Awards & Nominations
NA
 

Synopsis (Warning: Spoilers!)

Links
 

(Click to Visit)
 

(Click to Visit)
 
Wikipedia: Go to Wiki
Rotten Tomatoes: Go to RT

 

Coming soon…
 

 
Production Company(ies)
Columbia Pictures, Columbia Pictures, Bill, Phillips
 
Distributor
Columbia Pictures
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Old Town Hall, Staines, Surrey, England, UK
 
MPAA / Certificate
PG
 
Year of Release
1983
 

 
Genre(s)
Biography
 
Keyword(s)
starring Ben Kingsley, Candice Bergen, Edward Fox, John Gielgud, Trevor Howard, John Mills, directed by Richard Attenborough, written by John Briley, biography, nonviolent resistance, British rule, India, Lord Irwin, Viceroy, Judge Broomfield, Margaret Bourke-White, Gen Dyer, Lord Chelmsford, Viceroy, PG, Columbia Pictures, Dolby, Stereo, Surround, 35mm, Scope (2.35:1), box office performance, budget, reviewed by Andrew Robinson, Michael Blowen, Gary Arnold, Kathleen Carroll, Richard Schickel, Variety Staff, Mark Jackson, Mike Massie, Molly Haskell, Lawrence O’Toole, Susan Shapiro, Rick Chatenever, MPAA rating, produced by Richard Attenborough
 

Cast & Crew

Ben Kingsley

Candice Bergen

Edward Fox

John Gielgud

Trevor Howard

Mohandas K. Gandhi

Margaret Bourke-White

Gen. Dyer

Lord Irwin

Viceroy

Ben Kingsley – Mohandas K. Gandhi
Candice Bergen – Margaret Bourke-White
Edward Fox – Gen. Dyer
John Gielgud – Lord Irwin, Viceroy
Trevor Howard – Judge Broomfield
John Mills – Lord Chelmsford, Viceroy

 

Richard Attenborough

John Briley

NA

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Richard Attenborough
 
Writer(s)
John Briley
 
Producer(s)
NA

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Won 8 Oscars
35 wins & 21 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Best Achievement in Art Direction Winners, Oscar Best Achievement in Cinematography Winners, Oscar Best Achievement in Costume Design Winners, Oscar Best Achievement in Directing Winners, Oscar Best Achievement in Editing Winners, Oscar Best Picture Winners, Oscar Best Writing Winners, Oscar Nominees, Oscar Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen Winners, Oscar Winners
 

Top Reviews

Andrew Robinson

Michael Blowen

Gary Arnold

Kathleen Carroll

Richard Schickel

Sight & Sound

Boston Globe

Washington Post

New York Daily News

TIME Magazine

GANDHI
  All Critics (62) | Top Critics (16) | Fresh (53) | Rotten (9)
  The film is triumphantly not a deification, but it is necessarily a simplification, and suffers from some of those disadvantages… But the embattled spirit of respect for human dignity and the need for mutual tolerance flow clearly through the film.
 
  March 16, 2020
 
  Andrew Robinson
  Sight & Sound
  TOP CRITIC
  Although Gandhi may lack the depth of a more academic approach, it is an old-fashioned, inspirational ode to a man who dared to challenge military power with self-restraint and political cunning.
 
  April 26, 2018
 
  Michael Blowen
  Boston Globe
  TOP CRITIC
  Grievously doting and squeamishly evasive.
 
  May 6, 2017
 
  Gary Arnold
  Washington Post
  TOP CRITIC
  They simply do not build movies like this any more, which is a pity.
 
  February 17, 2015
 
  Kathleen Carroll
  New York Daily News
  TOP CRITIC
  In playing Gandhi, an actor must be less concerned with physical verisimilitude than with spiritual presence, and here Kingsley is nothing short of astonishing.
 
  February 24, 2010
 
  Richard Schickel
  TIME Magazine
  TOP CRITIC
  Once in a long while a motion picture so eloquently expressive and technically exquisite comes along that one is tempted to hail it as being near perfect.
 
  January 29, 2008
 
  Variety Staff
  Variety
  TOP CRITIC
  “Gandhi” underlines the importance of nonviolent demonstration, especially in 2020 when America has been infiltrated by communist influences turning America’s masses into “useful idiots” by encouraging terrorism as the means to express desire for change.
 
