There are several interesting stories surrounding “Red River”, the 1948 Western directed by Howard Hawks. At the time John Wayne was a Hollywood star, but many of the bigger names in directing and producing didn’t consider him a good actor. That reputation led to Gary Cooper being first offered the lead in “Red River”. Cooper … Continue reading
The opening scene in “Calvary” wastes no time conveying the tone of the film – bleak, cynical, and disturbing yet with an odd touch of subtle dark humor. The scene opens with a shot of Father James in a confessional. The camera never leaves his face. He is listening to a parishioner talk about the … Continue reading
By the time Alfred Hitchcock and Cary Grant hooked up to make “North by Northwest” both were starting the last leg of their phenomenal careers. Grant would make six more films before retiring from acting in 1967. Hitchcock would direct seven more features including “Psycho” and “The Birds”. Both were considered among the best of their … Continue reading
Vito Corleone, a name every movie fan knows. It’s also a name that would obviously top a list of great movie mob bosses. For that reason you won’t find him here. Still it was pretty easy finding other mob bosses that deserve a tip of the hat. That is what we are looking at in … Continue reading
Few people have had a more roller coaster Hollywood career than M. Night Shyamalan. His first films earned him a ton of praise from enthusiastic critics and moviegoers. But after that he put out a series of true stinkers that threatened to railroad his once promising career. In fact many people wrote Shyamalan off as … Continue reading
For many, a new movie from an accomplished filmmaker can be a special occasion. Tarantino, Scorsese, and the Coen brothers all have fanbases who mark their calendars whenever these filmmakers have a new project hitting theaters. Jeff Nichols has become that guy for me. Now before I am called out for unduly thrusting him into the … Continue reading
Keith & the Movies 