Retrospectives

This past Thanksgiving weekend, I revisited a piece of my childhood almost untouched by time. A movie that, despite its age and subject, wears down the walls of cynicism, makes me forget the troubles of…

Ben-Hur hails from a cinematic era as obscure and seemingly obsolete to us today as the ancient Romans have been to us for centuries. Released in 1959, Ben-Hur came at a time during which many…

Thirty years ago, Tim Burton’s Batman entered theaters, absolutely dominating the box office of 1989 and creating Batmania, a jubilee year dedicated to all things Batman. I’m pretty sure this was enshrined in law. Burton’s…

Back to the Future Part II is iconic, but that doesn’t mean that it’s a good movie. While it’s flashy visuals and its satirization of America’s future are fun, the movie itself is a mess.…

It’s safe to say that The Little Mermaid is a monumental accomplishment for Disney and its animation studio. The film began a new collection of films in what is now known as the Disney Renaissance…

Back in the day, a music store was more than the place in which one purchased the latest album from their favorite artist. It was an opportunity to see and be seen, to be known…

I 100% know that the title alone has done one of two things: driven away potential readers or hooked in interested browsers. If you are of the latter group, welcome to MovieBabble! Here, we try…

Blade Runner (1982) sure had a bleak view of what November 2019 would look like. Then again, that’s what neo-noir science fiction tends to do. Thankfully, Ridley Scott’s dark version of the future is far from…

I love going to the movies. But there is one genre that I will not touch with a ten-foot pole. I will not see horror movies, especially around Halloween. I have an active imagination that…

Boys Don’t Cry (1999) was ahead of its time, even just twenty years ago. Before transgender rights were really at the forefront of politics, director Kimberly Peirce was delving into the story of Brandon Teena —…

It has been 20 years since Three Kings (1999) (which should be called Four Kings because there are four main characters, but I digress) came out in theaters, yet it has managed to stay relevant in a time of…

It’s been 80 years since my beloved Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) was released, but its message still rings true: politics sucks. Unless, of course, James Stewart is your senator. Then everything is great! But let’s…

The Shawshank Redemption turns 25 this week. Other than the current age of its actors, the film doesn’t show its age. I had the opportunity to revisit it on the big screen for its quarter-century anniversary.…

It’s been a while since I last watched Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009), but I genuinely don’t remember it being as funny as it is. I rewatched it today thinking that I would have to…

ABC’s 1990 It miniseries was the first adaption of Stephen King’s classic novel of the same name and has since become an enduring cult classic. The miniseries put a face to the horrific Pennywise the…

White Heat (1949) rolled out of Warner Bros at an interesting time for Hollywood and its genre circus. It came long after the heyday of the studios’ rise and fall of gangster pictures in the…

Every writer or director has his or her own signature style. Quentin Tarantino’s signature films contain violence, humor, a slightly out-there narrative, and many callbacks to the films ans shows that he loved growing up.…

From its roots in the “pantomime dame” craze of the late 19th century to the modern-day antics of RuPaul’s Drag Race, drag has served as a way of subverting audiences’ expectations about gender. By performing…

Monty Python’s Life of Brian is one of the finest examples of British comedy. The movie is considered a classic. One that is enjoyed by generations old and new. Nowadays, we can view the movie’s…

I watched The Accused many years ago, at a point in my life where I was too young to really know what was going on in the film. I knew it was a movie about…

I have said it before, and I will say it again, 1989 was the year great movies were made. Romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally is such an example; wonderfully scripted and with a cast…

Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan series is a beloved franchise among book lovers and film connoisseurs alike. Ryan — a witty yet slightly bumbling CIA analyst — is a surprisingly relatable character. The action is well-paced…

Remember The Mask? Jim Carrey? Several other actors that you see and go, “Hey! It’s that guy from the ’90s!”? Well, The Mask celebrates its 25th anniversary this week, and it’s definitely time for a…

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…

On January 29th, 1956, CBS aired an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents titled “Shopping for Death,” based on a story by Ray Bradbury. In the episode, a pair of retired insurance salesmen trail a longshoreman’s…

When your young, sex is enticing, mysterious and confusing. You want to appear confident, mature and wise, but the reality is often very different than the image. This year is the twentieth anniversary of American…

I should warn you, this retrospective on the 20th anniversary of Spike Lee’s Summer of Sam is going to make me sound like a prude. Despite the risk of said label, I maintain that this movie…

I’d seen this video that parodied Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince as a teen comedy a while ago, but I didn’t realize how accurate it was until I rewatched the film this past week for its…

“In October of 1994, three student filmmakers disappeared in the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland while shooting a documentary. A year later their footage was found.” — The Blair Witch Project These are the words that mark…

Even with all the changes we’ve seen over the last twenty years, one of the few constants has been South Park and all its stupidly intelligent glory. Since 1997, we’ve had the privilege of seeing…

Among every fandom, there is bound to be disagreements as to preferred actors, characters and narratives when it comes to film adaptations. In the Janeite community (those who are fans of Jane Austen and her…

My mother and I went on a cross-country Greyhound bus trip in the summer of 1989. At the time, they had a pass you could buy that gave you a lot of freedom. We made…

I remember hearing about a potential upcoming remake of The Wild Bunch, starring Will Smith. Without a doubt, Will Smith’s involvement made the prospect even more grotesque. Remember, this is the same guy who asked…

After 30 years, what makes Batman (1989) truly unique within the franchise? Despite the movie’s title, this isn’t a Batman movie. A pretty bold claim, I know. I’ll admit that it had been about a…

Hakuna Matata: words that have stuck with us for the past 25 years. The phrase may translate as literally meaning “no problem”, but most of us just remember it as being the catchphrase of Timon…

It seems like every day a random movie is celebrating a random anniversary. As nice as it is to be reminded of Jet Li’s The One, there is no need to acknowledge its 17-year anniversary.…

I’ve always described Moon as being a bit of a hidden gem. There’s a sweet simplicity to it, and as far as sci-fi movies go it’s relatively down to Earth (which somewhat contradicts the movie’s…

Sam Raimi should stick to franchise work. It pains me to say that about a filmmaker as imaginative and influential as Raimi. But the truth is that the director’s best work — indeed, his most…

There’s a scene in Dead Poets Society (1989) where English teacher John Keating (Robin Williams) has his students walk around a courtyard to demonstrate a lesson in conformity. If you put some people in a line…

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…