Year: 2018

10 Classic ’80s Sci-fi Moments: ‘WarGames’

Jeff Mitchell

#7 – “WarGames” (1983) – Tic Tac Toe with Joshua – With PC sales starting to light up during the early 1980s, the nation’s fascination with computers began brightening as well.   Although “Return of the Jedi” (1983) was the big box office winner that year, “WarGames” became the surprise hit! A high school hacker, David (Matthew Broderick), believes that he hit the jackpot, when he easily finds his way into the U.S. Military.  The problem?  David accidentally ignites a supercomputer “named” Joshua who begins a countdown towards global thermal nuclear…

10 Classic ’80s Sci-fi Moments: ‘Twilight Zone: The Movie’

Jeff Mitchell

“Twilight Zone: The Movie” (1983) – Rod Serling’s sci-fi television show “The Twilight Zone” burst with waves of ironic and sometimes sinister pomp and circumstance as well as ingenious writing for five magical seasons on CBS, so directors Joe Dante, John Landis, Steven Spielberg, and George Miller had enormous shoes to fill by taking this legendary program to the big screen.  Even though Warner Bros. made a healthy profit with 29 million dollars of box office receipts, critically, the film suffered with mixed reactions. The movie contained four episodes, and…

‘At Eternity’s Gate’ paints a memorable Van Gogh portrait

Jeff Mitchell

“At Eternity’s Gate” – “When facing a flat landscape, I see nothing but eternity.” – Vincent Van Gogh (Willem Dafoe) Director Julian Schnabel’s “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” (2007) – the story of Jean-Dominique Bauby’s struggle with nearly-total paralysis – floats into a dream-like state, as the film delivers a sensitive portrayal of the man’s limited physical capabilities and deeply resonant firsthand experiences.  Bauby’s left eye was not paralyzed, as Schnabel attempts to capture the former “Elle” magazine editor’s rich viewpoint through this unique lens. The director takes a…