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    Living for the Cinema

    Short movie reviews from the last 50+ years by Geoff Gershon. https://livingforthecinema.com/

    en-usGeoff Gershon290 Episodes

    Episodes (290)

    UNCUT GEMS (2019)

    UNCUT GEMS (2019)

    What better way to celebrate March Madness than to revisit a basketball movie which actually isn't a basketball movie but does still feature lots of basketball.....sorta? :) Benny and Josh Safdie followed up their breakout success of a couple of years prior - the extremely tense urban thriller Good Time starring Robert Pattinson - with an even TENSER crime thriller starring Adam Sandler as a fast-talking New York jeweler who also happens to be a gambling addict.  His habit of betting on NBA basketball games just escalates further and further after he also encounters NBA superstar Kevin Garnett (played by himself) at his store at the same time he receives an extremely valuable stone imported from Ethiopia.  And from there, things just get more intense as he makes larger high stakes bets while also using increasingly valuable gems from his store as collateral.  This highly acclaimed drama also stars LaKeith Stanfield, Julia Fox, Eric Bogosian, and Idina Menzel.

     Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
    Producer: Marlene Gershon 

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    Desperately Seeking Susan (1985)

    Desperately Seeking Susan (1985)

    This is the story of a bored suburban housewife Roberta (Rosanna Arquette) who finds herself drawn to reading personal ads and becomes especially interested in those featuring a mysterious woman named Susan (Madonna) who she ends up sorta stalking. And through a series of unfortunate events, Roberta inadvertently becomes mistaken for Susan while also getting amnesia. :o Along the way she ends up striking up a romance with a charming film projectionist Dez (Aidan Quinn) who happens to be friends with Susan's boyfriend who asked to look after her...also thinking that she is in fact Susan. (Even though she's really Roberta) Toss into the mix a quiet white-haired mob killer (Will Patton) who is on Susan/Roberta's trail seeking stolen a pair of valuable diamond earrings....and chaos ensues. :) Directed by Susan Seidelman (Making Mr Right, She-Devil), it's all very quirky and hopefully charming....

     Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
    Producer: Marlene Gershon 

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    Marie Antoinette (2006)

    Marie Antoinette (2006)

    Kicking off Women's History Month, here is a truly unique take on one of the most famous (or infamous) monarchs in the history of French royalty.  Kirsten Dunst stars as the eponymous Queen married to King Louis XVI (Jason Schwartzman) - their reign lasted from 1774 through 1793 and happened to be during one of the most tumultuous periods in French history.  Though you would be forgiven for not noticing this for most of their story as we watch Marie live a legendarily decadent lifestyle filled with colorful clothes, food, and company.  

    This was director Sofia Coppola's follow-up to her Oscar-winning smash from three years prior, Lost in Translation, and it was generally looked upon during initial release as a disappointment.  Over the past 18 years though, its reputation has grown somewhat thanks to Coppola's inventive direction and her memorable decision to fill the soundtrack with anachronistic New Wave pop music.  If nothing else, it's a true original and the stacked cast also includes Judy Davis, Rose Byrne, Jamie Dornan, Asia Argento, and then very baby-faced Tom Hardy.   Let Them Eat Cake indeed!!!

    Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
    Producer: Marlene Gershon 

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    Dune Part II (2024)

    Dune Part II (2024)

    Since we are apparently still several years away from the next Star Wars or Star Trek movie on the big screen, director Denis Villeneuve has given us the next best thing....or maybe something even better? :) 

    This long-awaited sequel to the Oscar nominated sci-fi blockbuster Part 1 picks up EXACTLY where the previous film left off.....Paul (Timothee Chalomet) and Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) now venturing on the desert planet of Arrakis (otherwise known as Dune) with the Fremen tribe lead by Javier Bardem's Stilgar while also becoming getting more acquainted with Chani played by Zendaya.  And of course a burgeoning war begins to escalate with the Harkonnens who have violently taken over the desert planet lead by the Baron played by Stellan Skarsgard.  Also including in this stacked cast are Florence Pugh, Josh Brolin, Christopher Walken, Dave Bautista, and Austin Butler.  LONG LIVE THE FIGHTERS!

    Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
    Producer: Marlene Gershon 

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    Drive-Away Dolls (2024)

    Drive-Away Dolls (2024)

    The Coen Brothers are back!  Well actually just one of them (Ethan Coen) but he's here to direct while also co-writing and co-producing with his wife and long-term Coen's collaborator Tricia Cooke.  And what they have collaborated to deliver is an ambling, quirky, violent crime drama/comedy in the GREAT tradition of previous Coen Brothers' films like Burn After Reading, Fargo, or Raising Arizona.....but is it quite as good as those films?  

    Well the cast certainly helps as it stars Margaret Qualley (Once Upon A Time in America) and Geraldine Viswanathan (Blockers) as two young ladies who embark on a road trip from Philly to Tallahassee, only to discover that they have a hidden package in their rented car with some VERY sketchy items. :o And of course, there are now various folks chasing after them played by a very stacked cast including Beanie Feldstein, Colman Domingo, Bill Camp, Pedro Pascal, and Matt Damon.  So let's find out if this '90's throwback lives up to its pedigree....  

    Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
    Producer: Marlene Gershon 

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    The Road Warrior (1981) - "Living For The Max" Series

    The Road Warrior (1981) - "Living For The Max" Series

    Welcome to the Living for the Max series.  Over the past 45 years, there has been no other film franchise QUITE as inventive nor as consistently exciting as The Mad Max Saga….four films mostly chronicling the post-apocalyptic adventures of lone wolf Max Roxatansky played three times by Mel Gibson and most recently by Tom Hardy.  As everyone has been directed by Australian cinematic genius George Miller, they have each reflected his unique vision while also being HUGELY influential on pop culture, more specifically the action genre.  So needless to say, new ones don’t come around very often and when they do….it MORE than qualifies as a cinematic EVENT.  Therefore over the next several months, I will be revisiting EACH entry of this beloved franchise every month leading up to the U.S. release of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga on May 24!  

    And now the SECOND film in this franchise which is considered by many to be the best overall.....well at least was considered to be the best until Mad Max Fury Road came out in 2015.  But it's still damn impressive bringing us back to Max who is now a drifter with his own heavily souped up Interceptor wandering around the post-apocalyptic Australian Outback.  His character is always on the search for gasoline....as are most others at this point in time which leads to some potential trouble. He finds a massive oil refinery occupied by well-meaning survivors who just want to live in peace.  Of course there are more dangerous elements out there who want to take over this oil refinery and they are lead by the evil Lord Humungus played by Kjell Nilsson...and they're not taking any prisoners. :o So here comes Max to try to help them transport their oil to a safer place while avoiding this violent gang which means to overtake them....and what results is a rip-roaring series of action sequences mostly taking place on the open road!  Also co-starring are Bruce Spence, Michael Preston, Emil Minty, and Vernon Wells.

    Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
    Producer: Marlene Gershon 

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    Bob Marley: One Love (2024)

    Bob Marley: One Love (2024)

    Considering that he was one of the most influential musical performers of the 20th Century pioneering an entire genre (reggae) of music, it was only a matter of time before we were to see a big budget studio of biopic of the late, great Robert Nesta Marley hailing from Nine Mile, Jamaica.  His life was tragically short but his music has lived on decades after his untimely passing in 1981.  This film directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green (King Richard, We Own This City) focuses on a few critical years of his later life in the mid to late '70's which includes some big events in his life including an assassination attempt on him in 1976 and his eventual performance in important One Love peace concert in Jamaica in 1978.  Kingsley Ben-Adir (One Night In Miami, Barbie) stars as the titular musical legend and Lashana Lynch (No Time To Die, The Woman King) co-stars as his wife, Rita Marley. 

    Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
    Producer: Marlene Gershon 

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    The Last Dragon (1985)

    The Last Dragon (1985)

    Probably the best way to describe this movie would be as a "Kung Fu Musical Comedy" but that MIGHT not do it justice!  Produced by the founder of Motown Records (Berry Gordy) and directed by one of the early pioneers of African American cinema (Michael Schultz), it was a tale as old as time....of Bruce Leroy (Taimak), a young aspiring martial artist from New York City who aspires to become as accomplished as his idol, the legendary Bruce Lee.  Of course, some folks stand in the way of our hero achieving his goal, mainly a local Kung Fu bully Sho'Nuff (Julius Carry III) and a local gangster, Eddie Arcadian played by Christopher Murney.  Beyond that, he also might be falling in love with the host of a local music video show, the luminous Laura Charles played by the late, great Vanity.  And what results is an enduring cult classic which could ONLY come out during the 1980's featuring loads of memorable fighting, music, and hijinks....all geared towards answering one critical question: "WHO is the MASTER??" Let's find out.....

    Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
    Producer: Marlene Gershon 

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    Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)

    Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)

    Just a couple of years before the breakout success of his seminal horror classic, John Carpenter directed this low-budget action thriller focusing on the siege of a soon-to-be-closing LA police station by a some local gangs who are trying to take down a rival gang-leader being held in custody by the police.  As the gun fire and violence escalate, every one inside - both cops and criminals - eventually team up to defend themslves and hopefully survive through the morning.  This highly influential cult classic stars Austin Stoker, Darwin Joston, Laurie Zimmer, and Tony Burton. 

    Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
    Producer: Marlene Gershon 

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    Poor Things (2023) & Showgirls (1995)

    Poor Things (2023) & Showgirls (1995)

    Poor Things is a high-brow steam-punk fantasy which just garnered the second largest number of Oscar nominations for 2023 including BEST PICTURE and has received universal acclaim for this surrealist tale of Bella Baxter (Emma Stone, also nominated for Best Actress), a young woman in Victorian England (?) who has recently been reborn/revived via a series of questionable experiments by a mad scientist Dr. Godwin played by Willem Dafoe.  We follow her on several adventures throughout Europe as she explores what it means to be a free-thinking human being.  It was directed by acclaimed Polish filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos whose previous film The Favourite also garnered several Oscar nominations five years ago.

    Showgirls is a trashy exploitation melodrama which was universally panned upon initial release in '95 while also flopping notoriously at the box office, also receiving multiple Razzie Awards for that year.  This story focuses on Nomi Malone (Elizabeth Berkley, who was blamed for its failure and whose career never quite recovered afterwards) who is a wandering dancer (?) who stumbles into Las Vegas seeking fame and fortune, working her way up from an exotic dancer at a sleazy local club to an all-out phenomenon leading THE premiere exotic dance show in Vegas!  We follow her character as she navigates through various dangerous and tawdry situations towards becoming.....well it's not really clear. :o This film was directed by Dutch filmmaker Paul Verhoeven who had recently given us Basic Instinct and Total Recall....though from this film on, he was never able to find that level of success in the US again. 

    Now what could these two films possibly have in common?  Well more than you would think, especially the extreme reactions they each seem to elicit from audiences... 

    Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
    Producer: Marlene Gershon 

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    Duplicity (2009)

    Duplicity (2009)

    Once the Queen of Rom-Com's, Julia Roberts returned to the genre which made her a household name fifteen years ago and she also reuinited with Clive Owen, her co-star of Closer, their acclaimed drama about about five years prior.  And they were both being directed by Tony Gilroy who just about 18 months prior had directed the seminal legal thriller Michael Clayton.  It also featured the promising premise of a romantic partnership between an ex-CIA agent (Roberts) and ex-MI6 agent (Owen) joining forces to pull a double cross on two dueling pharmaceutical companies who are they are each now running security for....with the heads of those companies are played by Oscar-nominated acting forces Paul Giamatti and Tom Wilkinson. (RIP) And......nobody really cared nor liked it?? Let's examine why and IF this romantic caper's weak reception was deserved or not.....

    Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
    Producer: Marlene Gershon 
      

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    Purple Rain (1984)

    Purple Rain (1984)

    Forty years ago this summer, we saw the release of this seminal biopic/concert movie from first-time director Albert Magnoli.  It was the feature film debut of Prince who was a rising rock and pop phenomenon at the time and it featured wall-to-wall new songs from Prince and his band at the time, The Revolution.  Both the film and its soundtrack became instant phenomenons launching the late, great Prince Rogers Nelson into the stratosphere of all-time musical legends!  

