Looking back at the Best Picture race year by year, it dawns on me that I became more cynical towards the awards year by year. Return of the Jedi, WarGames, Sudden Impact (which I had to sneak into) – how were these not nominated? Nothing about any of the actual five nominees appealed to me as a kid. But, my love of a good doo-doo joke aside, I’ve now grown to like and in some cases love them:

Tender Mercies: I remember Siskel & Ebert reviewing this and nearly falling asleep when they showed a two-minute clip. My dad thought it looked great, but was discouraged by the two thumbs up. Saw it when I got to be a grown-ass man, and damn it ‘bout made me weep. Great, great movie, stunning performance by Robert Duvall. Maybe the best examination of the seemingly inexplicable nature of God’s grace I’ve ever seen.

The Right Stuff: Never had I felt more suckered by a movie in my life. Argued with a former boss about it right after college. He lent it to me, guaranteed I’d change my mind about it. He was right. I’ve watched it dozens of times since, and I don’t care about the historical accuracy or lack thereof, this is a great movie. Unexpectedly funny, too; I love the scene when some of the pilots mock the astronauts for only doing something a monkey has done before them, and Chuck Yeager (Best Supporting Actor Nominee Sam Shepard) counters, “You think a monkey knows he’s sitting on top of a rocket that might explode?” (more…)

I have always thought that men and women are different. 

No kidding, professor.

No, really, they are. I don’t mean in all the right places, of course, but somewhere else, with movies, in enjoying the things we see in the movies. 

I remember seeing Gunga Din (1939) for the first time and knowing from the opening shot that this was my kind of film. This was a guy film. Not a wishy-washy movie filled up with dance numbers and kissing scenes, but a guy flick. Great guy stuff was in this movie, and I was sold on it from the first pounding of that thunderous mighty gong. When Alfred Newman’s score turned from playful to ominous faster than you can say, ‘trouble in Tantrapur’, I knew I was in for a good one. This was the kind of movie you watched on a Saturday afternoon with your dad or with your pals. This was adventure!  (more…)

Maybe something in me hates a list…but I’ve been reading with equal parts horror, amusement, and genuine interest as the Big Hollywood community discusses and debates National Review’s top 25 picks for “The Best Conservative Movies.”

I can’t help but focus on the horror right now, call me twisted. Ben Shapiro, did you really suggest that the concept that “art ennobles” is a “liberal cliche”? If this is what “conservatives” actually believe, is it any wonder that liberals consistently make better films? I cannot fathom why anyone would cede such a broad truism to the “liberal” cause. Go ahead and give them Mom and apple pie while you’re at it. (more…)