece of moviemaking"
Budget Movies that are brilliant
"Bad Taste," a low-budget comedy gore fest released in 1987, has earned a cult following due to its innovative special effects, gleefully juvenile humor, and do-it-yourself ethos. This film was Peter Jackson's first, filmed on a minimal budget over the course of four years, primarily on weekends, with an initial cost of around $25,000.
"Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation" is an independent remake of "Raiders of the Lost Ark." Over the span of seven years, three teenagers spent their summers meticulously recreating "Raiders of the Lost Ark" shot for shot. When you watch this adaption, you aren't just watching a great movie, you are rooting for these kids to succeed in pulling off what seems impossible, all on less than $5,000.
"The Blair Witch Project," exploits an intriguing fact about human fear. We are instinctively afraid of elemental forces we can not see. The actors were dropped off in the woods with supplies and instructed to walk, talk, camp, and continuously film. The filmmakers then proceeded to manipulate them, provoking genuine fear, over the course of a long weekend. Their reactions were authentic, born from exhaustion, hunger, and the unsettling events they were subjected to. The total budget for this sneaker blockbuster was $60,000.
"Tunnel Vision: An Unauthorized BART Ride" is a strangely hypnotic and unexpectedly entertaining documentary. The premise is simple and presumably low-budget. Woo simply fastened a Go Pro to the front of a BART train. Well, two Go Pros. He lost the first. Which may have been the total cost of the entire documentary. Alongside the out-of-this-world scenes that only a train conductors ever witness, Woo narrates BART's history, and interviews various experts.
Scintillating Streaming Series
Strangers approach a man sitting at a booth at the end of a cafe. He possesses the power to grant any wish. But first, they must carry out the task he assigns. His Faustian bargain is never, ever easy.
