Americans like to think Western movies are about their history, and they therefore cherish them greatly. But the Western was in fact an early construct of dramatic motion pictures. Edwin S. Porter directed a short film in 1903 called The Great Train Robbery. This was a milestone in film making because it established action on … Continue reading The Western Story – Part 1: Into the West
“In the movies, I always played the heroic types. But when the stage lights went out, it was time for drugs and stupidity, and the coveting of women. Now it's time. Time to be a little of what I had always fantasised of being: a hero.” Bubba Ho-Tep is not only the best film with … Continue reading Midnight Movies, Part 4 – The King is Alive in Bubba Ho-Tep
Okay, first things first: cockfighting, as with any blood sport that encourages cruelty towards animals, is disgusting and inhumane. For those who don’t know (and are expecting something euphemistic here), a cockfight involves two specifically bred roosters, sometimes strapped with razor blades to their feet, placed in a ring to brawl, often to the death, … Continue reading Midnight Movies, Part 3 – Warren Oates as the Cockfighter
Amy Scott’s recent documentary celebrating the life and work of the late director Hal Ashby, simply called Hal, may have slipped by without you noticing. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2018 and received a limited release late last year. Scott must be commended for making a tender and celebratory ode to an … Continue reading Peace and Love: The Wonderful Films of Hal Ashby
What would you do with half a million bucks? Maybe buy a nice house, purchase some hot wheels, or perhaps take the family away on a luxurious cruise? Would you spend it on a movie about aliens? Yes, you would?...okay, good to know and thanks for dropping by, Roger Corman. It’s not a small amount … Continue reading Midnight Movies, Part 2 – Shooting Up Into A Liquid Sky
As Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) reminded us, America in the 1950s could be an uncomfortable and unpleasant time. Not yet fully recovered from the physical horrors of World War II and deep into the psychological terror that was spread about Communism and the threat of nuclear war, this was … Continue reading Saturday Afternoon Movies, Part 7 – Hell and High Water (1954 Samuel Fuller)
There has always been an appetite for provocative subject matter in movies. Whether that comes principally from the will of the audience or the will of the creator is a matter of debate. When I say provocative subject matter, I mean anything that intentionally veers from the mainstream path and entices the viewer into challenging … Continue reading Midnight Movies, Part 1 – The Acid Adventures of El Topo
Time for a driving movie. From low budget to big budget via Tina Turner, there is the glory that is the Mad Max films. But not today. Let us assume that for a moment the cartoon crassness of The Fast and the Furious franchise is not welcome. You could refer back to a whole blog … Continue reading Saturday Afternoon Movies, Part 5 – Hell Drivers (1957 Cy Endfield)
Okay so you have some time to kill and you don’t what to waste your time watching crap on TV. By the same token you’re knackered after work or whatever and you can’t be bothered with some arthouse horseshit where you’ll spend a week wondering if you understood the subtext or even worse… a documentary … Continue reading Saturday Afternoon Movies, Part 2 – Outland (1981 Peter Hyams)
It is a quiet, rainy Saturday afternoon. You’ve got the house to yourself for the first time in ages. You don't have the energy for mayhem and chaos. You’re just going to stay in and watch a movie. But what movie? What are you in the mood for? And is your mood likely to change? … Continue reading Saturday Afternoon Movies, Part 1 – Firefox (1982 Clint Eastwood)
Momentary Cinema 