Trumbo (Movie Review)
Read More“Trumbo” reminds us that tyranny doesn’t produce any heroes or villains.  There are only victims.
Nobody wins. Â Everybody loses.
Read More“Trumbo” reminds us that tyranny doesn’t produce any heroes or villains.  There are only victims.
Nobody wins. Â Everybody loses.
Read MoreMost mornings between 1993 and 2000, I walked uptown from the Washington metro to my workplace on Massachusetts Avenue, along what’s fashionably referred to as “Embassy Row.”
A few blocks from DuPont Circle, a lonely-looking man used to stand outside on the sidewalk and silently protest. Â Rain, shine, or snow, he came every morning. Â He usually held a sign, sometimes two — one in each hand. Â Occasionally, he handed out flyers on which something was printed and written, although few if any people on the sidewalk stopped long enough to take one. Â I passed him by frequently. Â I never took one.
Read MoreWe tend to gloss over the Gene Hackman’s of our society, those rough-around-the-edges simple soldiers of the stage and silver screen who weren’t and aren’t particularly pretty nor scandalous — the good guy artisans who stuck to their craft, always performing their best, staying out of trouble, and standing to the side while the more famous and glamorous get all the attention.
Read MoreA blockbuster movie was released, in which a heavily-armed, highly-trained maniacal loner with no apparent friends nor familial attachments murders a heap of people during the course of his 2-hour, 34-minute onscreen presence. Â Dozens of hard-working, loyal private and public employees, many with families and children of their own, are shot, maimed, burned, crushed, and blown apart in order to satisfy the killerâs bloodthirsty cravings.
Read More“Bridge of Spies” is far from a movie masterpiece. Â Yet, it’s true to historical events. Â Moreover, there’s a critically important message here entirely consistent with Spielberg’s legacy as a noble filmmaker and master of historical recreation, that patriotism can mean doing things that unpopular. Â That’s something to ponder now, just as much as back then.