Film Follies, Subtitle Subversive

Subtitle Subversive- Ida

For the first installment of Subtitle Subversive I take a look at the 2013 Polish film Ida, which won this year’s Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Not particularly subversive I know but hey if you want to pick the movies get your own blog. The film is set in Poland in 1962 and follows the young woman Anna preparing to take her vows to become a nun. Before she does this her abbess insists that she visit her last remaining relative a hard drinking, chain-smoking Aunt Wanda notorious for her ties to Poland’s communist government. Wanda reals to…

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Film Follies, Worth it?

Worth it? – The November Man

Pierce Brosnan is one of those actors that people either love or they hate and his films often fall into that same category. That’s why in this week’s Worth it?  I take a look at his most recent outing The November Man and help you decide whether or not it’s worth checking out. In this film Brosnan stars as retired CIA agent Devereux who is called back into the game by his old friend for one last job. I know right? Such an original premise, what could go wrong? Well when the job is to get the love of your…

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Film Follies, Worth it?

Worth it? – The Discoverers

In our first installment of ‘Worth it?’ We take a look at 2014 Indy film The Discoverers and help you decide whether or not it’s worth checking out. The movie stars Griffin Dunne (American Werewolf in London, After Hours) as the cliché aging divorced dad of two whose life has hit the skids. In this case he’s a washed up college professor stuck teaching at an unaccredited community college in Chicago. He hopes to get his life on track by pitching a new book at the annual academic conference he attends every year with his children in Oregon but is…

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Character Study, Film Follies

Character Study- Sanjuro

The mysterious stranger wanders into town. Gruff and aloof he has no interest in petty, parochial concerns. Unless one of those concerns can make him a quick buck, then he might just stick around long enough to get paid. After all everyone’s got to eat. Gradually we see there’s more to this supposedly cold-blooded mercenary than originally believed. He’s got a soft spot. Maybe its a woman, could be a cute kid, or maybe somebody done shot his dog but this killer with a heart of gold isn’t going to let the bad guys of easy. He’s got a plan…

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Film Follies, How Have You Not Seen That?

How Have You Not Seen That?- Toy Story

Everybody has seen Toy Story right? You take that as a given. A simple fact of life. You are never in a conversation, ready to reference this classic and think to yourself “Oh what if they don’t get my joke.” Well you’re wrong. There are people out there who haven’t seen it yet. There are people out there who have no intention of ever seeing it. And I’m not talking about non-english speakers or your six year old niece. (Although six is old enough. Any older and you should really call child services on her parents.) No there is a…

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