Tag Archives: Films

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Horrorthon Preview

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

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!

With October approaching, it will soon be time for our annual Horrorthon here at the Shattered Lens.  We’ve been working hard getting things ready!  Here are 4 shots from 4 of the many films that we will be reviewing this October.

4 Shots From 4 Horror Films

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920, dir by Robert Wiene)

Last House on the Left (1972, dir by Wes Craven)

The Grapes of Death (1978, dir by Jean Rollin)

The Shining (1980, dir by Stanley Kubrick)

 

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Bert I. Gordon Edition

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

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 celebrates would have been the 103 birthday of director Bert I. Gordon!  Known as Mr. BIG, both because of his initials and the fact that his films often dealt with things becoming bigger than they should, Gordon made his directorial debut in 1954 and continued to work all the way through 2014.  And that means that it’s time for….

4 Shots From 4 Bert I. Gordon Films

King Dinosaur (1955, dir by Bert I. Gordon, DP: Gordon Avil)

Beginning of the End (1957, dir by Bert I. Gordon, DP: Jack A. Marta)

Village of the Giants (1965, dir by Bert I. Gordon, DP: Paul Vogel)

The Mad Bomber (1973, dir by Bert I. Gordon, DP: Bert I. Gordon)

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special 2005 Edition

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

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, we pay tribute to the cinematic year of 2005.  It’s time for….

4 Shots From 4 2005 Films

The New World (2005, dir by Terrence Malick)

Mirrormask (2005, dir by Dave McKean)

Land of the Dead (2005, dir by George Romeo)

The Call of Cthulhu (2005, dir by Andrew Leman)

10 Films For The Week (9/22/25)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

With the passing of Robert Redford last week, I want to start things off by recommending one of his last films, 2013’s All Is Lost.  Redford gives a great performance as a nameless man trying to survive on a damaged boat.  The film opens with a brief Redford voice over and then, towards the end of the film, Redford utters one other line.  Even without dialogue, Redford dominates the screen and shows why he was one of great movie stars.  All Is Lost is streaming on Tubi.

Also streaming on Tubi is 1972’s Jeremiah Johnson, starring Redford as a mountain man who is trying to escape from civilization.  Jeremiah Johnson is today probably best-known for giving the world the nodding Redford meme but it’s also a strong film in its own right and it features Redford at his best.  Jeremiah Johnson can be viewed here.

I was very happy to recently see that one of my favorite films, 1982’s Split Image, is now streaming on Tubi.  Split Image is one of those films that I am always recommending to anyone who hasn’t seen it.  Michael O’Keefe plays a college athlete who is brainwashed into joining a cult led by Peter Fonda.  O’Keefe’s father (Brian Dennehy) hires a sleazy cult deprogammer (James Woods) to rescue his son.  This is an intelligent and well-acted film.  It was also shot in my part of the world.  If you watch it, pay attention to the scene in which O’Keefe is abducted from a college campus.  The scene was shot at Richland Community College.  It’s a lovely campus that still looks the same in 2025 as it did in 1982.  Split Image is on Tubi.

James Woods and Brian Dennehy also teamed up in 1987’s Best Seller, a smart thriller that was written by Larry Cohen and directed by Rolling Thunder’s John Flynn.  Dennehy plays a cop-turned-writer.  Woods plays the hitman who has decided that he wants Dennehy to write his life story.  Best Seller can be viewed here.

2013’s The Spectacular Now is listed as “leaving soon” over on Tubi so now is as good a time as any for you to watch this well-written and surprisingly poignant coming-of-age story.  Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley both give strong performance as teen lovers.  Kyle Chandler steals the film as Teller’s alcoholic father.  The Spectacular Now is streaming here.

In a world where politics is becoming increasingly violent, 2008’s The Baader Meinhof Complex feels as relevant as ever.  This film takes a look at the group of middle and upper-class activists who decided to play at being revolutionaries and how their actions spiraled out of-control.  This film is a powerful portrait of a group of people who some proclaimed to be heroes and who some (correctly) portrayed to be political LARPers.  It can be viewed on Prime.

