Author: John Welsh
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A Monster’s Ode to John Welsh
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Read more: A Monster’s Ode to John WelshIn the 1970s and 1980s I worked on several movies by the Arkansas based filmmaker, Charles B. Pierce. He achieved minor fame and a cult following for his films, The Legend of Boggy Creek and The Town that Dreaded Sundown. [EDITOR’S NOTE: Both included with Amazon Prime] The Legend of Boggy Creek was a pseudo…
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The 1939 movie year: First in a series.
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Read more: The 1939 movie year: First in a series.A recent question on Jeopardy reminded me 1939 was a banner year for the release of the greatest number of quality films ever in a single year. Most were the product of the studio system. I will briefly discuss some of my favorites, starting with my favorite film genre, the Western. Jesse James ( “He…
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Dark Waters
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Read more: Dark WatersThe French born Chemist E. I. du Pont arrived in the United States on January 1st 1800, a symbolic date for several reasons. (Aaron Burr came within a hair’s breadth of becoming president in the election of that year). In 1802 he established a factory in Wilmington Delaware to manufacture gun powder, using the improved formula of…
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Ford v. Ferrari: A Final Look
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Read more: Ford v. Ferrari: A Final LookThe first thing you notice about Ford v Ferrari is the sound, even before the first frame of picture. The telltale sound of motor racing. Cars speeding by. The Doppler effect, changes of perspective, gears changing, the sound of breaks, wheels on the track. The crowds. Sounds there throughout the racing scenes. Sound that puts…
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Another Look At Some Of The Significant Films Of The Past Decade
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Read more: Another Look At Some Of The Significant Films Of The Past DecadeThe last decade has given the film viewer a tidal wave of sewage in the form of endless remakes, sequels, and a combination of the two with comic book superhero movies. It is just the way the film industry’s way of saying, we’re bereft of imagination and are willing to pander to vulgar tastes of…
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The Evil That Men Can Do: 3 Movies
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Read more: The Evil That Men Can Do: 3 MoviesMen have reasons for the evil acts they commit. Some men. The new film streaming on Amazon Prime, The (Torture) Report, makes this clear. The men of The Irishman practice evil as a matter of course, without a thought. As mob accountant Otto Biederman, famously said, “Nothing personal, it’s just business.” The effect, however, is…
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1917
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Read more: 19171917 is a horror story. It is a journey to hell and back. It ends at the place where it began, in a field of flowers under a tree. It is a story of duty, comradeship and loss. It is a technical marvel. It takes place on April 6, 1917, the day the United States…
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The King (2019)
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Read more: The King (2019)I brought two prejudices to watching The King, the new film about England’s Henry V. This was Shakespeare’s Henry V, and the Henry V of history. The King is not Shakespeare, and is certainly not history. It is however, a mildly enjoyable film. In the beginning, the film has Prince Hal or Harry, the future…
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The Trail Boss Ayatollah
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Read more: The Trail Boss AyatollahRecently I ran afoul of the faithful when I attempted to herd some precious cattle off the Elysium fields of cinema. The result was hurt feelings. Not mine. I know it just a movie but some people insist on putting way too much of themselves into it. They embrace adjectives like, genius, and innovator, phrases…
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An Open Letter to Mike Flanagan
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Read more: An Open Letter to Mike FlanaganSpoilers Follow I want you to know how much I enjoyed your miniseries adaption of Shirley Jackson’s iconic novel, The Haunting of Hill House. All story elements were tied-up at the end. The door that could not be opened leading to different rooms for different people was inspired. It had many scary moments. OK, Doctor…