Month: June 2022

You’ll feel “all shook up,” but ‘Elvis’ could have used “a little less conversation.” Maybe a lot less.

Jeff Mitchell

“Elvis” (2022) – Elvis Aaron Presley.  The King of Rock and Roll. He shook his hips and “rattled and rolled” to Earth-shattering success in the 1950s.  He coped with some career dips, but The King “couldn’t help falling in love” with new triumphs – beginning in 1969 – in Las Vegas.  He sold millions of records and inspired worldwide audiences, and his towering, legendary mark remains Herculean, even 45 years after his death, Aug. 16, 1977 at just 42.  Fearless filmmaker Baz Luhrmann – who embraces bold, boisterous projects like…

‘The Black Phone’ is a dialed-in horror flick

Jeff Mitchell

“The Black Phone” (2022) – A parent’s worst nightmare. A kid’s worst nightmare too. Director Scott Derrickson’s “The Black Phone” is a child abduction movie, and this 102-minute horror film will sometimes snatch your breath.  Rather than portray the story as a straight-up thriller with a sinister creep’s evident dangers versus a young hero’s tangible devices for escape, somewhere in the second act, “The Black Phone” departs from pragmatism and enters other startling spaces.  Derrickson and writer Robert Cargill’s screenplay dramatically turns and feels like a Stephen King adaptation, especially…

Movie of the Week: ‘The French Lieutenant’s Woman’

Jeff Mitchell

“The French Lieutenant’s Woman” (1981) – The opening scene – from director Karel Reisz’s film – surprises but revealing the head-scratching beginning of “The French Lieutenant’s Woman” would be a crime.  Divulging it would somewhat spoil the experience of this cleverly constructed romantic period piece.  Let’s just say that the film’s screenplay adds a layer of complexity which amply raises the level of intrigue in this classic romance. Set in England during the 19th Century, a time when wealthy men courted equally affluent women with the utmost respect.  Gentlemen formally call on the ladies they…