The last time we saw Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz’s life brought to the big screen was nearly twenty years ago in the glossy biopic “Lucy.” Director and Hollywood obsessive Aaron Sorkin brings to audiences a less than glamorous depiction of the masterminds that were Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Not only were the pair of Hollywood moguls, tabloid fodder, intense actors and controlling masters to their staff of writers and caretakers, but behind the scenes they were consistently at war with one another. Whether it was a clash of egos, or two people just too explosive to stay together, Sorkin shows us why the world is still enamored with Lucy and Desi.
The Films of John Garfield
John Garfield was, and remains, one of the most impactful actors of 20th century American cinema. On this episode of “The Online Movie Show,” Garfield’s remarkable career is discussed with James L. Neibaur, author of the new book “The Films of John Garfield.”
Gruss Vom Krampus
Photo by Emilie Black/EmyBPhto
Tonight is Krampusnacht, so why not celebrate with a film or two about the classic tale of what happens to bad little boys and girls. On Krampusnacht, or Krampus Night, a being known as Krampus goes to visit bad kids, taking them in his basket and giving them beatings with reeds. The tale has a few variations on the theme depending where you are in the world and who is telling. As such, it was ripe for the taking by horror filmmakers with, well, uneven results. That being said a couple of these come up head and shoulders above the rest. To be fair, an unholy number of Krampus films were watched recently, including everything from Krampus (by Michael Dougherty, Trick R Treat) to Mother Krampus and all the Krampus films that could be sequels to one another or independent that could be found on streaming.
Well, most of them, there is limit to the number of blah films one can watch. So which one should you look for and why?
The Five Best Segments of “Creepshow” Season Two
“Creepshow” hasn’t been a perfect revival, but it’s garnered some great enthusiasm that’s made it a modern reboot that’s worth watching. Filled with some great performances, sick tales, and excellent gore, “Creepshow” has ensured a long stay, especially with the second season stepping up its game. The new release from Shudder and AMC packs all six episodes on to the Blu-Ray along with some great extras and I compiled five of the best segments of the second season you should look out for.
The Power of the Dog (2021)
Jane Campion’s interpretation of Thomas Savage’s 1967 – which had defied adaptation for decades prior to this release – doesn’t have a great deal of power, and its recent dominance in the movie awards realm suggests a deficit of competitive excellence in the 2021 film slate rather than a surplus amount of brilliance in this particular work.
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The Bootleg Files: The Beatles Forever
BOOTLEG FILES 787: “The Beatles Forever” (1977 all-star train wreck).
LAST SEEN: On YouTube.
AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.
REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: No serious person would put this out in front of the public again.
CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Unlikely.
Fuck that three-part Disney+ rehash of mountains of discarded footage from the making of “Let It Be” – the real Beatles rediscovery emerged on YouTube last week via someone going by the handle of Denton115. This beautiful individual has brought back one of the most brilliantly embarrassing television specials ever dropped on an unsuspecting world: “The Beatles Forever,” a one-hour atrocity that NBC threw on an unsuspecting America on Thanksgiving night of 1977.
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Land of a Thousand Sorrows (2021)
In this documentary, the voyage and lives of men who were arrested in Canada and sent to Australia as punishment is explored along with what led to this and what happened afterwards.