Douglas Scully
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The Lion in Winter 1968, directed by Anthony Harvey Rating: 10/10 I didn’t have super high hopes when I first saw this movie—it comes from an era of royal historical films that I find very stately and well-made but also very boring and way too long. But even at 134 minutes, this movie went by
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Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence 1983, directed by Nags Oshima Rating: 9/10 In a Japanese-run Prisoner of War camp in Java during WWII, the prisoners prepare for Christmas while Capt. Yanoi (played by Ryuichi Sakamoto) finds himself conflicted about his feelings for his prisoner Maj. Jack Celliers (played by David Bowie). This wartime Christmas story is
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Stalag 17 1953, directed by Billy Wilder Rating: 7/10 A bunch of sergeants are trapped in a German prisoner of war camp in this Billy Wilder classic, and that isn’t going to stop them from having a good time, especially for Christmas! When I saw this in high school, it was one of my favorites;
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The Hateful Eight 2015, directed by Quentin Tarantino Rating: 8/10 I love Quentin Tarantino, and the ads when this came out made it seem to me like a snowbound Western version of And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, which is one of my favorite novels, so I expected this to become my new favorite Tarantino
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McCabe & Mrs. Miller 1971, directed by Robert Altman Rating: 9/10 I love when Westerns are set in locations that don’t look like the regular Wild West with tumbleweeds and cacti and such, and I also love the look of snow from growing up in Connecticut, so the look of McCabe & Mrs. Miller is very much
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This December, I am going to start posting a movie on Monday and a movie on Friday instead of just one on Wednesday. Because the holidays are approaching, each week’s pair is themed around going places for the holidays as I let the spirit of the season shine on. The first week of December I’ll
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Saw 13 new movies from 2024 this month (up to a total now of 83). Most of them made an impact here (Anora, Emilia Peréz, Gladiator II, Laapataa Ladies, Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger, The Piano Lesson, A Real Pain, and Wicked), though some didn’t (The Apprentice, Blitz, Despicable Me 4,
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Joker 2019, directed by Todd Phillips Rating: 5/10 This movie is one that I thought I would love, as I am usually very into comic book movies, and especially into ones that try something new, and if that something new is “gritty 1970s New York” aesthetic, then that’s even more up my alley (see Smithereens). And
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The Wizard of Oz 1939, directed by Victor Fleming Rating: 10/10 This movie is a classic for a reason and no matter how many times or at whatever age I watch it, it is still great. I love old movies, and 1939 is famously one of the best years for movies, but this movie holds
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Mala Noche 1988, directed by Gus Van Sant Rating: 8/10 This is Gus Van Sant’s first movie made for super cheap in black and white and while it is not a perfect film, it is still great for what it is and what it presaged. Since this movie came out, Van Sant has continued to
The Movie Room 