Ernst Lubitsch: A Retrospective

There are directors who were huge in their day but just end up falling out of the collective consciousness over time. I have a theory that those that tend to last the longest in the minds of film fans over decades after their death are the ones most influenced by German Expressionism (Fritz Lang, Alfred…

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Lawrence of Arabia: A Second Look

The second of two movies that David Lean directed to the Best Picture Oscar, Lawrence of Arabia is often held up not only as Lean's best work but one of the greatest films of all time. I, er, put it #3 in my list of Lean's films. Still, it's just so great. Lean was a…

West Side Story (1961)

So, I have something of a history with this film. Previous to this screening, I'd only seen it once, about twenty years ago, and I hated the film. I loathed it. In fact, despite having only seen the film a single time two decades ago, I retained surprisingly clear memories of the film itself as…

The Apartment: A Second Look

I'm going to pay Billy Wilder the highest compliment I think he would accept: The Apartment could fit in with Ernst Lubitsch's mature period. Watching this alongside The Shop Around the Corner would be a fascinating look at how essentially the same sense of comedy, drama, and romance developed over about twenty years. It's still…

Colonial Nightmare – Now on Sale!

Here's the link! Available in Kindle, paperback, and hardback editions! Buy all three! Buy them and then alternate between editions for different chapters! It's the only authentic way to do it! Well, that being said, here's the plot summary: When George Washington was 21 years old, he went on a dangerous mission into the wilds…