Archive for the 'Film' Category

Bush Gets Stoned

Monday, July 28th, 2008

I can’t wait to see this — Oliver Stone’s “W.” Link via LRC.

The Awful New X-Files Movie

Saturday, July 26th, 2008

I wonder if next time Chris Carter could shoehorn a few more fashionable causes into his generic (and thrill-less) thriller script masquerading as an “X-Files” movie. The new one, “X Files: I Want My Money Back,” only touches on gay marriage, stem cells, and pedophile priests. And a bit of Russophobia, too, though nothing linked [...]

It’s Not Too Late for Carl Weathers to Run for Office

Wednesday, July 9th, 2008

Two “Predator” actors — Ahnold and Jesse “The Body” Ventura — have already become U.S. governors. Now Sonny Lanham is running as a Libertarian for Mitch McConnell’s Senate seat in Kentucky. Slate has produced this so-so video about “Predator’s” political legacy. (Hat tip to Lew Rockwell.)

The Military-Industrial Super Hero

Friday, May 2nd, 2008

The commentariat seems to be having a hard time interpreting “Iron Man.” The eponymous hero’s alter ego, billionaire industrialist Tony Stark, is a capitalist, in fact an arms merchant at the beginning of the movie. After an ill-starred trip to Afghanistan, however, he decides to get out of the munitions business — but later returns [...]

Karl Hess: Toward Liberty

Saturday, March 22nd, 2008

It’s amazing what you can find on Google Video. This is the Academy Award-winning (yes, really) documentary about Karl Hess, who was one of the founding editors of National Review and a key Goldwater speechwriter — and who later became a New Leftist and an outspoken (as well as tax-resisting) libertarian. A very interesting figure, [...]

Scorsese

Monday, February 26th, 2007

He more than deserves the Oscar, but it’s a sign of just how dull the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is that he finally gets it for “The Departed” rather than “Taxi Driver,” “Raging Bull,” “Goodfellas,” or “The Aviator,” are all of which were much better.  I like long films, but even I [...]

Human Sacrifice, American Style

Monday, September 25th, 2006

I’m looking forward to “Apocalypto.” While promoting the new film, Mel Gibson put the collapse of Mayan civilization in context:
In describing its portrait of a civilization in decline, Gibson said, “The precursors to a civilization that’s going under are the same, time and time again,” drawing parallels between the Mayan civilization on the brink of [...]

Weekend movies

Friday, June 2nd, 2006

I'm behind schedule on a few things and won't be seeing anything myself, but if you're wondering about what's playing at the local multiplex (or foreign-film cinema, perhaps) Leon Hadar has a couple of brief reviews for you — "The Lost City" and "Wah Wah."

R & R

Saturday, April 29th, 2006

Nobody in his or her right mind would follow my lead in recreational pursuits, but for the voyeuristic among you here's what I'm devoting my downtime this weekend to…
Reading:
Look Homeward, America: In Search of Reactionary Radicals and Front-Porch Anarchists. The latest from Bill Kauffman. We've lined up a very apt reviewer for TAC, and [...]

N for Neocon

Monday, March 20th, 2006

It’s mildly ironic that neocons like Don Feder and Junior Podhoretz dislike “V for Vendetta” so much. They wouldn’t have any reservations about, say, a Kurdish vigililante who went around blowing up Saddam’s palaces and assassinating Baathists, would they? They’re always hot on the trail of Islamo-fascism. But a film about old-style Euro-fascism [...]