William Keighley’s 1937 musical Varsity Show is not going to make anybody’s list of Hollywood classics, but it is a perfect example of what the genre was doing in its earlier years. Produced by Warner Bros, it offers a chance to see … Continue reading REVIEW: Varsity Show (1937)
I recently watched John Landis’ 1998 sequel Blues Brothers 2000, a film that capably justifies itself despite being an ill-considered sequel. Unnecessary sequels are released all of the time; indeed, there is a firm argument that all sequels are unnecessary. Sometimes entertaining, occasionally … Continue reading REVIEW: Grease 2 (1982)
That’s Entertainment! is a rather strange movie franchise: one that prefigured audience demand slightly ahead of time, and then prefigured newer demands all over again almost two decades later. The original 1974 film comprised a series of MGM musical numbers, all … Continue reading REVIEW: That’s Entertainment! III (1994)
I remember at some point someone telling me, or perhaps I read it some time, that the problem with Hollywood remaking films is that they always remake the good ones. I can see their point – whoever they were. If … Continue reading REVIEW: West Side Story (2021)
By 1933 the USA was deep in the Great Depression, and Hollywood was stuck in a quandary over whether to directly confront the economic crisis in its films or to pursue a slick fantasy of escapism and optimism. Gold Diggers of … Continue reading REVIEW: Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933)
‘Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Universal Amphitheatre. Well, here it is, the late 1970s, going on 1985. You know, so much of the music we hear today is pre-programmed electronic disco, we never get a chance … Continue reading “We’re on a mission from God” | The Blues Brothers (1980)
There is a very good argument to be made that I, a white middle-aged Australian man, am not qualified to critique Black is King. Beyoncé Knowles-Carter’s self-described ‘visual album’ premiered earlier this year on streaming service Disney+. This 85-minute film acts … Continue reading REVIEW: Black is King (2020)
Mia (Emma Stone) is an aspiring actress trapped in the industry cycle of waitressing by day and failing auditions by night. Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) is an ambitious jazz pianist trapped playing Christmas music at a restaurant while dreaming of setting … Continue reading REVIEW: La La Land (2016)
Yamakawa (Frankie Sakai) and Nakai (Tadao Takashima) are salesmen working for Tokyo firm Towa Tours, which is seeking to secure lucrative American travel contracts over rival Kyokuto Tours. When the president’s daughter Yoko (Izumi Yukimura) takes over their department, she … Continue reading REVIEW: You Can Succeed, Too! (1964)
Homeless thief Aladdin (Mena Massoud) lives on the streets of Agrabah, until a chance encounter with Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott) throws him into a fantastical adventure involving an evil vizier (Marwan Kenzari), a magical cave, a flying carpet, and an … Continue reading REVIEW: Aladdin (2019)
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