tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60580694549388618432024-10-04T22:00:19.182-04:00Welcome film lovers! <br><br> Award-winning writer and film historian Steve Evans celebrates current, classic, cult, and forgotten film in these freewheeling essays on the cultural significance of the cinema. Special features include reviews of foreign films, noteworthy Blu-rays, 4Ks and concert discs. <br><br> If you love movies, then come experience the wild enthusiasm of film writer Steve Evans, still raising a ruckus after all these years. <br><br> Thanks for stopping by.Steve Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02681681758454351980noreply@blogger.comBlogger254125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058069454938861843.post-21826076760192688172021-02-14T18:50:00.008-05:002021-02-14T19:19:19.822-05:00

By Steve EvansHaving seen more than 15,000 films in a lifelong love affair with the cinema, I can say to a certainty that only four have truly terrified me and one of those is The Silence of the Lambs, released 30 years ago today. Like Alien (1979), Jaws (1975) and Psycho (1960), it is difficult to convey the sensation of dread that Silence of the Lambs invokes in the first-time viewer. You have

Steve Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02681681758454351980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058069454938861843.post-9554225584394536032021-01-04T15:30:00.002-05:002021-01-04T15:31:13.676-05:00

By Steve Evans Famed composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist Oscar Hammerstein created the Broadway musical Carousel in 1945 when a little fellow named Gerry Marsden would have been three years old. The musical was adapted 11 years later into a major motion picture filmed in a stunning, ultra-widescreen process known as CinemaScope. Carousel also features, hands-down, the greatest composition to

Steve Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02681681758454351980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058069454938861843.post-51012164752581708382020-12-28T10:23:00.002-05:002020-12-28T10:23:45.485-05:00

&nbsp;By Steve EvansRemembering F. W. Murnau, German expressionist director born on this day in 1888. He is perhaps most famous for directing Nosferatu (1922), the original Dracula film. For my money, Faust (1926), pictured here, is his masterpiece. It is an adaptation of Goethe’s famous tale of a kindly man who sells his soul to the devil in exchange for curing his village of plague. Except

Steve Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02681681758454351980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058069454938861843.post-75604236029109738282020-12-10T14:09:00.001-05:002020-12-10T16:19:28.100-05:00

&nbsp;By Steve EvansWhen I met one of my idols about four years ago, documentary filmmaker D. A. Pennebaker, we talked for a bit about his film Monterey Pop, which chronicles the legendary rock music festival in the summer of 1967. It’s my favorite concert film, the template by which all others are judged. The vibe really resonates in my spirit. And the music is fantastic. Woodstock has flashier

Steve Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02681681758454351980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058069454938861843.post-60390636555548813392020-12-04T13:43:00.000-05:002020-12-04T13:43:29.839-05:00

&nbsp;By Steve EvansNever thought I’d live to see the demise of movie theaters, though now that it’s on the horizon the prospect bothers me much less than I would have imagined. This observation comes on the news yesterday that Warner Bros., the second-largest movie studio in the world (behind Disney), will simultaneously release all its films next year both in theaters and on the streaming

Steve Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02681681758454351980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058069454938861843.post-33032153146539081002019-11-07T09:01:00.000-05:002019-11-07T09:01:15.280-05:00

By Steve Evans About a decade ago I watched a wildly entertaining and mildly disturbing documentary called Confessions of a Superhero (2007). The film follows four street performers who dress up in costumes and prowl Hollywood Boulevard, offering to take photos with tourists for tips. Sometimes they get aggressive in their pursuit of those tips and police get involved. Aside from the obvious

Steve Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02681681758454351980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058069454938861843.post-61156277046834399042019-10-27T10:49:00.000-04:002019-10-27T11:13:53.025-04:00

By Steve Evans “I believe in America.” That’s the opening line in The Godfather (1972). It’s also a sentiment I share. Because of that belief, I’ve always rooted for the underdog and embraced rags-to-riches stories. I’ve also been a fan of the late comedian Rudy Ray Moore since before I was old enough to buy and listen to his records legally. Rudy told absolutely filthy jokes in a wild,

Steve Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02681681758454351980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058069454938861843.post-52754303873214891522019-07-10T18:51:00.000-04:002019-07-10T18:51:09.238-04:00

