Spielberg casually dropping a Busby Berkeley number set to "Anything Goes" at the start of the first sequel to RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK--and absolutely nailing it, to boot--is one of those things only he would do and probably only he could do. And then he transitions straight from that to a film noir, then to a Roger Moore-James Bond action scene, and finally to a screwball comedy with a plucky kid sidekick. It's so goddamn impressive. I might go…
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La La Land 2016
There's less to be gained from watching LA LA LAND almost back-to-back with Spielberg's WEST SIDE STORY than you'd think. Chazelle is aiming for something very different and draws from different movie musical traditions to do it.
Chazelle's inspirations come from the lighter side of classic musicals: Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen; Fred and Ginger; and Jacques Demy. He leans into artifice, paints in bright colors, and his tongue is often planted in his cheek. His dance numbers feel very…
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Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker 2019
It is not an exaggeration to say that STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER is the worst Star Wars movie ever made. In fact, it may not be an exaggeration to say that STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER is the worst Star Wars movie that it is *possible* to make. From a perspective of basic filmmaking craft, it is as poorly conceived and executed as any of the prequels. Worse still, however, is the film's cynical betrayal of what…
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Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood 2019
Quentin Tarantino wants you to remember. He needs you to remember. Perhaps more than any other working director, Quentin Tarantino is preoccupied by the past and what it means. The unkind interpretation of Tarantino’s films is that they are little more than clever, quirky pastiche—a haphazard collage of grindhouse pictures, spaghetti westerns, martial arts epics, and old network TV shows—a distillation of influences rather than a transcendence of them. But I’m not so sure that Tarantino would consider that an…
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