3 things about Terence Young’s FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE

Posted on July 10, 2011 by robchristopher

From Russia with Love [1963]

1. A personalized message on the coaster: YOU ARE REQUIRED AT ONCE.
2. Miss Moneypenny fellates the red pencil.
3. Rosa Klebb’s 12-second venom.

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3 things about Michael Winterbottom’s THE TRIP

Posted on July 9, 2011 by robchristopher

The Trip [2010]

1. “Speaking of hard-boiled eggs, I’m not wearing any pajama bottom.”
2. Rob Bryon quotes Bob Balaban.
3. “Women are my windmills–I tilt at them.”

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RIP Trader Vic’s Chicago

Posted on July 9, 2011 by robchristopher

My anatomy of a tiki murder.

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The “death” of 35mm and the peskiness of 3-D

Posted on July 9, 2011 by robchristopher

Check out my interview with Marty Rubin, Associate Director of Programming at the Siskel Film Center. So juicy that it’s in two parts!

Part I

Part II

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3 things about Adam Adamson’s THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN

Posted on July 6, 2011 by robchristopher

The Chronicles of Narnia: Price Caspian [2008]

1. A swordfight on the beach, for no reason at all. Later, many other swordfights for no reason at all.
2. The castle cat is bound and gagged. It meows.
3. Line stolen from Flash Gordon: “My life is not yours to take.”

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3 things about Max Ophüls’ THE EARRINGS OF MADAME DE…

Posted on July 4, 2011 by robchristopher

The Earrings of Madame de… [1953]

1. “One way of leaving a woman is to let her leave.”
2. Roulette. Felt-covered table. Subtle spotlight on the number 13.
3. A moving train. She tears up the letter and scatters the fragments out the window, which turn into snowflakes falling on the landscape.

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3 things about Burt Balaban & Stuart Rosenberg’s MURDER, INC.

Posted on July 2, 2011 by robchristopher

Murder, Inc. [1960]

1. Sarah Vaughan seems to chew the end of each syllable.
2. He points to the map and says, “Every pin is an unsolved murder. What do I do about this?”
Tobin shrugs. “Send for more pins.”
3. The killer stalks her under the boardwalk. The click-clack of her heels.

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3 things about Stephen Cone’s IN MEMORIAM

Posted on June 30, 2011 by robchristopher

In Memoriam [2011]

1. He turns the picture around and around in his hands. He can’t decide which way is up.
2. “Completely naked.”
3. “Be smart. But don’t be careful.”

3 other things.

The final cut is even tighter than the one I’d seen before. And Sadie Rogers comes *this* close to stealing the movie. She deserves her own story someday.

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3 things about John Badham’s SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER

Posted on June 22, 2011 by robchristopher

Saturday Night Fever [1977]

1. “No, Tony, you can’t fuck the future. The future fucks you.”
2. She begs him to kiss her. He complies. She shrieks, “I just kissed Al Pacino!”
3. He tells her all about the bridge.

Believe it or not I’d never seen it until now. I was expecting it be gritty, but not MEAN STREETS gritty.

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3 things about Douglas Sirk’s IMITATION OF LIFE

Posted on June 20, 2011 by robchristopher

Imitation of Life [1959]

1. He looks at her face and says, “Your bones. They’re perfect. My camera could have a love affair with your face.”
2. “It’s the one thing I’ve always wanted to splurge on.” She’s talking about her funeral.
3. Suave: wearing an ascot to the picnic.

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