Monday Live Tweet Alert: Join Us for Lavalantula!


As some of our regular readers undoubtedly know, I am involved in hosting a few weekly live tweets on twitter and occasionally Mastodon.  I host #FridayNightFlix every Friday, I co-host #ScarySocial on Saturday, and I am one of the five hosts of Mastodon’s #MondayActionMovie!  Every week, we get together.  We watch a movie.  We snark our way through it.

Tonight, for #MondayActionMovie, the film will be Lavalantula!

If you want to join this watch party, just hop onto Mastodon, pull up Kid Cannabis on YouTube, start the movie at 8 pm et, and use the #MondayActionMovie hashtag!

Enjoy!

Scenes that I love: The Boogie Nights Recording Session (Happy Birthday, John C. Reilly)


Today is John C. Reilly’s 61st birthday.  This provides me with a great reason to share a scene that I love from 1997’s Boogie Nights.  After falling out with his director, 70s porn star Dirk Diggler (Mark Wahlberg) attempts to reinvent himself as a rock star.  Providing support, both emotionally and musically, is his best friend and frequent co-star, Reed Rothchild (John C. Reilly).

Now, obviously, Wahlberg’s brilliantly tuneless singing usually gets the most attention here but there’s something really touching about Reed’s loyalty in these scenes.  It may just be because of the cocaine but you can tell that Reed is perhaps even more convinced of Dirk’s talent than Dirk is.

Enjoy and remember …. YOU GOT THE POWER!

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Roger Deakins Edition


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, the Shattered Lens wishes a happy birthday to the legendary cinematographer, Roger Deakins!  It’s time for….

4 Shots From 4 Roger Deakins Film

Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984, dir by Michael Radford, cinematography by Roger Deakins)

Fargo (1996, dir by the Coen Brothers, cinematography by Roger Deakins)

Kundun (1997, dir by Martin Scorsese, cinematography by Roger Deakins)

1917 (2019, dir by Sam Mendes. cinematography by Roger Deakins)

Fjord Wins At Cannes


Well, another Cannes Film Festival has come to a close.  Here in America, coverage of this year’s festival felt considerably more low-key than previous festivals.  In fact, the conventional wisdom — again, here in America — seems to be that this year’s festival was a disappointment.  Personally, I think there’s just some hurt feelings that only two American films were selected to compete this year.

Neither Paper Tiger nor The Man I Love won anything.  (Fear not, I’m sure that James Gray will be back with another drama about the Russian mafia next year.)  Instead, the Palme d’Or went to Fjord, a film about a traditional Catholic family that finds itself being targeted by a group of progressives.  The Guardian gave Fjord a negative review so I imagine it’s pretty good.  I look forward to seeing it.  It should be noted that, as of the last few years, winning the Palme d’Or has been a plus when it comes to a film’s Oscar chances.  (Even the now universally-derided Emilia Perez starting things off by winning at Cannes.)  We’ll see if the same holds true for Fjord.

Here are the winners from Cannes:

Palme d’Or: Fjord by Cristian Mungiu
Grand Prix: Minotaur by Andrey Zvyagintsev
Jury Prize: The Dreamed Adventure by Valeska Grisebach
Best Director:
Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo for The Black Ball
Paweł Pawlikowski for Fatherland
Best Actress: Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto for All of a Sudden
Best Actor: Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne for Coward
Best Screenplay: Emmanuel Marre for A Man of His Time

Un Certain Regard
Un Certain Regard Prize: Everytime by Sandra Wollner
Jury Prize: Elephants in the Fog by Abinash Bikram Shah
Special Jury Prize: Iron Boy by Louis Clichy
Best Actress: Daniela Marín Navarro, Marina de Tavira and Mariangel Villegas for Forever Your Maternal Animal
Best Actor: Bradley Fiomona Dembeasset for Congo Boy

Caméra d’Or
Caméra d’Or: Ben’Imana by Marie Clémentine Dusabejambo

Short Films Competition
Short Film Palme d’Or: For the Opponents by Federico Luis

Live Tweet Alert: Watch Killer Workout With #ScarySocial!


As some of our regular readers undoubtedly know, I am involved in a few weekly live tweets on twitter.  I host #FridayNightFlix every Friday, I co-host #ScarySocial on Saturday, and I am one of the five hosts of #MondayActionMovie!  Every week, we get together.  We watch a movie.  We tweet our way through it.

