It’s pretty disappointing that the Academy almost cut out the entire Live Action short category this year for the Oscars, as there are so many wonderful short films nominated. There are five pretty fantastic short films with strong messages about childhood and loss of innocence, and I hope now that they’re back in the broadcast, that audiences get a chance to watch and celebrate them.
Reminder: You Matter, You are Wanted
Here on Cinema Crazed, we consider ourselves an entertainment blog that celebrates and dissects film and pop culture, but we’re also advocates for mental health.
Mental Health is still often dismissed as a trivial health problem and is often stigmatized or looked down on in society. There’s no shame in getting help and seeking professional counseling from someone in times of great stress and or pain.
With the rates of suicide rising over the years, it’s more essential than ever to seek psychological help.
No matter what happens in your life, you deserve good health. You deserve to have peace of mind. You matter. You’re wanted. People care about you. Most of all, you’re not alone. Not in the world, and not in suffering.
If you’re contemplating suicide please consider the Suicide Prevention Hotline, right now. You deserve to live a full life.
The Kid Who Would Be King (2019)
When I was a kid I was heavy in to the mythology of Arthurian lore. Everything about King Arthur and the knights of Camelot drew my immediate attention and fascination. I spent a great three years learning everything that I could about that era. As a kid if I’d have seen Joe Cornish’s “The Kid Who Would Be King,” I’d have left the theater with a humongous smile on my face and anxious to learn a lot more that was available in the libraries. Joe Cornish has a particular love for making heroes out of underdogs and the least suspecting people you’d come across, and he carries that trademark in to his newest film.
The Bootleg Files: McLintock!
BOOTLEG FILES 674: “McLintock!” (1963 Western starring John Wayne).
LAST SEEN: On YouTube.
AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: On both public domain labels and in official commercial release.
REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: It’s complicated.
CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: There was an official commercial release, but the film is still being bootlegged.
Earlier this week, John Wayne was the subject of news headlines and social media buzz – which is no mean feat, considering that the star passed away 40 years ago. The new focus on Wayne was due to politically incorrect comments on race and sexual orientation that he made in a 1971 interview with Playboy Magazine. Back in the day, nobody thought twice about the interview – contrary to popular insistence, people did not read Playboy for the articles. But today, of course, it seems that the mainstream media has a racism outrage quota to fill. And when the demand for racist behavior to condemn outpaces the supply of current incidents, clickbait scoundrels scour the archives – or, in a certain Chicago case, hire a pair of oversized Nigerian brothers – in order to stir new waves of frenzy.
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Willard (2003) [Blu-Ray]
1971’s “Willard” is a movie that definitely happened. It was shockingly influential and even spawned a loose sequel involving one of the film’s rat villains Ben, called “Ben.” It was also a movie, mostly known for the title song by Michael Jackson. I don’t blame the studios for wanting to remake “Willard,” as it’s definitely a great idea that had a less than entertaining end result. Sadly, much of Glen Morgan’s treatment feels like Tim Burton lite with a heavy reliance on the career revivals of R. Lee Ermey and Crispin Glover of the early aughts.
Instant Family (2018)
“Instant Family” was one of the biggest surprises of 2018 for me. It seemed like a goofy vehicle for Mark Wahlberg to soften his image at the time, but it surprisingly ends up being one of the best drama comedies of the year. It’s not only such a funny and sweet film, but it’s also a remarkable testament to how much society under values and under appreciates foster parents, and the good they can do for children. While imperfect at times, director Sean Anders approaches the tale of the foster family with immense respect, and delivers a film that really did have me laughing, crying, and ultimately satisfied.
The Alice Howell Collection (2 DVD Set)
Undercrank Productions deserves a ton of credit as they are releasing films and silent cinema that no one else has even approached yet. While boutique studios are dabbling in eighties and seventies obscure gems, Undercrank and Ben Model are back in the early 1900’s restoring the short films of Alice Howell, a silent cinema comedic actress who was once compared to her contemporaries Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. Thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign, folks that want to bone up on the history of women in comedy cinema, this is a great place to continue your education on how much they’ve contributed, and the unsung voices of comedy.