Pleasantville Is An Impressive Showcase For Effective Satire, Memorable Visuals And Jeff Daniels

It's so much fun to go in totally cold into a first-time watch of a movie and become totally enchanted by discovering where exactly that movie is going. Movie marketing can be so spoiler-heavy, it's totally a wonder when the secrets and plot outline of a movie remain a mystery, especially when it's twenty-one-years-old like Pleasantville! The directorial debut of Gary Ross, I was aware of this movie being a star vehicle for Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon and that it was done in black-and-white but other than that, the concrete details of the production remained a mystery to me. This meant my first-time-viewing of Pleasantville turned out to be such a delightful experience as I got to unearth all the joys this movie has to offer!

I Laughed, I Cried, Terms of Endearment Moved Me Bob

Isn't it such a glorious experience when a movie that's garnered all kinds of hype manages to still take you by surprise with just how good it is? Terms of Endearment, the directorial debut of James L. Brooks, has generated no shortage of praise since its initial theatrical release in 1983, including winning the Academy Award for Best Picture, it's clear a beloved feature even if it isn't quite as widely talked about in modern cinematic conversations as other classic Best Picture winners. Maybe the fact that it isn't so rampantly discussed in the present day world is why Terms of Endearment took me by surprise or perhaps the fact that I was more restrained in my praise of fellow beloved James L. Brooks movie from 1980's Broadcast News is why I was so surprised that I fell head over heels for Terms of Endearment.

Good Night, And Good Luck Review

In the first era directly after World War II, the American populace was scrambling to get things back to the way they were, to find comfort in normal life again. Of course, just as one war ended, another was brewing, this time between the U.S. and Russia in a Cold War that would span decades to come. This conflict created a panic among Americans for the potential presence of any Communist sympathizers in the United States who, in their minds, would bring with them the downfall of their country.  From this alarm (as well as, of course, plenty of other external factors) came the Joseph MacCarthy's rampant hearings accusing numerous individuals of having Communist ties or sympathies.

The Purple Rose Of Cairo Has The Magic Of Movies Brought To Life

It is so much fun when a movie has a unique concept at the core of its story and it manages to fully utilize the creative potential behind said unique concept. Such is the case with Woody Allen's 1985 motion picture The Purple Rose Of Cairo, which feels similar to the director's 2011 effort Midnight In Paris (my personal favorite Woody Allen joint) in how it takes a very high-concept central idea and executes it in a more subdued character-centric manner. For Midnight In Paris, the heightened idea that drove the story was time travel, while The Purple Rose Of Cairo focuses on a character in a movie leaping off into the real world.

The Squid And The Whale Review (Classic Write-Up)

Family Ties

Divorce is a massively tremendous event in any families life. No matter how old you are, no matter how much you think you're prepared for it, no one is ready for the level of change divorce brings. Noah Baumbach, the director of The Squid And The Whale, uses divorce as a catalyst to upend the life of one family driven by intellectualism, a trait especially salient in the case of the father, Bernard (Jeff Daniels) and the oldest son, Walt (Jesse Eisenberg).

Classic Write-Up: Dumb And Dumber Review

Jim Carrey may have lost some of his luster in recent years, but to say he was a comedic titan in the 90's is a gross understatement. The man churned out hit after hit that engrossed audiences. Of his features from this era, I've only seen The Mask, but that finally changed when I caught Dumb and Dumber on Netflix. Perhaps his most famous film (though not his highest grossing), this Farrelly Brothers feature puts Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniel as a dim witted duo on a road trip to Aspen.

Dumb And Dumber To Trailer Has Arrived!

Looking for some dumb antics this November? Well judging from the first trailer for this long awaited sequel, you could do better than what looks like a bit of a pointless cash grab. On the other hand, Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels haven't lost a beat in their dynamic in twenty years and the R-rating promises untold comedic possibilities for the rambunctious duo.

Check out the trailer below!