Akira Kurosawa Series – Yojimbo (1961) and Sanjuro (1962)

The Akira Kurosawa double-feature of Yojimbo (1961) and Sanjuro (1962) sees Kurosawa scaling back the scope of his previous samurai features like Seven Samurai (1954) and The Hidden Fortress (1958) for a more concentrated focus on one warrior’s interactions with small towns, rival gangs, juvenile samurai pupils, and political warfare. In Yojimbo and Sanjuro, Toshirô […]

My Hollywood Experience – Featuring the Critics’ Choice Awards

I have always been that annoying kid to brag about his dad’s cool side gig and all the perks that go along with it. And I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. Thanks to the fact that my father, Noel Manning, has been a member of the Critics’ Choice Association for more than two decades, […]

Documentary “QT8: The First Eight” sparkles with the same energy as its subject.

When any person remotely familiar with the art of filmmaking hears the name “Quentin Tarantino,” there are a number of ideas that might come to mind. Whether it is the unparalleled mastery of explicit dialogue, the bizarre concentration on highly stylized, yet unrelentingly brutal violence, or the love for non-linear narrative structure and chronology, film […]

PARASITE – A Spellbinding Work of Art

So Bong Joon-Ho really made a film that combines family drama, dark comedy, intense social commentary, a Soderbergh-esque heist, Tarantino-style dialogue and scene structure, and Hitchcockian suspense, thrills, and narrative twists? And it all meshed beautifully? This man is a genius! The visual aesthetic of this film is absolutely spellbinding. The sublime manipulation of the […]

BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE – Bad Times, but Good Filmmaking

BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE – Written and Directed by Drew Goddard I’m honestly still disappointed that this wonderful piece of art was overlooked during awards season. Certainly one of the most original films of 2018 – and of the decade, for that matter. A Best Original Screenplay Oscar nomination would have been justifiable, […]

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – Quentin Tarantino’s Storybook Tribute to the Hollywood of Old

It is quite a challenging task to touch on every element that makes a Quentin Tarantino film work. It would not even be a stretch to say that one could write an entire dissertation essay on over a dozen individual scenes throughout his eclectic filmography. As one of the most prolific writers and directors of […]

“The Fall of the American Empire” – Quirky Social Commentary with a Tarantino-esque Edge

Oscar-winning director Denys Arcand offers The Fall of the American Empire, an eclectic genre mash-up combining crime drama, a thrilling heist adventure, and a social commentary. This French-Canadian film spoken almost entirely in the beautiful language of French (and subtitled in English) is sure to entertain and amuse audience members, while simultaneously challenging and […]