Month: August 2021

Movie of the Week: ‘Autumn Sonata’

Jeff Mitchell

Cinema legend Ingrid Bergman was born on Aug. 29, 1915, so it’s the perfect time to reflect on her work.  Let’s look back at her extraordinary performance in her last theatrical film, “Autumn Sonata”. “Autumn Sonata” (1978) – Charlotte Andergast (Ingrid Bergman) is a mom and concert pianist, but to her, not necessarily in that particular order of importance.  Definitely not.  In her 60s now, Charlotte has enjoyed a long career of playing (and vacationing) just about everywhere, and she isn’t shy about casually mentioning her long list of faraway…

Movie of the Week: ‘The American Friend’

Jeff Mitchell

“The American Friend” (1977) – Jonathan Zimmerman (Bruno Ganz) is modest picture framer, and while his Hamburg, Germany shop gives him little stress, his declining health frequently preys on his thoughts.  What will become of his wife and son after his soon-to-be passing?  Well, he passes an American art dealer, Tom Ripley (Dennis Hopper), at a local auction.  He slights him, actually, and Tom now has Jonathan in his sights, and it’s not a pretty picture. Director Wim Wenders pits this odd German and American pair together, as Tom manipulates…

10 Classic ’80s Sci-fi Moments

Jeff Mitchell

Do you remember the 1980s, or know the decade second-hand by wading through 30+plus-year-old news stories, MTV videos, and movie clips on YouTube?  Either way, it’s easy to grasp that mullets, ultra-perms, leg warmers, shoulder pads, and acid wash jean jackets were all the rage.  For science fiction and horror flicks, advances in practical effects were all the rage too!  These high-tech strides helped propel moviegoers’ theatrical and home video experiences, but hey, filmmakers couldn’t rest on their new technological laurels.  Audiences need compelling stories and characters too, because wondrous…