Rewind: Films of the 60s, 70s, 80s – Harry and Tonto (1974)
by RICHARD WINTERS
Harry Coombes (Art Carney) is a 72 year old retiree who lives in a small New York apartment with his pet cat Tonto. He finds out that the complex is about to be torn down and he must leave. At first he moves in with his son and his family, but it does not work out. He decides to take a cross-country odyssey with Tonto where he meets a variety of interesting people in this senior citizen variation of Easy Rider. Read more 
Thinking Outside the Multiplex in Indiana (February 25, 2011)
by MIKE MACCOLLUM
Barney’s Version is the “big” new limited release movie opening in the state this week- but we also get an Indian film (without subtitles, unfortunately), and two animated films- one of them with what sounds (to me) like the screwiest story this side of Harry Stephen Keeler. (And if you aren’t familiar with Mr. K, then do yourself a favor, and Google his name.) For all that and more, keep reading on below…. Read more
DVD of the Week – Review of Get Low (2010)
by NIR SHALEV
Robert Duvall looks great in a beard; in this film the beard is long, scruffy, and looks worn just like him. And even though the presence of old age is remarkably visible on his face and may entirely be Hollywood makeup, the personification of his character’s demeanor is a terrific and natural performance all its own; the beard is simply there for aesthetic purposes. Read more
Rewind: Films of the 60s, 70s, 80s – Eating Raoul (1982)
by RICHARD WINTERS
Paul and Mary Bland (Paul Bartel, Mary Woronov) are a very conservative couple that does not approve of open sexuality. They live in an apartment that is filled with swingers and spend most of the time trying to avoid them while abhorring their behavior. Their dream is to purchase a large house in the countryside and convert it into a restaurant. The problem is they have bad credit and are unable to secure any type of loan, so they decide to run an ad in the newspaper promising to fulfill and play out people’s sexual fantasies. They insist everyone must pay in cash and then lure them to their apartment where Paul hits them over the head with a frying pan and kills them. That way they are able to collect the money they need while ridding the world of all the “perverts.” Read more
Movie Review – The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)
by NIR SHALEV
Hammer Film Productions is a London-based studio that’s famous mostly for its horror films, ranging from the 1950s to the 1970s. The Curse of Frankenstein was their first attempt at the Gothic stories realm and it was an instant success, due to its relatively faithful adaptation of the Mary Shelley novel, its perfect choice in its actors, and good cinematography. This is a good-looking film that’s in color, is well shot and lit, and filled with whatever is needed to add or build atmosphere. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes a good Gothic tale of wrongdoing, terrific and convincing performances, and good ol’ fashioned filmmaking. Read more
Thinking Outside the Multiplex in Indiana (February 18, 2011)
by MIKE MACCOLLUM
An American comedy, two collections of Academy Award-nominated short subjects, and two Indian movies about two very different killers- those are the new limited-release films opening in Indiana theaters this week. The other big news is that the (mostly) completely-restored version of Metropolis finally makes it to a big screen in Indiana this week (even if two of the three screenings are already sold out)- and that some Academy Award nominees will be at the Indianapolis Museum of Art next Saturday (see the “special feature” below for more on that). For all this and much more, keep reading on below…. Read more
Movie Review – The Eagle (2011)
by HELEN GEIB
White letters resolve out of gray mist, form a few words to set the stage, and return to the mist. Obscuring mist will be a recurring visual motif, evocative not only of the northern Britain setting, but of the film’s “out of the mists of time” storytelling ethos as well. Read more
Thinking Outside the Multiplex: National Edition (November 26-December 9, 2010)
by MIKE MACCOLLUM
Welcome back to the feature where we look at limited-release films opening in the US. As with the past few weeks, this column finds me in catch-up mode (due in part to a horrible snow and ice storm that hit Indiana a few weeks ago, depriving me of internet access for three days running- followed by me falling and cracking two ribs, thanks to the same ice storm… a jolly little incident that led to nearly four more days off the web).
So anyhow, the time period covered in this column (November 26-December 9) wasn’t an especially busy one- even most of the theaters that usually play offbeat, smaller-scale movies were showing big holiday releases during this period. Still, 33* limited-release movies did find their way into American theaters during this period- and those are the titles covered below. Read more
DVD of the Week – Sampling the Sunshine State in Cinema
by HELEN GEIB
The local forecast for Thursday is an unseasonable 60 degrees, ironic since that’s the day I leave for a long weekend in Florida. While the temperature in Sarasota may not have anything on home, I’ll be soaking up the humidity and, with luck, some of that famous sunshine. To put myself even more in the mood, I’ve chosen a few Florida-set movies to spotlight in this week’s DVD post.
Sunshine State (2002)
Rewind: Films of the 60s, 70s, 80s – Lady in Cement (1968)
by RICHARD WINTERS
Frank Sinatra returns as detective Tony Rome in this sequel to the eponymous 1967 hit film. This time around, while on a diving expedition off the coast of Florida, he finds a naked woman underwater with her feet literally encased in cement. He then meets a very large and mysterious man by the name of Gronski (Dan Blocker) who hires him to find the girl’s killer, but he is not so sure that Gronski himself doesn’t have something to do with the crime. Read more
