Category Archives: Reviews

Theater Thursday 08/14/08: Rebel Without a Cause

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One of my favorite films growing up was the classic, “Rebel Without a Cause”. James Dean was awesome, but there was always something wonderfully haunting about Natalie Wood. She was made for this film. As a matter of fact, she was made for any film she was in. The story goes like this: Rebel Without a Cause (1955) is a film directed by Nicholas Ray that tells the story of a rebellious teeager played by James Dean, who comes to a new town, meets a … Continue reading →

Theater Thursday: David and Lisa

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David and Lisa (1962) is a low-budget film directed by Frank Perry, often cited as one of his best works. Based on the novel by Theodore Isaac Rubin, the screenplay, written by Frank Perry’s wife Eleanor, tells the story of a bright young man suffering from a severe case of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This lands him in a residential treatment center, in which he meets a girl with dissociative identity disorder (formerly known as multiple personality disorder, and often mistakenly called “schizophrenia“) called Lisa, whom … Continue reading →

Theater Thursday: A Town Without Pity (1961)

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This movie was the most controversial and intense courtroom drama in the history of cinematography. This movie was originally a story written by Manfred Gregor, and it was made into a film in 1961. It was filmed in black and white. The story takes place in postwar Germany in the village of Neustadt. The story goes like this: A group of four drunken American soldiers that are stationed in this town come upon a teenage girl, Karin Steinhof in the woods outside of town. She … Continue reading →

A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams

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A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) is a subversive, steamy film classic that was adapted from Tennessee Williams’ 1947 Pulitzer Prize-winning play (his first) of the same name. [Early working titles for the play included The Moth, Blanche’s Chair on the Moon, and The Poker Night.] Playwright Williams adapted his own play for the screen version. This film masterpiece was directed by independent director Elia Kazan (his first piece of work with Williams), a socially-conscious director who insisted that the film be true to the play … Continue reading →

Theater Thursday: My Cousin Vinny (1992)

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If you need to laugh over the holiday, get this movie. It’s a silly movie, but It will make you laugh if you’ve been taking life too seriously lately. Here’s the synopsis: Bill Gambini and Stanley Rothenstein are 2 friends from New York University that just received scholarships to UCLA. They decide to drive through the south. Once they arrive in Alabama, they stop at a local convenience store to pick up a few snacks. But, no sooner that they left the store, they were … Continue reading →

Theater Thursday: To Kill a Mockingbird

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As far as I am concerned, To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the most intense courtroom dramas in motion picture history. It was made in 1962, and was directed by Robert Mulligan.. It was based on the novel by Harper Lee. It is a coming-of-age story of a young girl, Scout Finch and her brother, Jem, in 1930′s Alabama. Through their neighborhood meanderings and the example of their father, they grow to understand that the world isn’t always fair and that prejudice is a … Continue reading →

Theater Thursday: Kramer vs Kramer

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Won Academy Awards for Best Actor (Dustin Hoffman), Supporting Actress (Meryl Streep), Director, Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture. Nominations for Best Cinematography, Film Editing, Supporting Actor (Justin Henry) and Supporting Actress (Jane Alexander). KRAMER VS. KRAMER (1979) is a film everyone should see. I only recently watched it again recently and I was amazed at how relevant it still is. More than a film about divorce, this is a story about a man who falls in love with his son. He realizes that their relationship … Continue reading →

Theater Thursday: The Devil Wears Prada

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Because I cannot resist high fashion or a movie with my favorite actress, Meryl Streep, I gave The Devil Wears Prada a chance. I also read the book last summer. I found it to be very entertaining and true to life because I worked for many years in New York City for very demanding bosses, so I know the kind of stress the main character was feeling, as far as starting out young in a new career. The synopsis: The Devil Wears Prada is an … Continue reading →

Otto Preminger’s Exodus

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The Jacob Burns Film Center, March 29 at 12:15: A special Sunday afternoon screening with an intermission of Otto Preminger’s adaptation of the Leon Uris novel about the founding of modern Israel is a must-see on the big screen. With Paul Newman as a Jewish freedom fighter and a teeming cast led by Sal Mineo, David Opatoshu, Eva Marie Saint, and Jill Haworth, this extraordinarily moving epic remains the rousing account of the founding of Israel. Composer Ernest Gold won both the Oscar and the … Continue reading →

Jazz Sessions: The Greats on Camera

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On April 16, at 7:00, The Jacob Burns Film Centerwill be showing the classic film, “Paris Blues”. Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Sidney Poitier, and Diahann Carroll – romance blossoms on the screen (as it had in real life) when two American tourists meet a pair of expatriate jazz musicians eking out a living in the Left Bank’s club scene. Filmed in luscious black and white and set to Duke Ellington’s Oscar-nominated score, this rarely screened 1961 feature captures Louis Armstrong’s virtuosic trumpet in a thrilling … Continue reading →