Year: 2022

Movie of the Week: ‘Brooklyn’

Jeff Mitchell

“Brooklyn” (2015) – Saoirse Ronan shines in a beautifully-filmed movie about a young Irish woman starting a new life in the bustling streets of New York City while struggling with the emotional pulls of home in County Wexford.  Along with Eilis’ (Ronan) homesickness, writer Nick Hornby pens several amusing and warm moments with her boarding housemates and a new love interest, and with the film’s throwback vibe to pictures of yesterdecade, “Brooklyn” is the most graceful and lovely cinematic experience of 2015. “Brooklyn” was nominated for three Oscars: Best Picture,…

‘X’: Ti West’s horror film proves that ‘the good ole days weren’t always good’

Jeff Mitchell

“X” – The year is 1979.  Leonardo DiCaprio was five years young.  The Seattle Supersonics won the NBA Title.  “The Dukes of Hazzard” kicked off its first season.  The OPEC crisis gripped the nation, and gas at the pump rose to 81 cents a gallon.  (To be fair, 43 years ago, $ 0.81 was a lot of dough.  Perhaps, $5.50 in today’s dollars?) Well, writer/director Ti West sets and primes his new slasher film between two classics of the genre, 1978’s “Halloween” and 1980’s “Friday the 13th”.  “X”, however, doesn’t…

Movies of the Week: William Hurt Triple-Feature

Jeff Mitchell

William Hurt sadly passed away on Sunday, March 13, at just 71 years young.  This Oscar-winning actor had classic good looks and a matching, magnetic panache, and one could easily see this Washington D.C. native choosing a career as a U.S. Senator or a television anchorman, which of course, he famously once played. AHFW wanted to feature a William Hurt film as our Movie of the Week, but we couldn’t decide, so we landed on three of our favorites…from one of our favorites. “Body Heat” (1981) – Writer/director Lawrence Kasdan…