Jillian Oliver

For its 40th anniversary, I recently watched the 1979 horror flick The Amityville Horror for the first time since I was fourteen. Needless to say, I find more humor in the antiquated film as a…

Actress Lauren Bacall, from the classics To Have and Have Not (1944) and The Big Sleep (1946), is the quintessential noir actress — and an embodiment of director Howard Hawks’ ideal woman. The type she…

When it was announced that there would be a film prequel of the 1966 Science Fiction series Star Trek, fans of the series, myself included, were through the roof with excitement. The film stars Zachary…

Helen Mirren just followed a possible trend of hating on streaming services. After director Steven Spielberg said Netflix movies shouldn’t be allowed to compete for academy awards, the actress said to an audience at CinemaCon,…

Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase reintroduces us to the red-headed sleuth in a fast paced, high energy film that will appeal to a younger crowd. Sophia Lillis comes on the scene with a charismatic,…

The Tree of Blood is a tortuous road filled with sex, lies, secrets, violence, and bulls — lots of them. For anyone craving a two-hour soap opera, this Spanish drama just might hit the spot.…

German actor, Conrad Veidt, will have a 126th birthday coming up on January 22nd, so this is a good time to look at this esteemed actor’s most controversial role as a gay music teacher from…

While the TV channels will be flooded this season with A Christmas Story, It’s a Wonderful Life, and numerous other traditional comedies and heartfelt dramas, there should be room in some households for a less…

I saw Bohemian Rhapsody in the theater recently, and I wasn’t familiar with the ratings it got on Rotten Tomatoes — though it’s usual for me to check — and I wasn’t too concerned with the…

Most Americans expect a straightforward narrative when they watch a movie. Anything that gets a little abstract is sometimes viewed as pretentious or high-minded. Often people look at surreal films as accessible only to an…

Feminists: What Were They Thinking? Inspires nostalgia as we look ahead anxiously at the future of women’s rights.  Synopsis Directed By: Johanna Demetrakas Starring: Lily Tomlin, Gloria Steinem, Michelle Phillips, Jane Fonda, Cynthia MacAdams, Cheryl…

At some point in time we’ve all seen a stereotype of autism on TV series like The Big Bang Theory and Bones. It’s the trope of the socially awkward, slightly (or very) obsessive compulsive character…

Most science fiction fans are familiar with this famous scene: astronaut Dave Bowman propels himself into an emergency chamber to board his ship, Discovery One. The advanced, and conscious, 9000 computer Hal has killed every…

Until a few days ago, I probably was in the minority of movie buffs who hadn’t watched Blade Runner. For whatever reason I decided it was time to watch the Ridley Scott’s classic after years…

As far back as I can remember I’ve enjoyed watching movie musicals from what they call the golden age of Hollywood. Some particular favorites of mine are The Bandwagon, Stormy Weather, and Oliver. And even…

I recently rewatched Alfred Hitchcock’s 1958 classic, Vertigo, because it made it onto TCM’s list of Fathom events in celebration of its 60th anniversary. In my childhood, I saw the film at least four or…

1939 was one of the film industry’s most lucrative years because of the release of a myriad classics, including the winner of best picture that year, Gone with the Wind, and the wondrous childhood classic,…

Movies made during Hollywood’s Golden Age weren’t always kind to the LGBT community. As little more than a covert group of sexual deviants, LGBT people were thought of as an aspect of America’s dark underbelly.…