  November 10, 2020 | Rating: 4.5
 
  Mark Jackson
  Epoch Times
  Kingsley’s performance is central to the film’s triumph – perhaps surpassing the rest of the technical and artistic values.
 
  September 6, 2020 | Rating: 7/10
 
  Mike Massie
  Gone With The Twins
  This is a film that provokes healthy doubt even as it pays stirring obeisance to sainthood.
 
  February 27, 2020
 
  Molly Haskell
  Vogue
  As a whole, Gandhi is never less than intelligent in dealing with the events and facts with which it chooses to deal, and there is never a boring moment.
 
  February 6, 2020
 
  Lawrence O’Toole
  Maclean’s Magazine
  Although he may look like the real thing, Ben Kingsley begins to sound like a computer reading fortune cookies.
 
  August 20, 2019
 
  Susan Shapiro
  Sojourner
  Few people will leave the theater unaffected, or unchanged.
 
  February 5, 2019
 
  Rick Chatenever
  Santa Cruz Sentinel…

 

Plot
In 1893, Mohandas K. Gandhi is thrown off a South African train for being an Indian and traveling in a first class compartment. Gandhi realizes that the laws are biased against Indians and decides to start a non-violent protest campaign for the rights of all Indians in South Africa. After numerous arrests and the unwanted attention of the world, the government finally relents by recognizing rights for Indians, though not for the native blacks of South Africa. After this victory, Gandhi is invited back to India, where he is now considered something of a national hero. He is urged to take up the fight for India’s independence from the British Empire. Gandhi agrees, and mounts a non-violent non-cooperation campaign of unprecedented scale, coordinating millions of Indians nationwide. There are some setbacks, such as violence against the protesters and Gandhi’s occasional imprisonment. Nevertheless, the campaign generates great attention, and Britain faces intense public pressure. Too weak from World War II to continue enforcing its will in India, Britain finally grants India’s independence. Indians celebrate this victory, but their troubles are far from over. Religious tensions between Hindus and Muslims erupt into nation-wide violence. Gandhi declares a hunger strike, saying he will not eat until the fighting stops. The fighting does stop eventually, but the country is divided. It is decided that the northwest area of India, and eastern part of India (current day Bangladesh), both places where Muslims are in the majority, will become a new country called Pakistan (West and East Pakistan respectively). It is hoped that by encouraging the Muslims to live in a separate country, violence will abate. Gandhi is opposed to the idea, and is even willing to allow Muhammad Ali Jinnah to become the first prime minister of India, but the Partition of India is carried out nevertheless. Gandhi spends his last days trying to bring about peace between both nations. He thereby angers many dissidents on both sides, one of whom finally gets close enough to assassinate him.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Ben Kingsley’s performance as Mohandas K. Gandhi is “nothing short of astonishing,” according to critic Richard Schickel.
 

 
Richard-Attenborough.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Channel Four Films, Ci By 2000 Thin Man Films,
 
Distributor
Columbia Tristar, Criterion Collection, RCA/Columbia, Columbia Pictures, Columbia TriStar Home Video
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Hurley, New York, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
PG
 
Year of Release
1982
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy/Lgbtq+
 
Keyword(s)
starring Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Teri Garr, Dabney Coleman, Charles Durning, Bill Murray, directed by Sydney Pollack, written by Larry Gelbart, Barry Levinson, Elaine May, Murray Schisgal, comedy, LGBTQ+, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Bob Thomas, Tasha Robinson, James Berardinelli, Richard Schickel, Dave Kehr, Mike Massie, Molly Haskell, Tim Dirks, Diego Galán, Robert Hatch, Christopher Machell, PG rating, produced by Sydney Pollack, Ronald L Schwary, Columbia Tristar, Criterion Collection, RCA/Columbia, Columbia Pictures, Columbia TriStar Home Video, mono, stereo, 35mm, Scope (2.35:1), Michael Dorsey, Dorothy Michaels, Julie Nichols, Sandy Lester, Ron Carlisle, Les Nichols, Jeff Slater, New York, soap opera, audition, gender-bending, feminism, romance, complications
 