By Steve Evans When I was 10 years old, in 1973, I experienced the heart-stopping fear of vertigo during a visit to the observation deck of the Empire State Building in New York City. That terror of heights stopped only when I cured myself 12 years later by skydiving from the first plane I ever flew in. It is nothing compared to tonight’s double feature, the Oscar-winning documentary&nbsp;

Steve Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02681681758454351980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058069454938861843.post-72371352001779450862019-05-21T14:52:00.000-04:002019-07-10T15:23:14.613-04:00

By Steve Evans Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino understand how to use songs in a film like no other living director. Take your pick: Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Casino, Jackie Brown, The Departed, Django Unchained. Brilliant music in every one. Great song selections underline the storyline without bludgeoning home the point. Both men have new films coming out

Steve Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02681681758454351980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058069454938861843.post-79857578622726120722019-05-19T17:10:00.000-04:002019-05-19T17:14:52.038-04:00

By Steve Evans Summer blockbuster season is upon us and I am mostly unimpressed with the cinematic slate. I’ll go see Scorsese’s latest and Tarantino’s, too, but that’s about it. Summer is a time for action films, and for my money, the more violent the better. Many terrific action films have been made over the last half century and you’d best believe I’ve seen ‘em all. The Bond films hold up

Steve Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02681681758454351980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058069454938861843.post-23231954364250930802019-04-16T17:41:00.000-04:002019-04-16T17:41:59.760-04:00

By Steve Evans Yes, The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) was filmed entirely on the RKO Studios backlot. Yes, they actually built the front of the cathedral to scale for the film, which is the essential cinematic version of Victor Hugo's immortal classic -- the novel that is directly responsible for saving the Notre Dame Cathedral in the early 1800s during but one of the many threats to its

Steve Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02681681758454351980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058069454938861843.post-49045183883927751312019-03-28T16:24:00.000-04:002019-03-28T16:24:29.444-04:00

By Steve Evans Most intriguing film news of the day... Joel Coen, sans brother Ethan, is set to direct yet another film adaptation of Macbeth. He is also writing the screenplay, again, without his brother. This represents a first in their 35-year collaboration. Two-time Oscar winner Frances McDormand, Joel's wife, is to play Lady Macbeth. Two-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington is in talks to

Steve Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02681681758454351980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058069454938861843.post-16360771583457649072019-03-07T08:24:00.000-05:002019-03-07T08:24:41.126-05:00

By Steve Evans I remember exactly where I was 20 years ago today when I learned that Stanley Kubrick had died. First order of business was to phone in a bogus illness at the office and squander a sick day. I spent the balance of that morning and afternoon watching Paths of Glory, Dr. Strangelove, 2001 and A Clockwork Orange, his four greatest films. Over the remainder of that week I watched

Steve Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02681681758454351980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058069454938861843.post-44152783166671971752019-01-01T16:09:00.000-05:002019-01-01T16:09:14.950-05:00

By Steve Evans&nbsp; It’s something of a tradition for me to start off the first week of the New Year by watching a bad movie. Bad, as in incompetent. Poorly produced. Ineptly acted. Lousy direction. Ridiculous special effects. The idea is my film watching can only improve as the year progresses. Not really. I just have a dangerous and evidently incurable addiction to really dreadful flicks.

Steve Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02681681758454351980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058069454938861843.post-53110639341420517682018-12-26T12:19:00.000-05:002018-12-26T12:19:04.421-05:00

By Steve Evans I’ve long since outlived the core demographic for superhero films, yet when I find out such-and-such a movie is one of the most expensive ever made, I’m drawn to it like moth to flame. So I squandered more than 2 ½ hours of life watching Avengers Infinity War on Netflix. This is a movie that cost almost $400 million to make and has so far recouped more than $2 billion – with a B –

Steve Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02681681758454351980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058069454938861843.post-82209372804159558222018-12-03T12:29:00.000-05:002018-12-03T12:29:07.213-05:00

By Steve Evans I love rock documentaries. Any chance I get to learn context and meaning behind the music, I jump on it. Sometimes I get lucky and encounter an unintentional comedy disguised as a rock doc, leaving me sputtering with laughter. Rob Reiner’s great mockumentary This is Spinal Tap (1984) relentlessly skewered rock and roll pomposity and stupidity, of which there remains no shortage.