    The story is only loosely based on his life and it focuses on the The Kid (Prince) who leads an aspiring rock band in Minneapolis and is struggling with both a brutal homelife (he lives with his abusive father played by Clarence Williams III) and just finding his voice as an artist.  Also co-starring are Apollonia Kotero as the woman he falls for and Morris Day as his chief musical rival.  Let's Go Crazy for a time When Doves Cry. ;) 

    Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
    Producer: Marlene Gershon 

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    Taken (2009)

    Taken (2009)

    Fifteen years ago, we saw the release of one of THE most surprising word-of-mouth hits of the 21st Century and that was this straightforward action thriller directed by Pierre Morel.  It starred Oscar Nominee Liam Neeson as Brian Mills, an ex-spy/assassin with a "particular set of skills" who has just found out that his teenage daughter (Maggie Grace) was "taken" while on vacation with her friend in Paris.  So he then single-handedly embarks on a dangerous mission to not only find her but to bring her kidnappers to justice. :o And what results is a memorable series of sequences featuring our hero taking out the (Euro) Trash. ;) Will Brian find his daughter before it's too late?? Stay tuned.....

    Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
    Producer: Marlene Gershon 

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    Mad Max (1979) - "Living For The Max" Series

    Mad Max (1979) - "Living For The Max" Series

    Welcome to the Living for the Max series.  Over the past 45 years, there has been no other film franchise QUITE as inventive nor as consistently exciting as The Mad Max Saga….four films mostly chronicling the post-apocalyptic adventures of lone wolf Max Roxatansky played three times by Mel Gibson and most recently by Tom Hardy.  As everyone has been directed by Australian cinematic genius George Miller, they have each reflected his unique vision while also being HUGELY influential on pop culture, more specifically the action genre.  So needless to say, new ones don’t come around very often and when they do….it MORE than qualifies as a cinematic EVENT.  Therefore over the next several months, I will be revisiting EACH entry of this beloved franchise every month leading up to the U.S. release of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga on May 24!  

    Let's kick things off with the original Australian-produced action thriller which was not only the on-screen debut for Mel Gibson but the first feature film to be directed by George Miller.  And it's a relatively simple story focusing an ongoing war in headed-towards-dystopia-Australia between a brutal motorcycle gangs of marauders and leather-clad highway patrolmen who are still trying to keep the streets safe.  This is where we meet one of those patrolmen....a simple family man Max played by Gibson......BEFORE he gets Mad. :o 

    Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
    Producer: Marlene Gershon 

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    Whiplash (2014)

    Whiplash (2014)

    Ten years ago at the Sundance Film Festival, every one who saw it was just dazzled by this low-budget music drama directed by then up-and-comer Damian Chazelle.  And as the year progressed, so did more buzz before it was eventually released worldwide later that year to much acclaim and lots of awards attention.  In fact, this film ended up being nominated for five Oscars including Best Picture and ended up winning three, including for Best Supporting Actor.  J.K. Simmons won that award for playing the highly memorable Fletcher, a jazz professor who takes one new student under his wing.....sort of. :) That student would be the highly motivated and gifted Andrew played by Miles Teller - he's a drummer with only ONE goal: to become the best!  And Fletcher wants him to become the best....but at what cost?  What results is one of the more unique stories of a prodigy and his mentor.....which goes to some dark places.  So let's find out who's rushing, who's dragging, and WHO'S playing out of tune....

    WARNING: There are some racial and homophobic epithets spoken within clips from the movie included in this podcast.

    Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
    Producer: Marlene Gershon 

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    Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)

    Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)

    NAVAL WEEK concludes with a highly acclaimed period seafaring adventure which just turned 20!

    Adapted from a series of beloved historical fiction novels from Patrick O'Brian, this film chronicles the journey of the HMS Surprise, a British seafaring vessel sailing across the Southern Hemisphere and in a continuous cat-and-mouse with the French Navy, this being during the height of the Napoleonic Wars in the 1800's.   This ship and crew are lead by Captain Jack Aubrey played by Russell Crowe and the physician on board (and Aubrey's best friend) is Dr. Stephen Maturin played by Paul Bettany.  We watch them embark on a series of adventures through choppy waters, blistering heat, conflict amongst the crew, and a continuous cat-and-mouse with a more intimidating French vessel known as the Acheron.  

    Along the way, we get to know Jack, Stephen, and the rest of their spirited crew very well with every aspect of this story and setting being portrayed with an impressive level of historical authenticity thanks to director Peter Weir.  This film received ten Oscar nominations including Best Picture, though it ended up losing most of them to the Lord of the Rings; Return of the King awards juggernaut that same year.  So let's set sail and see if the weather gage....and Surprise....are on our side! ;) 

    Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
    Producer: Marlene Gershon 

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    The Hunt for Red October (1990)

    The Hunt for Red October (1990)

    NAVAL WEEK kicks off with what might be The LAST Great Cold War Thriller??

