Living for the Cinema

This was one of 2022's most acclaimed films and is now apparently one of the frontrunners in the current Oscar race. Among its nominees are Todd Field (In the Bedroom, Little Children) for both writing and directing, along with two-time Oscar winner Cate Blanchett for Best Actress for her memorable performance as the eponymous Lydia Tar. Tar is a renowned American composer/conductor leading an orchestra in Berlin - she's a worldwide celebrity with an impeccable reputation as a musical genius. But her life soon becomes engulfed in both scandal and a looming sense of danger.....and we follow her on this admittedly wild ride! The film also stars Noemie Merlant and Nina Hoss - let's see if it lives up to the hype.
Host: Geoff Gershon
Editors: Geoff and Ella Gershon

Producer: Marlene Gershon
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Throughout his illustrious career as a director, Steven Spielberg has never been afraid to tackle big subject matter and when this World War II epic was first released to theaters twenty five years ago this July, it was a BIG deal. Not only was he returning to the time period and broad category of subject matter (World War II) which had last earned him an Oscar and widespread acclaim with Schindler's List less than five years prior but he was collaborating with who was at the time our most beloved movie star Tom Hanks....who was coming off of two recent Oscar wins himself for Philadelphia and Forest Gump. It also comprised a stacked cast of talented actors, many of whom were on their way towards becoming stars including Matt Damon, Vin Diesel, Giovanni Ribisi, and Tom Sizemore. All of the stars were aligned for what many expected to be a masterpiece....
And in the eyes of most audiences and critics, it WAS. The film was a massive hit at the box office, received universal acclaim and also ended up winning several Oscars as well....including a second Best Director Oscar for Spielberg. It also had a sizeable cultural impact, not only having an effect on most war film moving forward but also the overall perception of World War II including those who fought it who were nicknamed "The Greatest Generation." But how does it hold up as an actual movie? It's time to revisit this story of eight man on a mission to save ONE.

Host: Geoff Gershon
Editors: Geoff and Ella Gershon

Producer: Marlene Gershon

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Michael Douglas, Mullets, and Motorcycles....what else do you need? 🤔

Well you also have the legendary Japanese movie star Ken Takakura, vibrant young Andy Garcia, gorgeous visuals from cinematographer Jan de Bont, sadly the last performance from Yusaka Matsuda, plus THE first great action score from Hans Zimmer. Oh and it's directed by Sir Ridley Scott (Alien, Gladiator, Thelma & Louise) though you could forgiven for thinking it might have been directed by his late brother Tony at the time...
Because what we have here is a very slick '80's cop thriller loaded with all of the tropes you would expect from this time period: a renegade New York cop (Douglas) and his partner (Garcia) get immersed in a murder investigation which starts in Manhattan and takes them all the way to Osaka where they start bumping up against not only the local law enforcement (Takakura plays the police officer they team up with) but also a Yakuza on the rise lead by a brutal gangster (Matsuda). It's all quite silly, violent, and EXTREMELY entertaining!
Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon

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Many would consider Denzel Washington to be our Greatest Living Actor....Period and as part of this podcast's year tradition to celebrate his birthday (December 29), we will revisit one of the lesser-known starring vehicles from early in his career which is this Jamaica-based mystery thriller directed by Carl Schenkel. Denzel stars as the local police chief of a Jamaican resort community who is investigating a murder....with his childhood best friend (Robert Townsend) being the prime suspect...or is he? Along the way there are loads of gorgeous locations, lively music, and a strong supporting cast which includes Sheryl Lee Ralph, M. Emmett Walsh, James Fox, Art Evans, Esther Rolle, and Mimi Rogers. You ain't seen NOTHING but....
Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon

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NORTON WEEK continues! This is of course referring to the legendary actor Edward Norton who broke out big-time with his first ever on-screen appearance in the '96 legal thriller Primal Fear which garnered him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Two years later in '98, he delivered two VERY memorable performances in two VERY different movies which both left their marks on any one frequenting the cinema for years to come - these two seminal films came out just about a month apart and they would make a truly BIZARRE double feature. :)
Tony Kaye (mostly before Norton took over during post, as has been reported since its release) directed a very searing portrait of two brothers Daniel and Derek Vinyard who have immersed themselves in hate and bigotry. The older brother Derek is played by Norton in a performance which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor - he becomes the leader for a Neo-Nazi gang and is eventually sent to prison after committing a brutal murder in front of their home. His younger brother Daniel is played by Edward Furlong who eventually joins this gang after his brother is incarcerated. The story follows the struggles of both brothers along with their mother played by Beverly D'angelo. Other co-stars include Fairuza Balk, Elliott Gould, Stacy Keach, Ethan Suplee, Guy Torry, and Avery Brooks.
WARNING: There are some racial epithets spoken by characters in this movie contained within clips from the movie included in this podcast.
Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon

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