The Forgotten Genius of Francis Ford Coppola

Something I’ve realized as we revisit Coppola of the 1970s on Houselights for The Nerd Party is that he’s become something of a forgotten genius.

I Watched the Controversial Movie “Mandingo”

Mandingo. Watching the controversial 1975 film based on a book (and play, apparently) of the same name has left me disoriented. I haven’t been this off-kilter after a movie since I made the bad decision to watch twenty minutes of a Lars Von Trier movie that was streaming, because I knew his reputation as a […]

Return to Nakatomi Plaza

I got the chance to go see Die Hard in the theater again. I’m so glad I did. It was a reminder of how special movies can be, even after you’ve spent decades with them.

Suddenly, Everyone Cares About Movie Theaters

A fascinating byproduct of the lockdown fever that has gripped the world is that people suddenly seem to care about movie theaters.

An Empire, Striking Back, in the Theater

I took the eldest padawan to a showing of Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back today.

The Beauty of Sylvester Stallone Movies

It’s an examination of the magical formula he discovered, that I think made his career endure and continue to draw people to the theater regardless of each movie’s merit or success.

I’m Already Tired of Movies Set “During the Pandemic”

The one inevitability of 2020 is that, when Hollywood production pipelines normalize again, they’re going to make a ton of movies set during this unprecedented time.

Blame George Lucas

There’s a recent trend that reinforces a basic fact that underlays a lot of things in my experience.

What We Should Understand from The Shining

Did we not expect everyone to snap during this time?

The Frustration of Sharing Movies

I’ve tried for year (and years) to share movies with Agent Bun, only to have her demur and refuse. And I’m starting to see that trend emerge with our children.

The 6 Best Movies for Catharsis

Why 6? Because it’s my blog and I wanted to do it that way.

“What Does Multi-Format Mean?”

Short answer: It means waste.

Movies That Mold Us

You can never know when or how you’ll encounter a film that will change the way you think, or affirm a feeling you’ve had.