Cast & Crew

Dustin Hoffman

Michael Dorsey

Dorothy Michaels

Jessica Lange

Julie Nichols

Michael Dorsey

Dorothy Michaels

Julie Nichols

Sandy Lester

Ron Carlisle

Dustin Hoffman – Michael Dorsey, Dorothy Michaels
Jessica Lange – Julie Nichols
Teri Garr – Sandy Lester
Dabney Coleman – Ron Carlisle
Charles Durning – Les Nichols
Bill Murray – Jeff Slater
Sydney Pollack – Director, Producer
Ronald L. Schwary – Producer
Larry Gelbart – Writer
Barry Levinson – Writer
Elaine May – Writer
Murray Schisgal – Writer

 

Sydney Pollack

Larry Gelbart

Sydney Pollack

Ronald L. Schwary

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Sydney Pollack
 
Writer(s)
Larry Gelbart, Barry Levinson, Elaine May, Murray Schisgal
 
Producer(s)
Sydney Pollack, Ronald L. Schwary

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 Oscar
25 wins & 30 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees, Oscar Winners
 

Top Reviews

Bob Thomas

Jason Bailey

Tasha Robinson

James Berardinelli

Richard Schickel

Associated Press

Flavorwire

The Dissolve

ReelViews

TIME Magazine

TOOTSIE
 All Critics (51) | Top Critics (12) | Fresh (46) | Rotten (5)
 Both [Garr and Lange] are excellent, and Miss Lange continues her promise to become a superstar of the 1980s.
 
 November 12, 2018
 
 Bob Thomas
 Associated Press
 TOP CRITIC
 It’s a movie with a lot on its mind – while never toppling over under the weight of its good intentions.
 
 May 30, 2016
 
 Jason Bailey
 Flavorwire
 TOP CRITIC
 What makes Tootsie a smart, enduring comedy instead of a silly, momentary one is its real sympathy for women.
 
 January 12, 2015 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Tasha Robinson
 The Dissolve
 TOP CRITIC
 April 30, 2009 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 James Berardinelli
 ReelViews
 TOP CRITIC
 It is not just the best comedy of the year; it is popular art on the way to becoming cultural artifact.
 
 October 5, 2008
 
 Richard Schickel
 TIME Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 …there are several solid laughs and some excellent supporting performances.
 
 June 28, 2007
 
 Dave Kehr
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 It all comes together with some sensationally dry humor – the kind of comedy that feels natural, realistic, and spontaneous.
 
 September 8, 2020 | Rating: 8/10
 
 Mike Massie
 Gone With The Twins
 [Hoffman gives] a remarkable dual performance, as profound as it is funny.
 
 February 26, 2020
 
 Molly Haskell
 Vogue
 Tootsie (1982) is an engaging, original, hilarious gender-comedy story of an unemployed actor Michael Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman) whose disguises as a feminist named “Dorothy” fooled his/her co-actors and helped him get a job and become a female star
 
 September 29, 2019 | Rating: A+
 
 Tim Dirks
 Filmsite
 Tootsie is a brilliant and intelligent movie that can interest the public because of its originality. [Full Review in Spanish]
 
 August 28, 2019
 
 Diego Galán
 El Pais (Spain)
 Shadow-boxing his way downtown, Dorsey suddenly yells, “I’m a great character actor; I can play anybody!” In Tootsie, Hoffman proves that he just about can.
 
 January 30, 2018
 
 Robert Hatch
 The Nation
 Tootsie’s finely balanced writing is one of the film’s greatest strengths, being consistently funny without ever turning the central premise into a gag.
 
 April 18, 2016 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Christopher Machell
 CineVue…

 

Plot
Michael Dorsey is an unemployed actor with an impossible reputation. In order to find work and fund his friend’s play he dresses as a woman, Dorothy Michaels, and lands the part in a daytime drama. Dorsey loses himself in this woman role and essentially becomes Dorothy Michaels, captivating women all around the city and inspiring them to break free from the control of men and become more like Dorsey’s initial identity. This newfound role, however, lands Dorsey in a hot spot between a female friend/’lover,’ a female co-star he falls in love with, that co-star’s father who falls in love with him, and a male co-star who yearns for his affection.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny or odd comment about the film Tootsie on Fresh Kernels.
 

