Aliens (1986)
Aliens (1986) – Sequels suck, or so they say. I personally believe that blanket statements are always wrong. ALWAYS. (See what I did there?) Obviously, everyone can come up with exceptions to the “sequels suck” rule. The Godfather Part II won the Academy Award for Best Picture and is considered by many (yours truly included) … Continue reading
The Shining (1980)
The Shining (1980) – What makes a movie scary? The most horrifying thing most parents could imagine would be to lose their child, but if you have a movie about parents losing a child it would be much more likely to be categorized as a “drama.” I often refer to the documentary Jesus Camp as “the … Continue reading
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Spider-Man 2 (2004) – There is no more ridiculous blanket statement that permeates the world of film snobbery than “sequels suck.” If you say that, you don’t know what the fuck you are talking about. Yeah, many series have a case of diminishing returns as they go on and on, but there are sequels that … Continue reading
Red Riding: In the Year of Our Lord 1980 (2009)
Red Riding: In the Year of Our Lord 1980 (2009) — After having a so-so reaction to 1974 that fell slightly on the favorable side, 1980 knocked my socks off by comparison. I know it’s said that the second parts of trilogies are always the best but I can’t remember the last time I liked … Continue reading
Neil Young: Heart of Gold (2006)
Neil Young: Heart of Gold (2006) — Jonathan Demme, director of The Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia, and the Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense, made a Neil Young concert movie. It’s a pretty good show though I think a lot of Neil’s classic work is neglected (although we do get “Heart of Gold,” … Continue reading
Toy Story 2 (1999)
Toy Story 2 (1999) — The Godfather Part II, The Silence of the Lambs, Terminator 2: Judgment Day: all part of that rare fraternity of sequels that surpass the quality of the original (though some would exclude Lambs due to technicalities). Toy Story 2 is another. Toy Story is a masterpiece, and to one-up it … Continue reading
Persistence of Vision 