I had forgotten how good this flick was. I did remember that Sam Raimi shot a lot of SPIDER-MAN 2 like he does his horror films, but not how much glee he took in having a real SFX budget for once. And Doc Ock’s movement still stands out as how to make multiple limbs believable. I’m kinda pumped now to see what Raimi does with the second Dr. Strange movie.
Apropos of which… please put Ash in there, somewhere. I mean, who’s gonna stop them?
For various reasons I’m watching THE TAKING OF PELHAM ONE TWO THREE tonight; there’s also a book. The 1974 Matthau flick reminds me vividly of the NYC of my childhood; which is to say, remarkably [expletive deleted] up*. And this is a personal recollection, too. My dad was on the Staten Island railroad for decades, and we moved out of Brooklyn when I was eight, so while I don’t remember the details about living in the City back then I still vividly remember the feel. This movie captures the feel.
Continue reading Movie and Book of the Week: THE TAKING OF PELHAM ONE TWO THREE.We ran the eldest kid through ARMY OF DARKNESS tonight. It’s very important that you teach your children the classics. It can only help them in later life.
Watching CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR now, in fact. It’s as much fun to watch as I remember.
GROUNDHOG DAY will probably be remembered for as long as we remember what movies are, and what languages we watched them in. I’m being perfectly serious, too. It’s one of the best movies of my lifetime.
If you haven’t seen Master & Commander, don’t – unless you feel like swearing at a studio system that can make a movie like this, then never make a sequel to it. To be fair, though: it didn’t make enough money for a sequel. I’d love to know why, honestly. There’s some weird sociological reason for it, I’m sure. I shall try to avoid being bitter about the whole thing.
Because while people will continue to enjoy friendly arguments over whether or not DIE HARD is a Christmas movie, I feel it is indisputable that DIE HARD 2 is. They even had a cop tear up an airport parking ticket! Truly, it was a miracle of the season.
Although Hogfather is more of a TV two-parter. Nonetheless, Terry Pratchett’s Discworld Christmas story is fun to see on the small screen. I may watch it tomorrow, once the presents are wrapped.
Moe Lane
So, my older kid tells me this evening he wants to see THE INVISIBLE MAN, and I’m going “Well, it’s on HBO Max, and maybe we can catch it when the Snyder Cut drops…” and he says, “No. The one from 1933.”
So proud*. Although I hear the new one’s actually pretty good. But it was clearly time to buy some of the classics. I also grabbed the DRACULA and FRANKENSTEIN Blu-Ray collections, because they were half-off. OK, and the WOLF MAN, and I gotta stop now.
Moe Lane
*My younger kid went and brought in the groceries from the porch without being asked. Which is also a so proud situation.
Why Darkman? Well… never underestimate the power of a good oral history interview. Just saying, that’s all.
