Living for the Cinema

Back in the early days of the comic book movies, it was rare to see one released to theaters which was not only financially successful but also generally beloved by fans. There were the Batman films....and then everything else including The Rocketeer, The Shadow, and Dick Tracy. But just under thirty years, one came out which not only proved to be both financially successful and hugely influential for so many other subgenre films which were to follow up but also was being released under unusually tragic circumstances. This was the final on-screen appearance of Brandon Lee who unfortunately died during production as the result of an on-set accident involving the use of a prop gun. It was a shocking turn of events for some one who seemed to have enormous promise as a potential movie star and who also happened to be the son of a legendary movie star (Bruce Lee) who also died under mysterious circumstances almost three decades prior. :(
Under the sure hand of director Alex Proyas, this supernatural revenge thriller turned out better than any one could have expected. It tells the story of Eric Draven, the front man for a local goth rock band in Detroit who is brutally murdered alongside his fiance....but then is brought back temporarily to bring justice to those who wronged him and his lost love. Also co-starring Ernie Hudson, Michael Wincott, and Bai Ling, it's time to revisit one of the more beloved comic book adaptations of the '90's...or any decade for that matter.
Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon

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Thirty years ago, this urban thriller came out to mild acclaim and pretty strong box office - it stars one of our biggest stars of the time, Michael Douglas, in what would be one of his most iconic roles generally known as "D-Fens." He plays a recently divorced, disgruntled former defense engineer stuck in traffic one humid morning in LA when he suddenly decides....that he has just HAD it! He walks away from his car and starts to venture by foot into greater Los Angeles encountering his share of strangers who are either dangerous or scared of him.....and things get increasingly violent as the day progresses on. On his trail is Robert Duvall as a LAPD detective on his last day before retirement....or will he? Eventually their stories converge in a one o the more controversial thrillers of the '90's - this was directed by the late, great Joel Schumacher who had previously directed movies like The Lost Boys and Flatliners.
Host: Geoff Gershon
Editors: Geoff and Ella Gershon

Producer: Marlene Gershon
https://livingforthecinema.com/Facebook:
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https://www.instagram.com/livingforthecinema/Letterboxd:
https://letterboxd.com/Living4Cinema/

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Elvis Presley remains one the most popular rock and roll performers since the inception of rock and roll – his music dominated the pop music landscape in the 1950’s and he remained a rock & roll icon through his unfortunate death in 1977. His life has been dissected, discussed, and of course has been portrayed in several movies going back decades.
Acclaimed Australian filmmaker Buz Luhrmann (Romeo & Juliet, Moulin Rouge) directs this latest version, an epic biopic about the rise and fall of the man known to many as “The King” who is played by up-and-coming young actor Austin Butler. Tom Hanks also co-stars as “Colonel” Tom Parker who would become Elvis manager throughout most of his career. And what results is 160 minutes of high energy insanity featuring tons of memorable music – Elvis has ENTERED the building!
Host: Geoff Gershon
Editors: Geoff and Ella Gershon

Producer: Marlene Gershon

https://livingforthecinema.com/Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Living-for-the-Cinema-Podcast-101167838847578Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/livingforthecinema/Letterboxd:
https://letterboxd.com/Living4Cinema/

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Twenty years ago, Two-time Oscar winner Oliver Stone (Platoon, JFK, Wall Street) finally had the opportunity to direct the grand-scale historical epic which he and several of his directing peers (Scorsese, Kubrick) had been trying to helm for decades.....the story of Alexander the Great who once lead a MASSIVE Macedonian Empire which at one point comprised around half of the land mass in the Eastern Hemisphere during ancient times. He lived one hell of a life conquering much of the ancient world and here he is played by Colin Farrell (In Bruges, The Banshees of Inisherin, The Penguin) whose casting DID raise some eyebrows at the time of release....especially given that he portrayed this character with his heavy Irish accent. And beyond that, Oscar-winner Angelina Jolie (Girl Interrupted, Salt, Mr. & Mrs. Smith) was cast as his mother Olympias....even though she was only one year older than Farrell at the time. Beyond that, the stellar cast also includes Val Kilmer, Rosario Dawson, Anthony Hopkins, and the late, great Christopher Plummer among several others. Also co-written by Oliver Stone, this would also be THE last big budget film he would helm as the $150 million production was not only a commercial flop but also destroyed by critics at the time of release.
And yet....a few years later, Stone was able to release his own extended "Director's Cut" on DVD (and eventually Blu-Ray) which is considered by many (himself included) to be a far superior version of this story as it includes 40 additional minutes of footage including some extended action sequences. So in reviewing THAT version of this film, let's find out if Alexander DID in fact live up to his title. ;)
Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon

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What if forty years ago, a brilliant filmmaker (Brian DePalma) directed one of America’s biggest stars (John Travolta) in a very timely, well-crafted thriller involving surveillance....and nobody came?? That’s the story of this film which has gratefully garnered a cult following and a reappraisal from many film-lovers and critics since then.

The actual story is of a sound effects man, played by Travolta, who was in the wrong place at the wrong time to witness a tragic accident....or was it? He saves one woman’s life (Nancy Allen) but as they team up to find out what actually happened, both of their lives become endangered. John Lithgow plays a homicidal killer on their trail...

Host: Geoff Gershon

Producer: Marlene Gershon
https://livingforthecinema.com/

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