Tag Archives: movies

Theater Thursday: Philadelphia

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Philadelphia is an Academy Award-winning 1993 drama film revolving around HIV/AIDS. It was written by Ron Nyswaner and directed by Jonathan Demme. The film stars Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, Joanne Woodward, Jason Robards, Antonio Banderas, Lisa Summerour, Chandra Wilson, and Mary Steenburgen. It was partly inspired by the story of Geoffrey Bowers, an attorney who in 1987 sued the law firm Baker & McKenzie for unfair dismissal in one of the first AIDS discrimination cases. Andrew Beckett is a young up-and-coming lawyer who has just … Continue reading →

Theater Thursday: 2001: A Space Odyssey

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The Dawn of Man At the dawn of man, a primitive tribe lives by hunting and gathering in a desert. The tribe discovers a black monolith, which they approach and examine. The implication is that the monolith is of extraterrestrial origin, and it imparts the knowledge of tools on members of the tribe. After the discovery, one of the tribe members scavenges a bone from a pile and uses it as a club, discovering the first tool. After the discovery, one of the tribe members … Continue reading →

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 →