Another four films worth checking out.
Sister Stella L. (1984, dir. Mike De Leon)
White Sun of the Desert (1970, dir. Vladimir Motyl)
17th Parallel: Vietnam in War (1968, dir. Joris Ivens & Marceline Loridan Ivens)
A Colt Is My Passport (1967, dir. Takashi Nomura)
Happy birthday, Ingmar Bergman.
4 Shots From 4 Films
The Seventh Seal (1957, directed by Ingmar Bergman)
Persona (1966, directed by Ingmar Bergman)
Scenes From A Marriage (1973, directed by Ingmar Bergman)
Fanny and Alexander (1982, directed by Ingmar Bergman)
4 Shots From 4 Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films is all about letting the visuals do the talking.
Inland Empire (2006, dir by David Lynch)
Borgman (2013, dir by Alex van Warmerdam)
A Field in England (2013, dir by Ben Wheatley)
Goodbye to Language (2014, dir by Jean-Luc Godard)
Today the film world received news that legendary actor Omar Sharif passed away at the age of 83. The acclaimed Egyptian actor would make quite an entrance with his very first English-language film: David Lean’s epic Lawrence of Arabia.
Omar Sharif would go on to star in such film as Dr. Zhivago, MacKenna’s Gold, Funny Girl and Behold a Pale Horse to name a few. He might be recognized by the younger generation in such films as The 13th Warrior and Hidalgo. He would be the vision of the noble romantic whether it was as a warrior, a poet or a leader. He would bring a bearing on-screen that exuded steadfast nobility yet still with a streak of roguish charm.
With each passing year we lose more and more of our classic performers. Now Omar Sharif joins the others who have gone before him but will always live on in our memories of him up on the screen.
4 SHOTS FROM 4 FILMS
Lawrence of Arabia (dir. by David Lean)
Dr. Zhivago (dir. by David Lean)
MacKenna’s Gold (dir. by J. Lee Thompson)
Hidalgo (dir. by Joe Johnston)
Since it’s likely that many of my posts will be about films that come from the bottom, or near to it, of the barrel. I thought I would occasionally direct you to four films worth checking out simply through showing you a screenshot. Some may be difficult to find, but that’s part of the fun.
Douce (1943, dir. Claude Autant-Lara)
War and Peace (1966, dir. Sergey Bondarchuk)
Rocker (1972, dir. Klaus Lemke)
Under The Bridges (1946, dir. Helmut Käutner)
4 Shots From 4 Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films is all about letting the visuals do the talking.
All of the shots in my latest entry in 4 Shots From 4 Films come from movies that were directed by the great (and sadly underappreciated) French director Jean Rollin. Several of Rollin’s films are available for viewing on Netflix. Track them down and, when you get the chance, be sure to read my review of Rollin’s Night of The Hunted!
4 Shots From 4 Films
The Iron Rose (1973, dir by Jean Rollin)
Fascination (1979, dir by Jean Rollin)
Night of the Hunted (1980, dir by Jean Rollin)
Lost in New York (1989, dir by Jean Rollin)
Since I’m new here, it was suggested that I cut my teeth on one of these 4 shots from 4 films posts. Also, because I’m new, I thought I would go with 4 films that have a special place in my heart. An introduction of sorts.
Of course, that means telling a little story behind each one.
Planet of Dinosaurs (dir. by James K. Shea)
Planet of Dinosaurs (1977) is a simple one. My Mom recorded it off of TV when I was a kid and I watched it over and over and over again. It’s a classic bit of Sci-fi B-Movie making. I watched this so many times that I can even recall the commercials. There was one for some compilation of hit songs. I was so young that when Gloria by Van Morrison played I thought he was saying the word Tijuana.
Real Genius (dir. Martha Coolidge)
Real Genius (1985) is just a great movie, but it especially resonated with someone like myself who always felt out of place because I was so into computers at such a young age.
Switch (dir. by Blake Edwards)
Switch (1991) is the easiest to tell the story behind. I’m transgender. I found it on cable one night as a kid and it became one of my favorites.
Some Girls (dir. by Michael Hoffman)
Some Girls (1988) is a tough one. When I first got a TiVo I put the Wishlist feature to use in order to see all the movies by actresses such as Angelina Jolie, Julianne Moore, and Jennifer Connelly. One day this movie popped up. I’m still not sure why, but it managed to bore a hole into my heart. It can still make me sad watching it.
Today we celebrate the 4th of July, the United States’ Independence Day, and I mean the one from British rule and not from invading aliens.
This day has always been about the balance of one’s level of patriotism (or lackof), gathering with friends and family for barbecues and fireworks. I would also like to add that the 4th of July has also meant watching or listening to one’s favorite baseball team. Baseball, for me at least, will always remain America’s national past time.
So, here are four films that one should check out this day, or any day to understand why baseball remains such a major part for some people’s lives.
4 SHOTS FROM 4 FILMS
The Natural (dir. Barry Levinson)
Eight Men Out (dir. by John Sayles)
Bull Durham (dir. by Ron Shelton)
Field of Dreams (dir. by Phil Alden Robinson)
4 Shots From 4 Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films is all about letting the visuals do the talking.
All of the scenes below come from films that were made and released between the introduction of sound in the late 1920s and the adoption of the infamous Hays Production Code in 1934. This was truly an exciting time for film as an art form. Not only were filmmakers intoxicated with discovering what they could accomplish through the medium but they were also unhindered by censorship or regulation. The end result was some of the most visually imaginative and narratively daring films to ever be released by the major American studios.
There’s a reason why film lovers continue to eagerly seek out pre-code films. And if you want to experience what made the pre-Code era so memorable, you could not do any worse than to start with the four films featured in this post.
Madam Satan (1930, dir by Cecil B. DeMille)
Safe in Hell (1931, dir by William Wellman)
Rasputin and the Empress (1932, dir by Richard Boleslawski)
Search For Beauty (1934, dir by Erle C. Kenton)
Everyone, at some point in his life, has wanted to learn karate. The films featured below are a big reason why.
4 SHOTS FROM 4 FILMS
Enter the Dragon (directed by Robert Clouse, 1973)
Lady Snowblood (directed by Toshiya Fujita, 1973)
Black Belt Jones (directed by Robert Clouse, 1974)
Three The Hard Way (directed by Gordon Parks, Jr., 1974)
Through the Shattered Lens 