Movie Mondays

  • Movie Mondays: One for the Guys, One for the Gals

    There are precious few movies about LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) people in which a character doesn’t die, kill somebody, commit a crime or remain closeted and self-loathing. Why is it so difficult for Hollywood to make a grand gay romance—or even a simple one? Be that as it may, in recent years the number… Continue reading

  • Movie Mondays: Films about the Fourth Estate

    This month, two highly anticipated TV series – Aaron Sorkin’s The Newsroom and  House of Cards, the critically acclaimed Netflix original series – are available on DVD. Both shows deal with journalists and the power of the news media, a topic that was the subject of three smart, classic award-winning films. His Girl Friday (1940), based on… Continue reading

  • Movie Mondays: (Good) movies I never want to see again

    Every once in a while a movie comes along that I appreciate and admire, but don’t “like.” They are provocative and disturbing. I’m glad I saw these, but for me, once was enough. Kids (1995), written by then 19-year-old Harmony Korine (director of Spring Breakers), follows Telly (Leo Fitzpatrick), a reckless teenager whose mission is to… Continue reading

  • Movie Mondays: Where are the women directors?

    The film at SIFF’s closing night gala this year is The Bling Ring, directed by Sofia Coppola. I’ve known that women have been underrepresented as filmmakers, but when I stumbled upon this infographic recently, it was eye-opening: women directors have been nominated for an Oscar only 4 times in 85 years (Lina Wertmuller’s Seven Beauties, Jane Campion’s The Piano,… Continue reading

  • Movie Mondays: Brat Pack Book Club

    I admit it—I love brat pack movies, especially Pretty in Pink and The Breakfast Club. So when I heard that Molly Ringwald, the iconic red-headed star of those two movies, had recently published a novel, I was intrigued but skeptical. Can she write, I wondered? The answer, happily, is YES! And she isn’t the only… Continue reading

  • Movie Mondays: Punk’s Not Dead!

    Well, not at SIFF anyways. I always look forward to the festival’s music documentaries (which are conveniently grouped together by mood—“Face the Music” in this year’s event guide), and this year I noticed a common theme in the films that caught my eye: they’re all about PUNK in some shape or form. If you love… Continue reading