Recent Reviews by michael
Joy

The Railway Children Return

Locked Down

The Spine of Night

La Llorona

Michael says: “Here’s a Guatemalan horror film that features the Central American legend of ‘the wailing woman’ a spirit who returns to avenge an injustice to women, but uses the the actions of a military government that resulted in the
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Stray Dogs

Michael says: “After seeing the great director Tsai Ming-liang’s latest film, DAYS, I decided to go back and watch his previous film, and the only of his features that I hadn’t seen, STRAY DOGS. Interestingly enough, while I was braced
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Barking Water

Michael says: “After hearing some praise about the new streaming television series, RESERVATION DOGS, which director Harjo executive produced as well as wrote and directed for, I decided to dip into his 2009 film, BARKING WATER, before starting in on
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The Postman Always Rings Twice

Michael says: “Often mentioned as one of the best examples of film noir, I thought I should check out this novel adaptation from 1946. An entertaining romp, to be sure, but it doesn’t have the charisma and appeal as those
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Rebels of the Neon God

Michael says: “When Chris mentioned recently that he caught Tsai Ming-liang’s debut feature, REBELS OF THE NEON GOD, I realized that I too had never gone back to watch this film from one of my favorite directors. What I perhaps
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To Have and To Have Not

Michael says: “After a slight slip with KEY LARGO, we’re back in business. Set in Martinque during WWII, Harry Morgan is an Amiercan ex-pat who reluctantly transports a leader in the French Resistance and his wife to the island, all
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Key Largo

Michael says: “After seeing THE BIG SLEEP, I had to watch the rest of Bogie and Bacall’s oeuvre. Count me as one of the many who are smitten by their chemistry. I’m particularly taken by Lauren Bacall’s assured and powerful
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Alphaville

Michael says: “It was about 30 minutes into ALPHAVILLE when I realized I don’t think I like Godard’s films. Now I’ve only seen two, this one and BREATHLESS, so I am still open to more (BAND OF OUTSIDERS and VIVRE
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The Big Sleep

Michael says: “Not the first, but perhaps the most famous (despite the 1980’s pop song) of the Bogie and Bacall films, I have a vague recollection that I may have seen all or part of THE BIG SLEEP over twenty
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Orpheus

Michael says: “Based on the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, ORPHEUS was the sixth of only eight narrative films that Jean Cocteau directed, the most famous of which, of course, is BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. Cocteau’s ORPHEUS revolves around
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Sophie Jones

Maudie

Strange Weather

The Shape of Water

Window Horses

The Death and Life of Martha P. Johnson

Happy as Lazzaro

Felicia’s Journey

Guinevere

An Ideal Husband

Run Lola Run

Boys Don’t Cry

Central Station

The Wedding Singer

Shakespeare in Love

Life is Beautiful

High Art

Elizabeth

Fairy Tale: A True Story

Good Will Hunting

The Daytrippers

The Ice Storm
The Winter Guest

The Sweet Hereafter

Hollow Reed

L. A. Confidental

Michael says: “This complex, film was based on the novel by James Ellroy. It takes a look at the Los Angeles police department in the 1950’s. Corruption and glitz with a Hollywood backdrop provide the framework for an intense study
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Grace of My Heart

Angels and Insects

Flirting with Disaster

Shine

Fly Away Home

Bound

Trees Lounge

Trainspotting

Secrets & Lies

Marvin’s Room

Fargo

Michael says: “I could say a lot of things about FARGO, all of them good, but what I most need to say is that Marge Gunderson is one of our all-time great cinematic heroes! Practical, unflappable, determined, and optimistic are
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Big Night

Sling Blade

When Night is Falling

Exotica

The Usual Suspects

Persuasion

Mighty Aphrodite

Priest

Carrington

Richard III

Smoke

Leaving Las Vegas

Safe

To Die For

Dolores Claiborne

Sense and Sensibility

The Secret of Roan Inish

Jeffrey

Babe

Amateur

Dead Man Walking

Nobody’s Fool

Quiz Show

Four Weddings and a Funeral

Heavenly Creatures

Interview with the Vampire

Forrest Gump

The Shawshank Redemption

Serial Mom

To Live

The Last Seduction

The Ref

The New Age

Vanya on 42nd Street

Pulp Fiction

Bullets Over Broadway

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

The Circus

Thom says: “I’m happy to see an intellectual shift in my comic essence. For whatever reason I never was much of a Chaplin fan for the majority of my life although in the past 5 years I quite liked LIMELIGHT
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A Kid Like Jake

Thom says: “The extremely sensitive subject of transgender children is treated here with some understanding and compassion. Enough so that some insensitive bastard criticizing on Ratings and Reviews for New Movies and TV Shows – IMDb wrote that the educators
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Le Grand Chef 2: Kimchi Battle

Jason says: “Looking at the cast list for LE GRAND CHEF 2: KIMCHI BATTLE should raise some alarms; the main couple from the first film has been recast and a completely new character has first billing. Given that the plot
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Mai Mai Miracle

Jason says: “MAI MAI MIRACLE is charming. It’s a nostalgic memoir about growing up as free-range kids, but we can use all the good ones we can get before we run out of people who grew up that way. Nicely
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The Place Without Limits

Thom says: “My brother has a dear friend in Seattle who’s a great film scholar and aficionado and he recently recommended Mexican auteur Arturo Ripstein with some 60 films credited to him. In fact, he’s still working. His films have
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1917

Thom says: “This highly-praised WWII film by the talented Mendes (AMERICAN BEAUTY) is especially impressive with its technical gifts following two British soldiers as they navigate a rough battle path trying to avoid bombs, bullets, & accidents hoping to deliver
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The Last Wave

Michael says: “There’s something about a Peter Weir film that appeals to me… even if I don’t like the film overall. Case in point: I’m not a fan of DEAD POET’S SOCIETY in the least, but I can’t deny the
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You Are Here

Michael says: “I was reading a negative review of TRIGGER, Bruce McDonald’s spiritual sequel to HARD CORE LOGO, starring Molly Parker and Tracy Wright, when a line caught my eye. Paraphrased, it something to the effect of while TRIGGER was
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Freaky

No Small Matter

Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President

Freies Country
