Beneath the Planet of the Apes

#6 in my Ranking of the Planet of the Apes Franchise. In terms of follow ups to surprisingly great films that should never have had a sequel, Beneath the Planet of the Apes is almost the exact kind of movie that it should have been to come after Planet of the Apes. It expands the…

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Planet of the Apes (1968)

#2 in my Ranking of the Planet of the Apes Franchise. In retrospect, the great twist at the end of the very first Planet of the Apes movie feels incredibly telegraphed. There are clues everywhere about the nature of the world that George Taylor, astronaut, finds himself on, but the biggest key is the thematic…

Hobson’s Choice

#4 in my ranking of David Lean's films. It wasn't one of David Lean's epic masterpieces that has convinced me he was one of the greatest directors to ever work in film. No, it was this little comedy based on a little known stage play from the second decade of the twentieth century that convinced…

The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

It's still kind of shocking to me how well made this is almost sixty years after its release. John Frankenheimer really found ways to push his camera into odd angles film scenes in disconcerting ways to increase tension and anxiety all while translating a story that's compelling and populating it with great characters. It's rightfully…

District 9

District 9 tries to do a few interesting things, and it largely succeeds. However, I think it also demonstrates the director's, Neill Blomkamp's, flaws that would come out more fully in his next two films, Elysium and Chappie. In an alternate reality where a huge alien ship floats derelict over Johannesburg, South Africa, the country…