Movie thoughts and fiction updates.
If I somehow found myself in Hollywood and given the chance to direct a remake of The Omen, literally the only reason I would take the job would be to have a chance at correcting the mistakes of the original sequels. The original is some kind of stupid mix of operatic absurdity that I somehow… Continue reading The Omen (2006)
#28 in my ranking of Akira Kurosawa’s filmography. Akira Kurosawa's first credited film as director (he said he had as much control over his last few films as assistant director as he had over this) is missing about seventeen minutes of footage from its original release. Cut for various reasons by the censors in wartime Imperial… Continue reading Sanshiro Sugata
#8 in my ranking of Mel Brooks' filmography. The funniest movie Mel Brooks had made since Silent Movie, Spaceballs is an amusing film with solid jokes and a misplaced sense of satire that eludes actually hitting the intended target, George Lucas' Star Wars franchise, instead creating a generic space fantasy adventure without a satirical bite,… Continue reading Spaceballs
#52 in my ranking of John Ford's filmography. Essentially just an excuse for John Ford, John Wayne, and Lee Marvin to have a paid vacation in Hawaii while Ford said goodbye to his yacht which he had to give up to help pay some taxes, Donovan's Reef is a movie in search of a story,… Continue reading Donovan’s Reef
#49 in my ranking of John Ford's filmography. A trio of short films about Ireland, introduced by Irish-American actor Tyrone Power, The Rising of the Moon can best be described as nice. Based on three works of Irish fiction and theater written by Frank O'Connor, Martin McHugh, and Lady Gregory, while taking its title from… Continue reading The Rising of the Moon
David Vining, Author 