Follow up The Baader Meinhof Complex with 1988’s Patty Hearst, Paul Schrader’s film about the kidnapping and subsequent brainwashing of heiress Patty Hearst.  The film’s first half is especially harrowing.  By the end of the film, Patty has almost become a powerless bystander as she watches her own story unfold in front of her.  Patty Hearst can be viewed on Tubi.

1974’s Big Bad Mama is a Roger Corman-produced Depression epic, in which Angie Dickinson and her daughters rob banks and shoot guns.  This one is worth watching not just for Dickinson’s performance but also for the supporting turns of two very different actors, William Shater and Tom Skerritt.  It can be viewed on Prime.

William Shatner is also present in The Kidnapping of the President (1980), a Canadian-made and -set film in which President Hal Holbrook is taken hostage while visiting Toronto.  William Shatner is the Secret Service agent negotiating for the President’s release.  Van Johnson is the Vice President and Ava Gardner is his wife.  Maury Chaykin appears as one of the kidnappers.  With a cast like that, you can be assured that there’s not a piece of unchewed scenery to be found in this slight but entertaining thriller.  It is streaming on Tubi.

Finally, it doesn’t get more 70s than 1973’s The Harrad Experiment, in which a group of students enroll at Harrad College, a progressive school where everyone is encouraged to lose their clothes, hug trees, and have open relationships.  James Whitmore and Tippi Hedren play the unlikely founders of the college.  Don Johnson, Laurie Walters, and Bruno Kirby are students.  Fred Willard has a brief cameo as himself.  It’s not necessarily a good film but it’s such a product of its time that it’s interesting from a historical perspective.  It’s streaming on Prime.

Click here for last week’s films!

 

 

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special John Woo Edition

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

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, we wish a happy birthday to director John Woo.  It’s time for….

4 Shots From 4 John Woo Films

A Better Tomorrow (1986, dir by John Woo, DP: Wing-Hang Wong)

The Killer (1989, dir by John Woo, DP: Peter Pau, Wing-Hang Wong)

Broken Arrow (1996, dir by John Woo, DP: Peter Levy)

Face/Off (1997, dir by John Woo, DP: Oliver Wood)

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Bill Murray Edition

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

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, we wish a happy birthday to everyone’s favorite actor, Bill Murray!

That means, of course, that it’s time for….

4 Shots From 4 Films

Ghostbusters (1984, dir by Ivan Reitman)

Rushmore (1998, dir by Wes Anderson)

Lost In Translation (2003, dir by Sofia Coppola)

The Dead Don’t Die (2019, dir by Jim Jarmusch)

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special David Hess Edition

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

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, we remember actor David Hess on his birthday.  It’s time for….

4 Shots From 4 David Hess Films

The Last House On The Left (1972, dir by Wes Craven, DP: Victor Hurwitz)

Hitch-Hike (1977, dir by Pasquale Festa Campanile, DP:
Franco Di Giacomo and Giuseppe Ruzzolini)

The House On The Edge of the Park (1980, dir by Ruggero Deodato, DP: Sergio D’Offizi)

Body Count (1986, dir by Ruggero Deodato, DP: Emilio Loffredo)

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Edgar G. Ulmer Edition

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

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!

121 years ago, on this date, the great director Edgar G. Ulmer was born in what is today the Czech Republic.  It’s time for….

4 Shots From 4 Edger G. Ulmer Films

The Black Cat (1934, dir by Edgar G. Ulmer, DP: John J. Mescall)

Detour (1945, dir by Edgar G. Ulmer, DP: Benjamin H, Kline)

The Man From Planet X (1951, dir by Edgar G. Ulmer, DP: John L. Russell)

Beyond The Time Barrier (1960, dir by Edgar G. Ulmer, DP: Meredith Nicholson)

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Robert Redford Edition

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

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!

RIP, Robert Redford.  He was not just an actor but a director as well.