Tonight, for #ScarySocial, I will be hosting 1987’s Killer Workout!

If you want to join us on Saturday night, just hop onto twitter, start the film at 9 pm et, and use the #ScarySocial hashtag!  The film is available on Prime!  I’ll be there co-hosting and I imagine some other members of the TSL Crew will be there as well.  It’s a friendly group and welcoming of newcomers so don’t be shy!

 

Scenes that I Love: The Roulette Scene From Run, Lola, Run (Happy Birthday, Tom Tykwer!)


Today is the birthday of German filmmaker Tom Tykwer.  Tykwer directed one of my favorite films of all time, 1998’s Run, Lola, Run!  As such, it only seems appropriate that today’s scene that I love should come from that film.

In this scene, Lola shows us all how to win at roulette.  Do not try this in Vegas.

4 Shots from 4 Films: Special Ryan Coogler Edition


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, the Shattered Lens wishes a happy birthday to director Ryan Coogler!  With just a handful of films, Ryan Coogler has made a star out of Michael B. Jordan, redeemed the acting career of Sylvester Stallone, introduced the rest of the world to Wakanda, twice made Oscar history, and changed the way that film viewers talk about race in cinema.  With all that in mind, it’s time for….

4 Shots from 4 Ryan Coogler Films

Fruitvale Station (2013, dir by Ryan Coogler, DP: Rachel Morrison)

Creed (2015, dir by Ryan Coogler, DP: Maryse Alberti)

Black Panther (2018, dir by Ryan Coogler, DP: Rachel Morrison)

Sinners (2025, dir by Ryan Coogler, DP: Autumn Durald Arkapaw)

Live Tweet Alert: Join #FridayNightFlix for The Sandlot!


As some of our regular readers undoubtedly know, I am involved in a few weekly watch parties.  On Twitter, I host #FridayNightFlix every Friday and I co-host #ScarySocial on Saturday.  On Mastodon, I am one of the five hosts of #MondayActionMovie!  Every week, we get together.  We watch a movie.  We tweet our way through it.

Tonight, at 10 pm et, I will be hosting #FridayNightFlix!  The movie?  1993’s The Sandlot!

If you want to join us this Friday, just hop onto twitter, find The Sandlot on Prime, start the movie at 10 pm et, and use the #FridayNightFlix hashtag!  I’ll be there happily tweeting.  It’s a friendly group and welcoming of newcomers so don’t be shy.

See you there!

 

 

Scenes That I Love: “Now is the winter of our discontent” from Laurence Olivier’s Richard III


119 years ago today, Laurence Olivier was born in Surrey.  The son of a clergyman, Olivier would go on to become one of the greatest stage actors of the 20th Century.  He would also have a distinguished film career, one that led to him frequently being described as being the world’s greatest living actor.

He is perhaps best-known for his Shakespearean performances.  He won multiple Oscars for directing and starring in 1948’s Hamlet.  Before his turn in Hamlet, he was similarly nominated for his film version of Henry V.  That said, for me, his best cinematic Shakespearean performance was as Richard III in the 1953 film of the same title.

Though acclaimed, Richard III was not quite the Oscar favorite that Olivier’s previous two adaptations of Shakespeare had been.  Henry V was released at a time when its portrayal of a determined British ruler could be viewed as a metaphor for the UK’s role in the second world war.  Hamlet was released at a time when the world was still rebuilding and trying to adjust to the new atomic age and its dark, noirish style captured those anxieties.  Richard III was released in the 50s, at a time when Americans perhaps weren’t as receptive to films that suggested that leaders should not be trusted.  As a result, Richard III received only one nomination, for Olivier’s performance in the title role.

Today, in honor of his birthday, here is a scene that I love from 1953’s Richard III:

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Sherlock Holmes Edition


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 is Arthur Conan Doyle’s birthday.  Today, we pay tribute to Doyle’s most popular and influential creation.  It’s time for….

4 Shots From 4 Sherlock Holmes Films

Sherlock Holmes (1922, dir by Albert Parker, DP: J. Roy Hunt)


The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939, dir by Sindey Lanfield, DP: Peverell Marley)


The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970, dir by Billy Wilder, DP: Christopher Challis)


Sherlock Holmes (2009, dir by Guy Ritchie, DP: Philippe Rousselot)