 
Sydney-Pollack.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Columbia Pictures, Marvel Entertainment
 
Distributor
Criterion Collection, Universal Pictures
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
6 Wellington Street West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
 
MPAA / Certificate
R
 
Year of Release
1983
 

 
Genre(s)
Horror
 
Keyword(s)
starring James Woods, Deborah Harry, Sonja Smits, Peter Dvorsky, Leslie Carlson, Jack Creley, directed by David Cronenberg, written by David Cronenberg, horror, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Gary Arnold, Variety Staff, Dave Kehr, Chris Peachment, Janet Maslin, Michael Thomson, Brian Eggert, David Nusair, Sergio Benítez, Asher Luberto, C.H Newell, Sean Fennessey, produced by Claude Héroux, R rating, technology, entertainment, politics, trashy TV channel, new programming, viewers, Videodrome, TV show, gratuitous torture, punishment, potential hit, girlfriend, audition, truth, graphic violence, fake, president, audience, visual effects, deep-web, YouTube, screen addiction, media, brain tumors, explicit/graphic entertainment
 

Cast & Crew

James Woods

Deborah Harry

Sonja Smits

Peter Dvorsky

Leslie Carlson

Max Renn

Nicki Brand

Bianca O’Blivion

Harlan

Barry Convex

James Woods – Max Renn
Deborah Harry – Nicki Brand
Sonja Smits – Bianca O’Blivion
Peter Dvorsky – Harlan
Leslie Carlson – Barry Convex
Jack Creley – Brian O’Blivion

 

David Cronenberg

David Cronenberg

Claude Héroux

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
David Cronenberg
 
Writer(s)
David Cronenberg
 
Producer(s)
Claude Héroux

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
3 wins & 7 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Gary Arnold

Variety Staff

Dave Kehr

Chris Peachment

Janet Maslin

Washington Post

Variety

Chicago Reader

Time Out

New York Times

VIDEODROME
 All Critics (52) | Top Critics (6) | Fresh (41) | Rotten (11)
 Simultaneously stupefying and boring, Videodrome is too extreme a blunder to survive exposure to a justifiably disillusioned horror-movie public.
 
 August 4, 2015
 
 Gary Arnold
 Washington Post
 TOP CRITIC
 Film is dotted with video jargon and ideology which proves more fascinating than distancing. And Cronenberg amplifies the freaky situation with a series of stunning visual effects.
 
 June 6, 2007
 
 Variety Staff
 Variety
 TOP CRITIC
 Never coherent and frequently pretentious, the film remains an audacious attempt to place obsessive personal images before a popular audience — a kind of Kenneth Anger version of Star Wars.
 
 June 6, 2007
 
 Dave Kehr
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 There are distinct signs of strain in the plot convolutions, not least in the spectator’s loss of faith over indiscriminate and cheating use of hallucination; what certainly survives is Cronenberg’s wholesale disgust with the world in general.
 
 January 26, 2006
 
 Chris Peachment
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 Though Videodrome finally grows grotesque and a little confused, it begins very well and sustains its cleverness for a long while.
 
 August 30, 2004 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 Janet Maslin
 New York Times
 TOP CRITIC
 On a line starting with quality and ending with incompetence.
 
 April 17, 2001 | Rating: 2/5
 
 Michael Thomson
 BBC.com
 TOP CRITIC
 Films like this rouse powerful reactions to their extreme metaphors and violent imagery; but then, there has never been a film quite like this one.
 
 March 18, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
 
 Brian Eggert
 Deep Focus Review
 …a decidedly oddball premise that’s employed to initially intriguing yet ultimately interminable effect…
 
 December 18, 2020 | Rating: 2/4
 
 David Nusair
 Reel Film Reviews
 Everything in ‘Videodrome’ calls for the viewer seduced by the film’s proposal to irretrievably surrender to its overwhelming visual personality. [Full Review in Spanish]
 
 April 24, 2020
 
 Sergio Benítez
 Espinof
 “Videodrome” is a radical look at the deep-web, YouTube, screen addiction and the increasingly violent state of movies at a time when such subjects weren’t up for cultural debate.
 
 June 11, 2019
 
 Asher Luberto
 culturevulture.net
 Videodrome shows us a world of our making should we continue a dangerous relationship with media, its various mediums, the images it puts into our brains.
 
 May 6, 2019 | Rating: 5/5
 
 C.H. Newell
 Father Son Holy Gore
 It’s hard to overstate how premonitory David Cronenberg’s masterpiece turned out to be.
 
