The thing that kept coming into my mind as I watched African Cats is “Boy, I miss Meerkat Manor.” I know that Animal Planet show isn’t the first show/film to try and anthropomorphize animals or even the best one, but sitting through four seasons with those adorable rodents really embedded that formula into my brain….
The London-born actor, David Niven (who is best known for his role as Phileas Fogg in Michael Anderson’s critically-acclaimed Around the World in 80 Days) was once quoted as saying, “Keep the circus going inside you, keep it going, don’t take anything too seriously, and it’ll all work out in the end.” Indeed, the circus,…
Born as Alisa Zinov’yevna Rosenbaum in St. Petersburg, Russia to a middle-class family, philosopher and writer, Ayn Rand, would soon see her father, a successful pharmacist, lose his business following the Bolshevik Revolution. With her family punished for past successes, Rand moved to the United States, where she’d fall in love with capitalism and ultimately,…
Submarine is a story for grown-ups to remind us of the angst of being a teenager. It’s set in 1980’s Wales and is relayed to us in first-person narrative by 15 year old Oliver Tate (Craig Roberts). His two main concerns are, as he tells us, losing his virginity to his standoffish girlfriend Jordana (Yasmin…
Establishing a poignant opening scene is the most important aspect of filmmaking and more often than not, otherwise talented screenwriters, directors, and editors underestimate its significance. The introduction of major characters, the picture’s setting, and putting the plot in motion are all elements that must be addressed from the start. In the case of Kelly…
Marc Levin’s 2007 documentary film, Mr. Untouchable, which gives background on notorious 1970s Harlem drug kingpin LeRoy ‘Nicky’ Barnes is a flat out great documentary. It is insightful, points out things that are wrong with many people’s ideas on reality, and does very well in backgrounding Barnes’ life and times, as well as using the…
Consisting of five main volumes and three supplemental books, Rick Riordan’s popular Percy Jackson series must have been an easy sell for any studio. It contains heroes, villains, monsters, wish fulfilment, and epic feats of magic and courage while also tackling popular Greek mythology. Topping this off, the whole package is reminiscent of Harry Potter….
