Blood Simple: Criterion Collection
November 30, 2016
After the disastrous experience of making Crimewave (1986) with their friend and fellow filmmaker Sam Raimi, the Coen brothers – Joel and Ethan – parted company with him and decided to make a film on their own. They returned to their hometown and...
Short Cuts: Criterion Collection
November 17, 2016
After the critical and commercial success of The Player (1992) put Robert Altman back on the map—within the Hollywood industry—he wisely used his new found (and fleeting) cache to get a personal project of his green-lighted. With Short Cuts (1993),...
Primal Fear: Hard Evidence Edition
March 9, 2009
Primal Fear (1996) is a classic example of a talented actor transcending his role, turning a character into something special and memorable. What was originally marketed as a vehicle for Richard Gere became a breakout role for then-up-and-coming Edward...
Burn After Reading
December 19, 2008
As they did with Fargo (1996), the Coen brothers followed up the Academy Award-winning crime thriller No Country For Old Men (2007) with a comedy, in this case Burn After Reading (2008), a farce set in Washington, D.C. The Coens have adhered to the pattern...
Friends with Money
February 27, 2007
Nicole Holofcener writes some of the best, most realistic dialogue for women (and men) and how they interact with one another. This was evident with her strong debut film Walking and Talking (1996) and her work on the small screen with the episodes of...
Aeon Flux: Special Collector’s Edition
May 13, 2006
Aeon Flux (2005) is a live-action adaptation of the critically-lauded animated T.V. show by Peter Chung. This movie was something of a gamble as the show only managed to spawn a small, but dedicated cult following. Now, comes along a big budget movie...
Short Cuts
June 20, 2005
After the critical and commercial success of The Player (1992) put Robert Altman back on the map—within the Hollywood industry—he wisely used his new found (and fleeting) cache to get a personal project of his green-lighted. With Short Cuts (1993),...
Something’s Gotta Give
April 12, 2002
Something’s Gotta Give is what I call a proper romantic comedy. It’s unabashedly romantic without feeling the urge to descend into mawkish sentimentality. It’s also very funny but cleverly written so not just reliant on comic set pieces....