Today’s song of the day is the oddly cheery theme music of 1975’s Trip With The Teacher. Composed by Igo Kantor, this music may be inappropriate for a film about a teacher and four students who are kidnapped by a sociopath with narcolepsy but I defy you to get it out of your head!
Tag Archives: movie
Scene that I Love: Yojimbo
Yojimbo (1961, directed by Akira Kurosawa)
The great filmmaker, Akira Kurosawa, was born 116 years ago today, in Tokyo. Kurosawa would go on to become one of the most influential directors of all time, making 30 films over a career that lasted 57 years. Though Kurosawa is often cited as an influence on westerns (Seven Samurai became The Magnificent Seven, Yojimbo inspired Serigo Leone to create The Man With No Name), Kurosawa’s influence goes for beyond just one genre. He directed action films. He directed gangster films. He directed social problem films. He directed historical epics. Kurosawa taught an entire generation of future film film directors the language of cinema.
In honor of the anniversary of Akira Kurosawa’s birth, here is a scene that we all love from his 1961 masterpiece, Yojimbo. Playing the lead role of the lone swordsman is, of course, Kurosawa’s frequent star, Toshiro Mifune.
4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Akira Kurosawa 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 honors both the birth and the legacy of the great filmmaker, Akira Kurosawa! It’s time for….
4 Shots From 4 Akira Kurosawa Films
The Hidden Fortress (1958, dir. by Akira Kurosawa, DP: Kazuo Yamasaki)
Yojimbo (1961, dir by Akira Kurosawa, DP: Kazuo Miyagawa)
Ran (1987, dir by Akira Kurosawa, DP: Takao Saito)
Dreams (1990, dir by Akira Kurosawa, DP: Takao Saito)
Monday Live Tweet Alert: Join Us for Slaughter in San Francisco!
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 Slaughter in San Francisco!
If you want to join this watch party, just hop onto Mastodon, pull up Slaughter in San Francisco on YouTube, start the movie at 8 pm et, and use the #MondayActionMovie hashtag!
Enjoy!
4 Shots From 4 Films: Special William Shatner 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 is William Shatner’s birthday, which means that it is time for….
4 Shots From 4 William Shatner Films
Judgment at Nuremberg (1961, dir by Stanley Kramer, DP: Ernest Laszlo)
Incubus (1966, dir by Leslie Stevens, DP: Conrad Hall)
Big Bad Mama (1974, dir by Steve Carver, DP: Bruce Logan)
The Devil’s Rain (1975, dir by Robert Fuest, DP: Alex Phillips Jr.)
Scenes That I Love: George Smiley Confronts Bill Haydon In Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Today is Gary Oldman’s 68th birthday and, in honor of the occasion, here’s a scene from one of my favorite Oldman films, 2011’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
In this scene, British intelligence officer George Smiley (Gary Oldman) confronts his colleague and Russian mole Bill Haydon (Colin Firth). This scene is a masterclass of good acting, put on by both Firth and Oldman. As Haydon tries to justify his behavior, Smiley listens with deceptive calmness. When I first saw this film, Oldman suddenly raising his voice made the entire audience jump.
Live Tweet Alert: Watch Resident Evil 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 2002’s Resident Evil!
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!
4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Russ Meyer 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!
104 years ago, on the very day, Russ Meyer was born in San Leandro, California. Meyer would get his start filming newsreels during World War II, with much of his newsreel footage later showing up in films like the 1970 Oscar winner, Patton. When he returned to the United States, he continued to make films, though the subject matter changed a bit. Meyer was one of the pioneers of the adult film industry, though his once controversial films now seem rather quaint and innocent when compared to the industry’s later films. Meyer’s strong visual sense and his intentionally over-the-top plots made him a favorite amongst underground critics. In the 70s, he was briefly embraced by mainstream Hollywood but, unhappy with having to deal with the studio bosses, Meyer returned to making the type of independent, grindhouse films that made him famous.
Russ Meyer was 82 years old when he died in 2004. He was acclaimed as one of America’s first and most iconic independent filmmakers.
Here are 4 Safe-For-Work Shots From 4 Russ Meyer Films.
4 Shots From 4 Russ Meyer Films
Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965, dir by Russ Meyer, DP: Walter Schenk)
Motorpsycho (1965, dir by Russ Meyer, DP: Russ Meyer)
Cherry, Harry, & Raquel! (1970, dir by Russ Meyer, DP: Russ Meyer)
Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls (1970, dir by Russ Meyer, DP: Fred J. Koenekamp)
This one hurts… rest in peace Chuck Norris.
Chuck Norris was there for me at the very beginning. When I fell in love with action movies, it was primarily because of three men, first Charles Bronson, followed by Clint Eastwood and Chuck Norris. Back in the 80’s when I was too young to drive, I couldn’t just pull a movie up on my phone or TV anytime I wanted. I had to rely on certain TV channels, like Fox 16 out of Little Rock, and the occasional trip to the video store. Chuck Norris was a megastar on Fox 16 and on the shelves of the video store. Fox 16 would have movie weeks filled with movies like SILENT RAGE, LONE WOLF MCQUADE, MISSING IN ACTION, and CODE OF SILENCE. These movies are just a part of who I am, and Chuck Norris always came across as a fundamentally decent and courageous man on screen.
Chuck may not have been a critical darling, but he had a presence and charisma about him that drew me in from the very beginning. Even today, Norris has his own unique section in my massive collection of physical media. Up to this point, only the loss of my hero Charles Bronson back in 2003 has stirred up these same kinds of feelings that I’m feeling today. I remember when my son discovered the “Chuck Norris Facts” when he was about 10 years old or so. He loved them so much and would tell me his favorites constantly. It made me happy that my own son knew who Chuck Norris was, even if it was through extreme comedic myth making! I was so happy when Norris cameo’d in THE EXPENDABLES 2 and even told one of this Chuck Norris facts. We loved it and it’s definitely my favorite EXPENDABLES movie.
A little part of me is gone tonight knowing that Norris has passed away. From this point forward, anytime I think of Norris or watch his movies, it will be from a perspective that he’s know longer alive. But one of the great things about movies is that whenever I want to see a young, vibrant Norris, I just have to go to my movie shelves and I can be watching THE DELTA FORCE in a matter of moments. I had to learn how to deal with it for Charles Bronson. Now I’ll do the same with Chuck Norris.
Rest In Peace, Chuck Norris
Rest in Peace, Chuck Norris.
I honestly never thought I’d write those words. Chuck Norris has passed away at the age of 86. Chuck inspired generation of martial artists. He won the respect of Bruce Lee. He choreographed some of the best fight scenes of the early 70s. He never claimed to be a great actor but he still starred in some of the most entertaining films ever made. He is survived by five children and 13 grandchildren. By all accounts, he was a genuinely good guy who took his position as a role model seriously. He will be missed. It’s hard to know what else to say right now so I’ll let Chuck do the talking:
Through the Shattered Lens 