Blogs
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Mike’s Picks: ‘Up in Smoke’ and ‘The Woman in the Window’
Up in Smoke Paramount, Comedy, $12.99 DVD, $16.99 Blu-ray, ‘R.’ Stars Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong, Stacy Keach, Tom Skerritt. 1978. For all its raggedness, Cheech & Chong’s screen debut has well enough that attention must be paid — which is the same advice one might give to protagonists Pedro and “The Man” when they’re behind … Continue reading “Mike’s Picks: ‘Up in Smoke’ and ‘The Woman in the Window’”
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The Quarter-Billion-Dollar Spat
In the corporate annals of executive buyouts, few are as crazy as Metro Goldwyn Mayer’s (MGM) decision to purchase the equity stake of fired CEO Gary Barber for $260 million. That’s on top of the $15.4 million golden parachute Barber got after unexpectedly getting the axe in March – just five months after privately-held MGM … Continue reading “The Quarter-Billion-Dollar Spat”
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Mike’s Picks: ‘Next Stop, Greenwich Village’ and ‘Criss Cross’
Next Stop, Greenwich Village Available via ScreenArchives.com Twilight Time, Drama, $29.95 Blu-ray, ‘R.’ Stars Lenny Baker, Ellen Greene, Christopher Walken, Lois Smith. 1976. Blume in Love has always been my favorite achievement from writer-director Paul Mazursky’s treasured output spanning (mostly but not exclusively) 1969 to 1978. But after seeing Next Stop, Greenwich Village for the first time in … Continue reading “Mike’s Picks: ‘Next Stop, Greenwich Village’ and ‘Criss Cross’”
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Mike’s Picks: ‘Gun Crazy’ and ‘Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story’
Gun Crazy Available via Warner Archive Warner, Drama, $21.99 Blu-ray, NR. Stars John Dall, Peggy Cummins. 1950. Despite a marked disparity between its best scenes (many) and clunky or merely functional ones (just a few), the punchy and innovative Gun Crazy is one of the titles that defined film noir. Extras: Author James Ellroy leads … Continue reading “Mike’s Picks: ‘Gun Crazy’ and ‘Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story’”
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Mike’s Picks: ‘Up in Smoke’ and ‘The Woman in the Window’
Up in Smoke Paramount, Comedy, $12.99 DVD, $16.99 Blu-ray, ‘R.’ Stars Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong, Stacy Keach, Tom Skerritt. 1978. For all its raggedness, Cheech & Chong’s screen debut has well enough that attention must be paid — which is the same advice one might give to protagonists Pedro and “The Man” when they’re behind … Continue reading “Mike’s Picks: ‘Up in Smoke’ and ‘The Woman in the Window’”
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Mike’s Picks: ‘Gun Crazy’ and ‘Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story’
Gun Crazy Available via Warner Archive Warner, Drama, $21.99 Blu-ray, NR. Stars John Dall, Peggy Cummins. 1950. Despite a marked disparity between its best scenes (many) and clunky or merely functional ones (just a few), the punchy and innovative Gun Crazy is one of the titles that defined film noir. Extras: Author James Ellroy leads … Continue reading “Mike’s Picks: ‘Gun Crazy’ and ‘Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story’”
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White House Calls Out Comedian Samantha Bee for Ivanka Trump Insult
The White House May 31 wasted little time criticizing comedian Samantha Bee for calling the president’s daughter a “feckless c**t” during the May 30 opening monologue of her political show, “Full Frontal” on TBS. “The language used by Samantha Bee last night is vile and vicious. The collective silence by the left and its media … Continue reading “White House Calls Out Comedian Samantha Bee for Ivanka Trump Insult”
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Why MoviePass Matters
On a recent trip to Costco, I picked up some discounted Regal Theater tickets. While in line, I saw a friend who said, “We don’t get those anymore. We have MoviePass.” If you are looking for a theatrical discount, indeed MoviePass beats just about everything — except for seeing a movie for free. For $9.95 … Continue reading “Why MoviePass Matters”
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Mike’s Picks: ‘Cleopatra’ (1934) and ‘A Lady Takes a Chance’
Cleopatra (1934) Universal, Drama, $19.99 Blu-ray, NR. Stars Claudette Colbert, Warren William, Henry Wilcoxon, Joseph Schildkraut, C. Aubrey Smith. 1934. Universal’s new Blu-ray of the Cecil B. DeMille’s take on the legend, with Claudette Colbert in the title role, is one of the most immaculate presentations of a vintage black-and-white movie that I’ve ever seen. … Continue reading “Mike’s Picks: ‘Cleopatra’ (1934) and ‘A Lady Takes a Chance’”
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Bob Iger Steps Up to Plate Following Latest School Shooting
In the aftermath of the latest (May 18) school shooting (the 22nd in 2018!) that saw a deranged teen (with legally-acquired assault weapons) slaughter 10 high school classmates, including a teacher, and wound 10 others in Santa Fe, Texas, our politically-divided country was again reduced to the repetitious cycle of “thoughts and prayers,” arguing on … Continue reading “Bob Iger Steps Up to Plate Following Latest School Shooting”