In a really crappy summer and a pretty hectic year in Hollywood, one of the bigger releases in 2021 was “In the Heights.” It’s a movie I’d been looking forward to for a long time, since Lin Manuel Miranda is one of my personal heroes. It’s finally brought to film by director Jon M. Chu after being in literal development hell since 2008. Jon M. Chu is no stranger to films involving dancing and urban settings, thankfully, and we’re given an absolutely dazzling, emotional, and energetic musical.
Tag Archives: Musical
The Show (2020)
Opening in theaters nationwide for one night only on August 26th.
“The Show” is a movie that only Alan Moore is capable of. Moore is a very well known and infamous figure in the comic book world. Known for penning legendary graphic novels like “Watchmen,” he’s also notorious for being incredibly polarizing and opinionated about the comic book medium as a whole, as well as openly hating (and denouncing) anything and everything involving superheroes. “The Show” is a movie that combines a lot of ideas and themes that Moore mixes in to a confusing, but oddly entertaining genre entry.
Wonderful Paradise (2020) (Nouten Paradise) [Fantasia Film Festival 2021]
As a family is forced to sell their house and move, the teenage daughter posts a general invitation on social media to come party in the backyard. As strangers and acquaintances show up, things get weirder and weirder.
Viva (2007)
Will screen on August 27th at the Los Feliz 3 theater in Los Angeles, California as part of the American Cinematheque’s new ETHERIA screening series. More information about the screening can be found on the American Cinematheque’s official website.
Your mileage with “Viva” may vary depending on how much you’re willing to play along with the film’s very subtle satire. About twenty minutes in to the movie is when I finally caught on to the gag, as “Viva” is as much a satire of sixties sexual dynamics as it is a tribute to the aesthetic of the sixties and seventies. “Viva” is a film in the tradition of Andy Warhol, and Russ Meyer, and exploitation gems like “Maid in Sweden” and “Score” where people open up (literally and figuratively) to sex and sexual exploration.
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) [4K UHD/Blu-Ray/Digital HD]
Celebrating its 50th anniversary June 30th of 2021, “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” is a movie that hasn’t aged since 1971 and shows no sign of aging any time soon. Even with the Tim Burton second adaptation and the upcoming prequel, Mel Stuart’s cinematic version of the Roald Dahl fantasy book still remains on the top of the heap. Even looking at it without nostalgia lens, the Gene Wilder fantasy is excellent in every sense of the word, while Wilder’s titular performance is unrivaled.
Summer Movies: 30 Sun-Drenched Classics [Hardcover]
The Newest Book in The Turner Classic Movies home Library, “Summer Movies: 30 Sun-Drenched Classics” is a refreshing and entertaining movie guide for the folks that love summer. If you’re big in to the season and love film, John Malahy’s hardcover guide is just what you need. While the book has every chance to be a superficial look at more popular summer movies, author Malahy digs deep, offering a wonderful variety of summer themed movies.
In the Heights (2021)
The COVID Pandemic has changed a lot about what we love about New York City; over the years it’s become something of an environment where opportunities have dwindled and the sense of community has been lost. From Gentrification and the Exodus of its residents, the city just isn’t familiar anymore. “In the Heights” is that reminder that once upon a time New York was about tight knit communities sticking together and beating the odds. And it’s a call to the idea that maybe it all can be reclaimed.