Saving Private Ryan: Spielberg in Combat

Tom Sizemore and Tom Hanks. Photo: DreamWorks Steven Spielberg directed several masterpieces over the years, but this one might be the most controversial. The general sentiment expressed by snobs is…

The Odessa File 

In 1963, German reporter Peter Miller (Jon Voight) becomes involved in the search for a brutal concentration camp commander, Roschmann (Maximilian Schell), who disappeared after World War II with help…

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Empty-headed high-school cheerleader Buffy Summers (Kristy Swanson) learns that it is part of her destiny to slay vampires. Five years after this horror-comedy, writer Joss Whedon would create a superior…

Toy Story 3: Beyond Andy

Photo: Pixar At the time, it may have seemed strange to see the name Lee Unkrich attached to this Pixar extravaganza as director. This was his directing debut, but he's…

True Grit: A Spielberg Moment

Jeff Bridges. Photo: Paramount The original True Grit (1969) is a very good Western, well directed by Henry Hathaway, featuring a script by Marguerite Roberts and a part for John…

The King’s Speech: Royal Pains

Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush. Photo: The Weinstein Company After watching this brilliant drama, I knew I had to consult YouTube for the speech King George VI made after Britain's…

The Dresser: Theatre of War

Tom Courtenay and Albert Finney. Photo: Columbia I went to see the musical “Sugar” last week. I should go to shows like that more often. Apart from enjoying it, I…

Max Manus: Man of War 

Shortly after the German occupation of Norway in 1940, Max Manus (Aksel Hennie) and his friends join the organized resistance and become a thorn in the side of the Nazis.…

The Artist: A Silent Treatment

Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo. Photo: Warner Michel Hazanavicius is obviously a man who loves the cinema. French audiences know his OSS 117 films, spoofs of the spy genre, and…

Beyond the Poseidon Adventure

Two salvage parties, one led by Mike Turner (Michael Caine), the other by Stefan Svevo (Telly Savalas), arrive at the site of the now flipped-over luxury liner Poseidon. The sequel…