    Could be as this adaptation of Tom Clancy's best-selling novel was released literally just a few months after the fall of the Soviet Union.  It all takes place during the height of the Cold War back in the early 1980's.  There's a brand new Russian submarine in the water which can be apparently run silent and it's lead by Captain Ramius played by Sean Connery....who COULD pass for Russian right? :o Regardless, rumors start to fly among both the Russian and American Navies that he might have gone rogue....resulting a cat-and-mouse out there on the Atlantic Ocean between both naval fleets to find his ship (called The Red October) so that they can find out the truth before it's too late!  And inadvertently leading this chase is Jack Ryan, CIA analysis played by Alec Baldwin - he has suspicions that Ramius might NOT be going rogue and what results is a pulse-pounding suspense thriller directed by action-master John McTiernan as his follow-up to Die Hard two years prior.  The all-star cast also includes James Earl Jones, Scott Glenn, Sam Neill, Courtney B. Vance, and Stellan Skaarsgard among several others.....THE HUNT IS ON!!!

    See below for a link to a video citing the actual translated lyrics to the catchy "Hymm to Red October" theme....just in case you were always curious. :)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRG1UixHvos

    Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
    Producer: Marlene Gershon 

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    Capricorn One (1977)

    Capricorn One (1977)

    What's this, a well-regarded science fiction conspiracy thriller which featured an all-star cast and yet no one remembers it?? Well yeah if this film happens to come out the same year as Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind....two BEHEMETHS from this era directed by master filmmakers/household names George Lucas and Stephen Spielberg respectively.  Whereas this was directed by Peter Hyams....who actually built up a nice filmography himself over the next ten years including Running Scared, Outland, and 2010: The Year We Make Contact.  And this being his breakout success which he also wrote, it has ONE hell of a doozy of a plot....

    Three astronauts (James Brolin, Sam Waterston, O.J. Simpson) are about to embark on a TRULY historic adventure, THE first manned mission to the planet of Mars!  Except they're not actually going to Mars....they're supposed to stay on Earth and ONLY they are to know this.  Hmmm....it's a massive space program conspiracy lead by the late, great Hal Holbrook who is orchestrating it from NASA.  Fortunately there is ONE brave reporter who is out to uncover the truth and he's played by Elliott Gould. :) And of course don't underestimate the crazy aerial hijinks of a crazy crop-duster pilot played by the late, great Telly Savalas too while you're you're at it. :) Admit to yourself that it sounds intriguing. 

    Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
    Producer: Marlene Gershon 

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    Footloose (1984)

    Footloose (1984)

    Forty years ago amidst a crop of various pop music-driven movies (Flashdance, Breakin), this Herbert Ross-directed teen musical drama hit the world by storm and made a star of its lead performer, the legendary Kevin Bacon.  Beyond that, it also had a one of the most memorable soundtracks of the decades featuring several catchy pop gems including the EXTREMELY popular title track from Kenny Loggins.  It's generally a simple story of the new kid (Bacon) from the big city who has just moved to a smalltown with his single mother....and discovers to his dismay, that his favorite activity of dancing is NOT allowed in this town for pretty controversial reasons.  Amidst a very strong cast including John Lithgow, Sarah Jessica Parker, Dianne Weist, Lori Singer, and the late great Chris Penn.....we watch as he gradually changes things in this town for the better....with the help of several new friends no less.  And of course, there's LOTS of dancing.....

    Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
    Producer: Marlene Gershon 


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    To Live and Die In LA (1985)

    To Live and Die In LA (1985)

    From the director of The French Connection, The Exorcist, and.....Cruising :o....this was somewhat of a comeback vehicle for the late, great William Friedkin in the mid '80's after a series of highly publicized flops and commercial disappointments.  It's a hard-edged LA-based crime story revolving around two Secret Service agents (William Peterson, John Pankow) attempting to take down the ruthless California King of Counterfeiting played by a then baby-faced Willem Dafoe.  And along the way there are no shortage of violent scrapes and shootouts along with loads of gratuitous nudity...and the whole thing is scored by pop band Wang Chung no less!  Yes it's time to revisit a true product of its time which also co-stars Dean Stockwell, John Turturro, Darlene Fluegel, and John Turturro in one of his earliest on-screen roles.  

    Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
    Producer: Marlene Gershon 


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