 March 4, 2019
 
 Sean Fennessey
 The Ringer…

 

Plot
Max Renn is the President of Channel 83 Civic-TV, a small television station on the UHF dial. He defends his programming of largely X-rated shows – which depict graphic sex and extreme violence – as a pure matter of economic survival as a small station. Behind closed doors in specific company, he would admit that he enjoys such programming, but as President will stay away from associated activities that may be dangerous for him in its purchase. His current girlfriend, radio personality Nicki Brand, who he met on a television talk show, is sexually aroused by light mutilation on her person, that despite or because her radio show is like an open air crisis hotline. On that same talk show, the other guest via video feed was Professor Brian O’Blivion – solely his stage name – who believes that television and video broadcasts will one day overtake the world as reality, which may make Max’s programming in combination more dangerous. In Max’s search for the next big thing in like programming already on Channel 83, Harlan, his pirater who scans satellite signals, illegally obtains a satellite feed of something called Videodrome, which depicts continual sexualized torture and murder with no storyline of which to speak. The background behind Videodrome is unknown, but believing it is that big thing for which he is looking, Max is determined to find the producers so that he can purchase it for his station. He is concerned for Nicki if she goes ahead against his warnings in wanting to appear on Videodrome, however it does not lessen his desire to purchase it. If Max in turn does not heed the warning of Masha, one of his long time show suppliers, based on what little she discovers about it, Max may discover that Videodrome is just the next but destructive step in O’Blivion’s prognostication.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels praises James Woods’ strong performance in Videodrome.
 

 
David-Cronenberg.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)

 
Distributor
Image Entertainment Inc.,
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Marshall, Michigan, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated NC-17 for substantial graphic horror violence and gore
 
Year of Release
1983
 

 
Genre(s)
Horror
 
Keyword(s)

Cast & Crew

Bruce Campbell

Ellen Sandweiss

Betsy Baker

Richard DeManincor

Theresa Tilly

Ashly ‘Ash’ J. Williams

Cheryl

Linda

Scotty

Shelly

Bruce Campbell – Ashly ‘Ash’ J. Williams
Ellen Sandweiss – Cheryl
Betsy Baker – Linda
Richard DeManincor – Scotty
Theresa Tilly – Shelly
Sam Raimi – Director

 

Sam Raimi

Sam Raimi

Rob Tapert

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Sam Raimi
 
Writer(s)
Sam Raimi
 
Producer(s)
Rob Tapert

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
3 wins & 1 nomination
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Chris Stuckmann

Steve Rose

Nick Schager

Pat Graham

Variety Staff

ChrisStuckmann.com

Guardian

Lessons of Darkness

Chicago Reader

Variety

THE EVIL DEAD
 All Critics (62) | Top Critics (12) | Fresh (59) | Rotten (3)
 The sheer passion, the ingenuity of them wanting to make this movie…a classic.
 
 October 26, 2018 | Rating: A
 
 Chris Stuckmann
 ChrisStuckmann.com
 TOP CRITIC
 Has the energy of a fresh new film-maker really going for it.
 
 October 26, 2018 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Steve Rose
 Guardian
 TOP CRITIC
 No serious subtext to be found here, just vigorous love and respect for the simultaneous horror and humor inherent to the genre.
 
 March 25, 2010 | Rating: A-
 
 Nick Schager
 Lessons of Darkness
 TOP CRITIC
 Sam Raimi directed this 1983 horror feature fresh out of film school, and his anything-for-an-effect enthusiasm pays off in lots of formally inventive bits.
 
 September 24, 2007
 
 Pat Graham
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 While injecting considerable black humor, neophyte Detroit-based writer-director Sam Raimi maintains suspense and a nightmarish mood in between the showy outbursts of special effects gore and graphic violence which are staples of modern horror pictures.
 
 September 24, 2007
 
 Variety Staff
 Variety
 TOP CRITIC
 Short on characterisation and plot but strong on atmospheric horror and visual churns.
 
 January 26, 2006
 
 Steve Grant
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 It’s low-budget filmmaking at its best because it utilizes the limited locale, the embracing of camp and the fearlessness that goes into giving in to every, gory, strange, impulse.
 
 November 12, 2021
 
 Kristy Strouse
 Wonderfully Weird and Horrifying
 The Evil Dead expertly skews the line between horror and camp, thrumming with terrifying kills and quippy one-liners in equal measure.
 
