OK, last year in my "Christmas Movies Are All the Same (And I'm Still Here For It)" post, I said that every Christmas movie ends idyllically. All i's are neatly dotted and all t's neatly crossed, with everyone holding a cup of cider or hot chocolate and smiling prettily while Grandma hands out cookies. Heh, … Continue reading Five Unusual Christmas Movies
Stage To Screen: Peter Pan
Who's up for a trip to Neverland? I know I could sure use one. J.M. Barrie's immortal story has been delighting children and children at heart for over a century with its joyful, sparky melée of pirates, mermaids, Lost Boys, Native Americans (although the story calls them Indians), happy thoughts, fairies, and of course, the … Continue reading Stage To Screen: Peter Pan
Burton Meets Irving
Yep, it's almost Halloween. Amazing, isn't it? I don't know about anyone else, but I always like visiting Sleepy Hollow around this time, and this year I thought I'd review the Tim Burton version of Washington Irving's immortal 1820 story. For those of you who haven't taken in this film, be warned: This isn't the … Continue reading Burton Meets Irving
Johnny Depp Cleans House
How may I serve you? It's a pretty good bet that one of the more unusual films to come out of the nineties is 1993's Benny and Joon. Starring Aiden Quinn, Mary Stuart Masterson, and Johnny Depp, it paints a misty picture of mental illness, romance, quirk, and plain old love of many kinds. The … Continue reading Johnny Depp Cleans House
Shamedown #8: The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus
For those of you who would like to find out what all this strange Shame business is about, please visit Cinema Shame. Past 2019 Shamedowns can be found here. The timing of this Shamedown is ironic, as today we're remembering those we lost on 9-11. On the other hand, it's oddly appropriate. There are so … Continue reading Shamedown #8: The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus
Page To Screen: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
One of the most iconic tales of American literature is The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Written by Washington Irving and originally published in 1820 as part of his Sketch Book, this story of ill-fated schoolteacher Ichabod Crane never fails to chill. It also never fails to find new life in various media. For those who … Continue reading Page To Screen: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Why I Like the First “Pirates” Best
Have you seen the latest Pirates of the Caribbean yet? What did you think? If Leonard Maltin's review is any indicator, things aren't looking so good. Granted, the public is by no means tired of watching the adventures of Captain Jack Sparrow, and as long as a franchise makes money, new installments will keep coming. Personally, I lost interest … Continue reading Why I Like the First “Pirates” Best
Taking Up Room 