4 Shots From 4 Robert Redford Films

Ordinary People (1980, dir by Robert Redford, DP: John Bailey)

A River Runs Through It (1992, dir by Robert Redford. DP: Philippe Rousselot)

Quiz Shown (1994, dir by Robert Redford, DP: Michael Balhaus)

The Horse Whisperer (1998. dir by Robert Redford, DP: Robert Richardson)

10 Films For The Week (9/14/25)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome To The Dark Side Of Life

Ted K (2021) is a film about Ted Kaczynski, the overeducated loser who moved into a Montana cabin and who sent people bombs because of …. reasons, I guess?  I know that Ted had a big manifesto and that there are people who claim to have found some sort of genius in his ramblings but truth be told, Ted was a second-rate philosopher who has been embraced by third-rate people.  This film features Sharlto Copley at Ted and it takes an honest and unbiased look at him, his beliefs, and his crimes.  If you’re wondering how we got to where we are, this is one of the films to watch.  The film is on Tubi.

River’s Edge (1987) features Keanu Reeves, Crispin Glover, and Ione Skye as teenagers who learn that one of their friends (Daniel Roebuck) has murdered his girlfriend and who …. do nothing.  Eventually, one of them does go to the police and finds himself being targeted by his former friends.  Meanwhile, Roebuck hides out with a one-legged biker (Dennis Hopper).  This is a disturbing and well-acted true crime film.  We’ve all seen a lot of examples of bystander syndrome over the past few years.  This week, I’ve wondered why so many people, on that North Carolina bus, just walked away after Iryna was stabbed.  This is film examines an early example of that tendency.  It’s on Tubi.

Blue Caprice (2013) was a film made about the DC snipers.  It didn’t really get the attention that it deserved when it was initially released, largely due to the fact that 1) it starred Isaiah Washington and 2) it was such a disturbing movie that I imagine a lot of people had a hard time recommending it.  But if you want to see a film about how a madman can find ways to justify his amoral behavior, this film provides a lot of insight.  It’s on Tubi.

The Stanford Prison Experiment (2015) tells the true story of an infamous social experiment from the early 70s.  It examines just how quickly people will lose themselves in a situation.  While the students playing the prisoners feel as if they are literally fighting for their lives, the students playing the guards enjoy their power trip and never seem to consider that things are going too far.  This film features a great performance from Michael Angarano, as the most enthusiastic of the guards.  It’s on Tubi.

Finally, Christine (2016) tells the story of Christine Chubbuck, the Florida news anchor whose on-air suicide partially inspired the film, Network.  Christine is not a happy film but it does feature a great performance from Rebecca Hall.  It’s on Tubi.

Welcome To The Ligher Side Of The Life

Good news!  Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) exists!  This film, one of the funniest ever made and definitely one of my go-to comforts, is currently streaming on Tubi!

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) remains the ultimate teen fantasy.  Actually, it’s also probably the ultimate adult fantasy.  Everyone deserves a day off.  Ferris Bueller skips school and manages to fit a month’s worth of events into just 9 hours.  We should all be so lucky.  I love this film.  Alan Ruck deserved all the Oscars in the world.  The film is currently streaming on Netflix.

Burn After Reading (2008) never seems to get the respect that it deserves.  The Coen Brothers followed up the award-winning No Country For Old Men with an absurdist CIA comedy in which no one learned anything and nothing was accomplished.  It’s hilarious, as both a film and a concept.  John Malkovich, Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, J.K. Simmons, David Rasche, and George Clooney are all wonderfully used.  Burn After Reading is currently on Prime.

Odds and Ends

12 Angry Men (1957) is a true rarity, a classic that everyone agrees is a classic.  Not only are all 12 of the angry men perfectly cast (Henry Fonda, Jack Warden, Ed Begley, Martin Balsam, Lee J. Cobb, E.G. Marhsall, Robert Webber, and all the rest …. I could go on for paragraphs about how brilliantly cast this film is) but it’s also still a thought-provoking look at the justice system.  Personally, I think the kid was guilty.  And I think that the men all deciding that the woman was too vain to admit that she wore glasses is a perfect example of why women should serve on juries.  Henry Fonda talked them into letting a murderer loose!  It’s still a great film though.  It’s streaming on Tubi.

The Philadelphia Story (1940) features James Stewart, Cary Grant, and Katharine Hepburn.  It also features a lot of great lines, a lot of funny moments, and — most importantly — Jimmy Stewart singing Somewhere Over The Rainbow!  What more could you ask for?  It’s streaming on Tubi.