Anthony Strand

A ★★★★ review of 49th Parallel (1941) The Criterion Century #97: 49th Parallel (dir. Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger, 1941) Earlier this year, I watched two other Powell & Pressburger movies (The Red Shoes and The Life & Death of Colo...

The Criterion Century #97:

49th Parallel (dir. Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger, 1941)

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Learning that Cheney was only five years older than George W Bush shook me. In high school, I assumed he was 25 years older.

He was only five years older than W, which seems impossible.

A ★★★★ review of Rachel Getting Married (2008) The Criterion Century #96: Rachel Getting Married (dir. Jonathan Demme, 2008) There are so many moments in this that could tip over into being ridiculous, but the acting always keep it on the right si...

The Criterion Century #96:

Rachel Getting Married (dir. Jonathan Demme, 2008)

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The Criterion Century #95:

A Hard Day’s Night (dir. Richard Lester, 1964)

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Roz pointed out that Tom from this season of Bake Off looks like Nigel Thornberry, and now I can't think about anything else.

A ★★★½ review of Androcles and the Lion (1952) The Criterion Century #94: Androcles and the Lion (dir. Chester Erskine, 1952) Biblical epics were extremely common in the era this movie was made, and it can't quite decide if it wants to a parody of...

The Criterion Century #94:

Androcles and the Lion (dir. Chester Erskine, 1952)

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My daughter and her friends are furiously trading Halloween candy in the basement, and it's so reassuring to know that some things never change.

I too just watched this for the first time! Needed more Denise Nickerson, but it's pleasant enough

My daughter (11) told me today that she has "no interest at all" in Zootopia 2, which is a first for a Disney or Pixar movie.

Nope! A lot of Claremont X-Men and Web of Spider-Man mostly

Adventures in school library: one of my 4th graders brought in an assortment of random DC and Marvel issues he owns to show me.

He thought I'd like to see them, and he was extremely correct.

I mean, I guess so, but it doesn't quite feel like His Girl Friday or Only Angels Have Wings where the fast dialogue is very distinct. It's mumbly like Nashville.

I mean, that one guy had the good looks of an unmemorable b-level movie star

A lot more dogs in this one

I was not expecting it to be full of overlapping dialogue like an Altman movie.

I picked up this 3-pack of The Things at a thrift store, so now I'm watching The Thing From Another World for the first time

'Tis the season!

'Tis the season!

'Tis the season!

Rory thinks that he was her Dean first, but Rory doesn't own him. You can't own Dean.

I had only seen Starman and Dark Star, both many years ago. And then in about 2019, my friend Justin came over for the weekend and brought Big Trouble in Little China. I was absolutely blown away, and then I started watching a few Carpenters every year. One of my top guys now.

What do *you* think about noted XBox enthusiast John Carpenter?

1. They Live - When this movie came out, they couldn't have known how well it would age. The best way to critique our rampant consumerism is with a goofy, over-the-top cartoon like this one. An absolute masterpiece that gets more powerful with each passing year.

2. The Thing - I mentioned before that Carpenter is the master of tension, and this is the best example. Just 100 solid minutes of sustained worry about what's going to happen to the South Pole science boys. I especially love all the parts where I have no idea how they did the special effects.

3. Big Trouble in Little China - It's remarkable how well this movie walks the line between being a dumb comedy (almost a spoof of 80s action movies, really) and a genuinely exciting ride. Russell knows exactly what tone to hit, and he knocks it out of the park. But James Hong is the real hero.

4. Escape from New York (1981) - It's just a video game where every fifteen minutes, you meet a new awesome guy, and they're all world-class character actors. Also, it's astounding to remember that Kurt Russell was basically a Disney kid before this movie, because Snake Plissken is so fully realized

That's one I definitely need to watch again. It's unsettling in all the best ways.

5. In the Mouth of Madness - There are long stretches of this that feel exactly like an X-Files episode, and there's something so reassuring about that. Most of Carpenter's post-1990 movies feel like missed opportunities, but this is the one that's alive and thrilling.

6. Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) - Come on, John! You didn't need to shoot that kid! She just wanted some ice cream!