While You Were Sleeping (1995) PG
America’s sweetheart actress Sandra Bullock stars in this romantic comedy. She is a subway worker who helps a young man (Peter Gallagher) who has been mugged. His family begins to see her as his girlfriend/fiancée, and she lets them believe the lie. All is fine until she fall in love with his brother (Bill Pullman). Soon she must decide…
While You Were Sleeping
January 6th, 2009Control Room
January 2nd, 2009
Control Room (2004)
It’s an eye-opening step into what was happening during the American invasion of Iraq in March 2003. Told from the point of view of Arab television network Al Jazeera, the documentary follows Al Jazeera employees and covers time spent in the US Central Command briefing room in Doha, Qatar. It explores the media’s role in modern war.
The only American featured prominently in the documentary – Marine Corps media liaison officer John Rushing – later becomes a Washington, D.C.-based correspondent for Al Jazeera International (check out his YouTube channel). After I saw the documentary, I read Mission: Al Jazeera (2007) by Josh Rushing; he resigned from the Marines after he was forbidden to speak about the documentary with the press.
Read TIME’s interview with Rushing shortly after he accepted the job with Al Jazeera or look at Fast Company’s article.
Spotlight: Tim Burton
December 30th, 2008Spotlight: Tim Burton
The decidedly quirky talents of director Tim Burton bring a unique pop culture sensibility to his work. From his debut film (Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure) to his latest (Sweeney Todd), his movies have an engagingly bizarre look and humor about them. I appreciate his knack for visual wit. Some of the films have the added pleasure of feature scores by Danny Elfman or a performance by Johnny Depp. Try one or all of these:
- Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (1985)
- Beetlejuice (1988) – which Burton called the comic version of The Exorcist
- Batman (1989) (with Michael Keaton)
- Edward Scissorhands (1990)
- Batman Returns (1992)
- The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) – a stop-motion animated feature film
- Ed Wood (1994) – an eccentric movie about Hollywood’s worst director
- Sleepy Hollow (1999) – retelling of Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
- Big Fish (2003)
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) – Burton pays closer attention to the book by Dahl
- Corpse Bride (2005) – a whimsically macabre story
- Sweeney Todd (2007) – a visually perfect film
Bleed Like Me by Garbage
December 26th, 2008
Bleed Like Me by Garbage (2005)
Garbage’s fourth studio album Bleed Like Me very much shows that Manson and the boys can still rock. As soon as I picked up this album a week ago, it’s been playing nonstop in my iTunes. Some of the gem songs on the album include “Bleed Like Me” and “Why Don’t You Come Over” because of their ability to catch you right away. Manson’s sweet voice along with awesome guitar riffs makes this album an instant classic to any collection.
Bleed Like Me includes contributions from drummer Matt Walker (Filter, The Smashing Pumpkins) and bassist Justin Meldal-Johnsen (Ima Robot, Beck, Nine Inch Nails).
Desk Set
December 23rd, 2008
Desk Set (1957) G
This sleeper starring Hepburn and Tracy is one of my favorite romantic comedies. The Christmas office party scene will put any Scrooge in the holiday spirit! Richard Sumner (Spencer Tracy) spends a month observing the crackerjack reference department of a big TV network. Told to keep his intent secret, Sumner is planning on computerizing the department. His creation Emerac (the electric brain) meets its match in Bunny Watson (Katharine Hepburn), who heads the reference department. Bunny has a brilliant intellect, but isn’t so bright when it comes to her longstanding relationship with her supervisor. Sumner shakes up the department and Bunny’s love life.
