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.
It’s always a good time to pay tribute to Ed Wood.
4 Shots From 4 Ed Wood Films
Bride of the Monster (1955, dir by Edward D. Wood, Jr.)
Plan 9 From Outer Space (1956, dir by Edward D. Wood, Jr)
Night of the Ghouls (1958, dir by Edward D. Wood, Jr)
The Sinister Urge (1960, dir by Edward D. Wood, Jr.)
Sean Connery in DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER (1971)Charles Bronson in RED SUN (1971)
Sean Connery and Charles Bronson, despite being much different actors, shared the Golden Globe Henrietta Award for “World Film Favorite – Male” back in 1972. As the ultimate Bronson fan, I’ve always appreciated this special connection between the icons.
Happy Birthday in cinema heaven, Sean! We miss you!
I don’t think anyone was ever expecting to see a Kelly Reichardt heist film but I guess we should never say never. In The Mastermind, Josh O’Connor stars as a suburban family man who leads a double life as an art thief. As you can see in the trailer below, The Mastermind may be a crime film but it still features Reichardt’s signature minimalist style.
TheMastermind is scheduled to be released on October 17th.
Today, on Sean Connery’s birthday, our song of the day is the theme for one of my favorite Bond films. I know that some people claim that Diamonds are Forever is a lesser Bond film but personally, I think it’s just silly enough to be effective. James Bond and Las Vegas are a match made in heaven.
Today’s scene that I love features Sean Connery, born on this day 95 years ago. In this scene from 1964’s Goldfinger, Connery needs only one simple line — “I must be dreaming,” — to create an iconic moment.
Daniel Craig, as good as an actor as he is, could not have pulled this off. Only Sean Connery could have made this scene unforgettable and that’s why Sean Connery will continue to be the Bond to which all others should be compared.
4 Or More Shots From 4 Or More 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 lets the visuals do the talking!
Today would have been Sean Connery’s 95th birthday. It’s time for….
4 Shots From 4 Sean Connery Films
From Russia With Love (1963, dir by Terence Young, DP: Ted Moore)
Goldfinger (1964, dir by Guy Hamilton, DP: Ted Moore)
The Man Who Would Be King (1975, dir by John Huston, DP: Oswald Morris)
Highlander (1986, dir by Russell Mulcahy, DP: Gerry Fisher)
DEAD IN A HEARTBEAT is a 2002 TV movie that stars Judge Reinhold as Tom Royko, the head of Seattle bomb squad, as he finds himself trying to stop a mad bomber named Zachary Franklin (Timothy Busfield). Franklin blames heart surgeon Gillian Hayes (Penelope Ann Miller) for the death of his son and makes it his mission in life to make her suffer like he has. His plan… volunteer at the hospital where Dr. Hayes works, rig their supply of pacemakers with explosives, and then implement a plan to begin blowing up her patients on the anniversary of his son’s death. When Royko figures out what’s going on, he enlists the help of Dr. Hayes to identify the next potential victims and stop the deranged Franklin before another innocent person’s chest explodes!
DEAD IN A HEARTBEAT is an entertaining TV movie. If you like Hallmark mysteries and Lifetime movies, it’s my guess that you will enjoy this film. The plot is a lot of fun… I love the movie SPEED and the “madman setting off ticking human time bombs while taunting the police” reminded me of that excellent thriller on multiple occasions. While I’m not suggesting this movie is in the same league as the Keanu Reeves / Sandra Bullock action classic, I am saying that I did feel genuine tension and excitement at times as some of the scenes played out, and I wasn’t really expecting that. As far as the performances, I must admit I really enjoyed watching Judge Reinhold in the lead. He’s not tough at all, but he does have a likable, sarcastic charm that appeals to me. After loving him in 80’s movies like BEVERLY HILLS COP and RUTHLESS PEOPLE, it was nice seeing him in this role. I only give Penelope Ann Miller average marks for her performance as the heart doctor who starts off really arrogant before having a crisis of conscience when the bad guy starts offing her former patients. She has a couple of solid moments, but for the most part I just found her competent in the role. Timothy Busfield is definitely good as the villain, but this movie’s TV roots left his character somewhat underdeveloped. I think the part could have worked better if more time had been devoted to the details that lead to him losing his grip on reality.
While not a must-see, DEAD ON A HEARTBEAT turned out to be an enjoyable, undemanding watch as I was scrolling through Amazon Prime. If you don’t mind a little absurdity with your early 2000’s, TV action movies, you’ll probably like this one.
Daniel Day-Lewis “retired’ from acting in 2017, following his acclaimed performance in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread. However, later this year, he will be returning to the big screen in Anemone. Anemone was directed by Ronan Day-Lewis, Daniel’s son. Ronan and Daniel collaborated on the script. Perhaps not coincidentally, Anemone features Daniel Day-Lewis and Sean Bean, playing father-and-son.
Anemone will premiere at the New York Film Festival in September before then moving onto a theatrical release in October.
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 lets the visuals do the talking!
Today, the Shattered Lens wishes a happy birthday to the legendary cinematographer, Dante Spinotti! It’s time for….
4 Shots From 4 Dante Spinotti Films
Manhunter (1986, dir by Michael Mann, DP: Dante Spinotti)
Heat (1995, dir by Michael Mann, DP: Dante Spinotti)
L.A. Confidential (1997, dir by Curtis Hanson, DP: Dante Spinotti)
Public Enemies (2009, dir by Michael Mann, DP: Dante Spinotti)
Somehow, I missed that a film version of The Long Walk is on the verge of being released.
The Long Walk is one of Stephen King’s best novels, even if it is one that he wrote under the name of Richard Bachman. In a dystopian future, a group of young men enter an annual walking contest. They have to walk a certain number of miles an hour (four in the book but apparently three in the film) and, if they fall behind or stop, they are executed by the soldiers following them. The Walk continues until there is only one survivor. The Long Walk feels like a distant cousin to The Running Man (the book, not necessarily the film adaptation).
The film version of The Long Walk was directed by Francis Lawrence, who previous directed The Hunger Games sequels, and has a cast that includes Cooper Hoffman, Charlie Plummer, Judy Greer, and Mark Hamill as the main bad guy. Who knows if the film will do justice to the book’s bleak tone. The trailer offers some hints. The film will be released on September 12th.
Through the Shattered Lens 