Author Archive
An Appreciation – Au Revoir Les Enfants
There comes a point in time when—tragically—the innocence and naïveté of youth moves aside and makes way for the harsh realities of the world. One can’t pinpoint exactly when this happens, as it is different for everyone. But when it does, it changes a person…
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An Appreciation – Annie Hall
Woody Allen begins his film Annie Hall (1977) with a monologue in which he addresses the audience directly. Within this speech, he describes a joke that he first attributes to Groucho Marx, saying that he would never want to be a part of a club…
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Film Review – The Beaver
It’s hard to separate Mel Gibson from the man he plays in Jodie Foster’s The Beaver (2011). Here is an actor who was once on top of the world, a strong leading man with infinite charisma, charm, and likeability. An award-winning filmmaker, there was a…
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Film Review – Thor
Thor (2011) is a film that I walked into wanting to like, I really did. I was hoping to see a slam bang, no holds barred superhero movie with lots of fun action set pieces, and for a while there, that’s exactly what I got.…
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An Appreciation – Dr. Strangelove
“Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here, this is the War Room!” What a strange world it must have been to live in during the years following WWII. It was a time of constant fear, doubt, and anxiety. With the fall of Nazi Germany, other countries…
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An Appreciation – The Red Shoes
Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s masterpiece The Red Shoes (1948) is a film that has grown on me over time. I remember watching it years ago, and admiring it for what it was, but not entirely loving it. As time passed, I found myself somehow…
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An Appreciation – Modern Times
One of the most iconic images Charlie Chaplin ever gave to the world came in Modern Times (1936). It happens early on in the movie. The Little Tramp, working diligently on an automated assembly line, gets distracted and starts to lag behind. Desperate, he jumps…
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Charlie Chaplin at SIFF – City Lights
There was a time, not too long ago, when Charlie Chaplin was seen as the most famous man on earth. His films transcended borders, languages, and cultural barriers. Everyone knew who he was; his image held firmly in the minds of movie audiences around the…
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