John Wayne: 30 Years Later
Alex Massie and Radley Balko remind me that John Wayne died 30 years ago today. I recall it well, having just recently returned to the States from Germany and waiting to start 8th grade in El Paso. I've seen most of his movies since and become a bigger fan. Someone (Robert Prather, perhaps) shared via Google Reader a superb tribute by Roger ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on June 11, 2009 16:15
Rio Bravo at 50
Big Hollywood's Leo Grin has an excellent analysis of the classic Howard Hawks film Rio Bravo, which was made 50 years ago. A generous excerpt: Characters are the most important elements of any Hawks movie. By 1958 he had concluded that “audiences were getting tired of plots….But if you keep them from knowing what the plot is you have a chance ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on May 24, 2009 08:12
Quote of the Day – Action Film Edition
"[W]orrying about acting in a film like this is like worrying about fat in a double cheeseburger: It misses the whole point." - Peter Suderman, reviewing the umpteenth installment in the "Fast and Furious" franchise for NROPosted in Outside The Beltway on April 3, 2009 14:05
What Movie Will Obama Adminstration Be?
Dave Schuler has an amusing -- and yet insightful -- view of what the Obama administration will look like as seen through the lens of classic movies.Posted in Outside The Beltway on November 6, 2008 13:13
‘The Kingdom’: US-Saudi Relations on Film
Review: 'The Kingdom' Watching the trailers for 'The Kingdom' over the past several months, I was curious about how the film would portray Saudi Arabia and Saudis. I had personal experience with terrorist bombings of residential compounds in Riyadh and wanted to see how accurate the film might be. The film could have taken the low and easy road, pandering to stereotypes, ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on September 23, 2007 11:20
Bourne Ultimatum’s Anti-Americanism
Jonathan Last echoes a criticism I've seen of the final installment of the Bourne movie trilogy but articulates it better than others: The structural problem was the rampant anti-Americanism. I hate being predictable, but here goes: I get that the Bourne movies are anti-imperial; I get that the U.S. government is doing shady stuff at Langley and that Treadstone is a ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on August 8, 2007 11:39
Michael Bay Doesn’t Suck
Matthew Yglesias seeks to justify his "reputation in the blogosphere as a leading Michael Bay apologist" by providing a video of a Levis spot whereby readers might "truly glimpse the man's skillz." The commercial is rather entertaining. Then again, I'm not sure where the near-consensus among movie critics that Michael Bay makes terrible moves comes from. For example, a profile ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on July 6, 2007 14:01
Thumbs Up for Roger Ebert
After surgery for cancer of the salivary gland that removed part of his jaw, operations to replace his mandible, and complications from unanticipated bleeding, film critic Roger Ebert “ain't a pretty boy no more”: I have been very sick, am getting better and this is how it looks. I still have my brain and my typing fingers. Although months in bed ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on April 24, 2007 18:14
Fictional Politics
Given that it is Saturday night, let's set aside any more serious discussions and ponder the idiocy that is the political machinations of the Jedi Knights. As I mentioned at my place earlier today, my two oldest boys are sick and so we took advantage of Cinemax's Star Wars marathon. Hence, I have had my memory of Episodes ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on November 11, 2006 22:56
Superman Returns Movie Review
My wife and I went to the 10:00 p.m. showing of "Superman Returns" last night. No real spoilers below for any who have seen any of the pre-release publicity but my review is hidden after the jump just in case. Overall, it was an enjoyable movie but not one that lived up to the hype, let alone an eighteen year ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on June 28, 2006 11:26