Steve Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02681681758454351980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058069454938861843.post-91479499621860321252018-11-15T09:36:00.003-05:002018-11-15T09:36:46.903-05:00

By Steve EvansI love learning new bits of film history. I live for it. Better than birthdays and Christmas. So I was reading about the short career of James Dean, which got me to thinking about the guy’s death 63 years ago, which led to the discovery that on his fatal drive in that Porsche Spyder he was the lead car in a caravan of friends heading to a race track. About two minutes behind him

Steve Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02681681758454351980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058069454938861843.post-5786980944570700732018-11-03T12:16:00.001-04:002018-11-03T12:17:34.613-04:00

By Steve Evans Big Clint Eastwood's directorial debut, the moody thriller Play Misty for Me, was released OTD in 1971. Somewhat dated in tone, Misty explores romantic obsession and a woman's psychotic breakdown as the lover who spurns her, then comes under violent attack, struggles to evaluate his increasingly dwindling options. I've visited many of the locations where Misty was filmed in

Steve Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02681681758454351980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058069454938861843.post-43982838609584379022018-09-09T12:28:00.000-04:002018-09-09T12:29:04.139-04:00

By Steve Evans Destination Wedding, an experimental film now available on Video on Demand, is the best rom-com of the last 40 years. I mean this most sincerely; no hyperbole. It has an essential edginess that eluded Sideways, which had been the genre's gold standard since 2004, and before that, Annie Hall from 1977. Sharp, acerbic, jet-black and cynical, Destination Wedding will appeal to anyone

Steve Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02681681758454351980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058069454938861843.post-84993612461679012652018-07-17T17:35:00.000-04:002018-07-17T17:37:08.062-04:00

By Steve Evans Alfred Hitchcock’s immortal classic North by Northwest premiered 59 years ago today. I first saw the picture on television in the ancient pre-Internet year of 1982 and was instantly smitten. Time has done nothing to diminish my love for this film, still my favorite out of some 15,000 movies I’ve seen in a lifelong affair with the cinema. North by Northwest is close to a perfect

Steve Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02681681758454351980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058069454938861843.post-69060086431227495462018-07-08T13:29:00.003-04:002018-07-08T13:29:43.442-04:00

By Steve Evans Stayed up way too late last night laffing at the great guilty pleasure that is Psychomania (1973). This movie is a riot -- an occult, horror-thriller biker flick starring Malcolm McDowell lookalike Nicky Henson in a role not dissimilar to McDowell’s in A Clockwork Orange, made two years earlier. I saw Psychomania decades ago on late-night teevee and was delighted to catch it

Steve Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02681681758454351980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058069454938861843.post-76349500133319145112018-06-07T08:35:00.000-04:002018-06-07T12:49:37.826-04:00

By Steve Evans On this day in 1975 Sony introduced the Betamax 9300, a "video recorder" almost the size of a footlocker and priced at $2,295 (about $11,000 in 2018 dollars). It had fat piano keys for controls and a crude LCD numeric screen. Made a fair amount of whirring noise, too. With the release of this brute of a component, Sony began the era of the home theater concept and forever

Steve Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02681681758454351980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058069454938861843.post-47554687680280382852018-05-23T09:52:00.002-04:002018-05-23T09:53:32.988-04:00

By Steve Evans Let's play a game of perception v. reality. On this day in 1934 the murderous bank robbing duo Bonnie and Clyde were machine-gunned to death in an ambush set by a posse of Louisiana and Texas law enforcement. Arthur Penn's celebrated 1967 film that bears their names did no favors for the historical record, although accuracy was not Penn's intent. Though possessed of low

Steve Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02681681758454351980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058069454938861843.post-35877518965328404212018-05-14T17:09:00.001-04:002018-05-14T17:25:33.772-04:00

By Steve Evans We are giddy with the acquisition of The Man Who Would be King (1975) in hi-def. A magnificent entertainment from the twilight of director John Huston's mighty career. Michael Caine and Sean Connery have made many enduring classics through more than six decades of working in cinema. The Man Who Would be King is equal to all of them and better than most. Huston in the 1950s

Steve Evanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02681681758454351980noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058069454938861843.post-67835969309464591502018-03-03T14:21:00.000-05:002018-03-03T17:51:02.795-05:00

By Steve Evans Out of nine Best Picture nominees this year, The Shape of Water is favored to win tomorrow night. It’s lavishly produced, weird and strangely compelling in its love story. Because the Academy has been quirky of late, I’ll say Shape will indeed win. Here’s my annual effort to break down the contenders and handicap the race. Let me be clear. These thoughts have less to do with

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