Category Archives: cinema

the danger of originality

I’ve been catching up on Heroes (the link is to the first episode on NBC’s website). Episode 18 “Parasite” has an establishing shot of Las Vegas, an aerial view in daylight, which I did not recognize because establishing shots of … Continue reading

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am i reading too much into this?

I’m surprised to see it acknowledged in two teevee shows that heroin is useful as a painkiller. (Charlie Stross, a former pharmacist, mentioned that “diamorphine (aka Heroin™) is carried routinely in ambulances in the UK.”) In the first series of … Continue reading

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do real cops behave this way?

I’ve seen it a hundred times: the TV detective says “I think we’d better continue this conversation at the police station,” and the interrogee meekly gets into the car. Just once (and I thought I’d already said this) I’d like … Continue reading

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movies recently rented

In Cold Blood (dir. Richard Brooks, 1967). Didn’t grab me; perhaps another time. Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (dir. Stanley Kramer). In 1967 I suppose the subject matter was enough to carry it, but now the script is rather thin. … Continue reading

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ever wonder what a Toon funeral is like?

scene cut from Who Framed Roger Rabbit

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a perfect caper

Today I watched Inside Man, my first Spike Lee joint since She’s Gotta Have It (1986) and, even more surprisingly, my first Denzel Washington ever. It’s swell. My housemate said after the opening shot, “Clive Owen is so great I’ll … Continue reading

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The Night of the Digital Video

Woo hoo, the first season of The Wild Wild West is out on disc. To the question “Who is your favorite James Bond?”, I always say Robert Conrad.

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