Attribution: Brett Cove at https://www.flickr.com/photos/brettdcove/, GFDL, via Wikimedia Commons By Geoff Carter There is no more unique actor–or screen villain–than Gary Oldman. He can be the epitome of sadism, malevolence, or violence, but he can also be suave and charming—though he is never entirely trustworthy, even when portraying Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour or George Smiley in Tinker, Tailor, …
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Category:Movies
The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: The Legacy of Woody Harrelson
Attribution: LBJ Library c/o: Gabriel Cristóver Pérez, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Geoff Carter It seems as if he can do anything on the screen. He can be funny, scary, charismatic, lovable, vulnerable, sadistic, romantic, or eminently unlikable—or any combination of the above. Woody Harrelson is one of those actors who can slip in …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: The Legacy of Nicolas Cage
Attribution: Kirk Weaver, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Geoff Carter It seems as if Nicolas Cage has been making movies forever—and for good reason. Having made over one hundred film appearances made over his forty-plus-year career, his presence on streaming channels, cable TV, and movie theaters is ubiquitous. The guy is everywhere. Turn on …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: A Tribute to Father’s Day
Photo by Sabine van Straaten on Unsplash A Tribute to Father’s Day: Ten Unforgettable Celluloid Dads By Geoff Carter (Originally published June 12th, 2023) It’s that time of year when we’re once again celebrating the patriarch, the pater familia, the big man, the king daddy, and the head of the family. It’s Father’s Day. Master of the grill, …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “The Phoenician Scheme”
Illustration by Michael DiMilo ★★★★☆ The Grand Scheme of Things: Review of The Phoenician Scheme By Geoff Carter There are certain filmmakers whose work could never be mistaken for another’s. Scorsese, Tarantino, or Spielberg films all bear the obvious fingerprints of their creators, but the stylistic quirks of no auteur is more obvious—or enjoyable—than those …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “Mickey 17”
Illustration by Michael DiMilo ★★★★☆ The Disposable Man: Review of Mickey 17 By Geoff Carter You’re never quite sure what you’re going to get with a Bong Joon Ho film. From the linear class battle laid out in Snowpiercer to the convoluted twists and hidden spaces of Parasite to the heart-rending pathos and bioethics of Okja, his movies tend to …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “Sinners”
Illustration by Michael DiMilo Immortal Sins: Movie Review of Sinners ★★★★☆ By Geoff Carter Movies can be larger than life which is—of course—a great part of their appeal. It always has been. Spectacles like D.W. Griffith’s Intolerance, the 1963 Twentieth Century-Fox version of Cleopatra, or the more recent Babylon, movies featuring “a cast of thousands”, lavish sets, and …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Going Above and Beyond
The Ten Best War Movies Capt. Saska Ball, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (Originally published in June, 2019) By Geoff Carter “…that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “September 5”
Illustration by Michael DiMilo ★★★★☆ The Agony of Defeat: Film Review of September 5 I remember, in my first week as high school sophomore, watching Mark Spitz swimmer dominate the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. Spitz was a sensation, winning a total of seven gold medals that year. As always, the Olympics provided a variety …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “Companion”
Illustration by Michael DiMilo Body and Soul: Review of Companion ★★★★☆ By Geoff Carter What is it that makes us human? Is it sentience, emotional awareness, empathy, intelligence, or the knowledge of our own mortality? Is it the ability to manipulate our environment? We share many of these qualities with our fellow creatures. Birds build their …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “The Room Next Door
Illustration by Michael DiMilo A Friend in Need: Review of The Room Next Door ★★★★☆ By Geoff Carter Film, like painting, is mostly–but arguably–a surface medium. While voiceovers and internal dialogues might allow audiences access to a character’s thoughts or intentions (think Sin City, Taxi Driver, or A Clockwork Orange), the audience is mostly constrained—as we are …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “We Live in Time”
Illustration by Michael DiMilo Measured by the Heart: Review of We Live in Time ★★★1/2 By Geoff Carter The tragic love story has been with us forever. From the star-crossed lovers in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet(and West Side Story) to Love Story to The Notebook to Titanic to Brokeback Mountain—and many, many more—these tales of love and loss and regret draw audiences like flies …
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