Tag: Film Reviews

Popcorn and Inspiration: ‘Rio Grande’: The Fantastic Finale to John Ford’s Cavalry Trilogy

Passed | 1h 45min | Romance, Western | 1950 After I’d watched 1949’s “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon,” I learned that it was part of director John Ford’s “Cavalry Trilogy.” I recently watched and reviewed the first film in the series, 1948’s “Fort Apache,” and now I’ve seen 1950’s “Rio Grande.” I’m actually glad that…


Popcorn and Inspiration: ‘Elizabeth’: A Queen as Divine as She Was Human

September 8, 1998 (UK) | R | 2h 4min “Elizabeth” (1998), a depiction of the early life and times of Elizabeth I of England (daughter of the notorious Henry VIII), is considered to be Australian actress Cate Blanchett’s international breakout role. It was the first time most people had ever seen her on-screen before. It was a…


EpochTV: Film Review: ‘20 Minutes’

Faith-based director, Timothy A. Chey’s recent film, “20 Minutes,” examines what it would be like if people knew they only had 20 minutes left to live. And it’s an interesting question that plays out in the lives of a disparate group of 12 individuals who don’t seem to have much in common beyond their close…


Popcorn and Inspiration: ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’: About More Exciting Retirement Options

We’ve probably all heard words to the effect that if you retire without a good hobby, then life loses meaning pretty quickly and you’ll die soon.


Film Review ‘Claws of the Red Dragon’

Former investment banker and political strategist, Steve Bannon, has also been producing films for years. One of his latest productions, “Claws of the Red Dragon,” is a fictional take on the real-world arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Canada—here renamed Feng Xiaozhou (played by actress Jennifer Hsiung). After the sensational arrest of Feng, a…


Film Review: ‘Dune’: Denis Villeneuve’s Uneven First Half of Herbert’s Epic Novel

PG-13 | 2h 35min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi | 22 October 2021 (USA) Not long after the release of Frank Herbert’s novel “Dune” in 1965, film studios set their sights on making a movie out of it. Three attempts in the 1970s with directors Arthur Jacobs, Alejandro Jodorowsky, and Ridley Scott—for very different reasons—never got beyond the pre-production phase. In 1981, producer Dino…


Popcorn and Inspiration: ‘Life of Pi’: The Forging of Faith

One of the (very few) problems with this film is that it’s primarily a coming-of-age story.


Camille: A Noble Woman in Any Art Form

Some stories are so dramatic, powerful, or resonant that they transcend time as well as art forms. Such stories can gracefully transition from page to stage to screen. One such story is “Camille,” which comes from a novel by Alexandre Dumas fils. Published in 1848 as “La Dame aux Camélias” (“The Lady with the Camelias”),…


Popcorn and Inspiration: ‘Boyhood’: Gimmick, or the Art of Nostalgia?

Boyhood” is to coming-of-age movies what “Act of Valor” is to war movies.


Rewind, Review, and Re-Rate: ‘The Westerner’: A Brilliant Mix of Drama, Comedy, and Memorable Characters

Approved | 1h 40min | Comedy, Drama, Romance |1940 A mysterious drifter rides his horse through a harsh yet beautiful desert landscape. We see cracked earth and scrub brush in the foreground and a rugged range of mountains that sprouts up in the hazy background. Soon we see text scroll up that begins with: “After…