 October 20, 2021
 
 Toussaint Egan
 Polygon
 [Raimi] and Philo were forced to improvise any number of rigs and off-the-cuff techniques to make a small movie seem big, and they succeeded with gory gusto.
 
 October 8, 2020
 
 Andrew Bloom
 The Spool
 For all the elements that don’t work, there are more that do.
 
 September 6, 2020 | Rating: 8/10
 
 Mike Massie
 Gone With The Twins
 Even though the beginning of the movie repeats the vulgar premise of the abandoned house visited by some naive young people, the truth is that uneasiness immediately takes over viewers. [Full Review in Spanish]
 
 September 25, 2019
 
 Diego Galán
 El Pais (Spain)
 It all started in that ramshackle cabin with a little horror movie that endures over 35 years later. That’s pretty groovy.
 
 October 29, 2018 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Sean Mulvihill
 FanboyNation.com…

 

Plot
Five college students take time off to spend a peaceful vacation in a remote cabin. A book and audio tape is discovered, and its evil is found to be powerful once the incantations are read out loud. The friends find themselves helpless to stop the evil as it takes them one by one, with only one survivor left with the evil dead and desperately tries to fight to live until morning.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
NA
 

 
Sam-Raimi.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Road Movies Filmproduktion, Argos Films, Westdeutscher Rundfunk
 
Distributor
NA
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
Hope, British Columbia, Canada
 
MPAA / Certificate
R
 
Year of Release
1982
 

 
Genre(s)
Action/Adventure
 
Keyword(s)
starring Sylvester Stallone, Brian Dennehy, Richard Crenna, David Caruso, Jack Starrett, Michael Talbot, Buzz Feitshans, Herb Nanas, directed by Ted Kotcheff, written by Michael Kozoll, William Sackheim, Sylvester Stallone, David Morrell, action, adventure, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Kevin Maher, Peter Bradshaw, Michael Sragow, Stanley Kauffmann, James Berardinelli, Keith Uhlich, Mike Massie, Richard Freedman, Matt Brunson, Sean Chandler, Diego Galán, producer Buzz Feitshans, Herb Nanas, R rating, Vietnam veteran, survival adventure, intolerance, brutality, prisoner of war, manhunt, hunters, hunted, Rambo
 

Cast & Crew

Sylvester Stallone

Richard Crenna

Brian Dennehy

David Caruso

Jack Starrett

Rambo

Trautman

Teasle

Mitch

Galt

Sylvester Stallone – Rambo
Richard Crenna – Trautman
Brian Dennehy – Teasle
David Caruso – Mitch
Jack Starrett – Galt
Michael Talbot – Balford
Buzz Feitshans – Producer
Herb Nanas – Producer
Ted Kotcheff – Director
Michael Kozoll – Writer
William Sackheim – Writer
Sylvester Stallone – Writer
David Morrell – Writer

 

Ted Kotcheff

Michael Kozoll

Buzz Feitshans

Herb Nanas

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Ted Kotcheff
 
Writer(s)
Michael Kozoll, William Sackheim, Sylvester Stallone, David Morrell
 
Producer(s)
Buzz Feitshans, Herb Nanas

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 2 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Kevin Maher

Peter Bradshaw

Michael Sragow

Stanley Kauffmann

James Berardinelli

Times

Guardian

Rolling Stone

The New Republic

ReelViews

FIRST BLOOD
 All Critics (49) | Top Critics (12) | Fresh (42) | Rotten (7)
 Stallone brought intense physicality, obviously, but also hangdog vulnerability to a character who takes revenge on a cruel, unfeeling establishment and utters some of the most iconic lines in shoot’em’up history.
 
 June 24, 2022 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Kevin Maher
 Times (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 Watchable if entirely preposterous…
 
 June 23, 2022 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Peter Bradshaw
 Guardian
 TOP CRITIC
 An ambitious, bloody, talented but pulpy mess.
 
 June 21, 2022
 
 Michael Sragow
 Rolling Stone
 TOP CRITIC
 There’s another appeal in Rambo. Simplicity. Successful action justifies all.
 
 January 8, 2018
 
 Stanley Kauffmann
 The New Republic
 TOP CRITIC
 The darker tone, somber subtext, and generally non-exploitative violence allow viewers to enjoy the film not only as an action/thriller but as something with a degree of intelligence and substance.
 
 April 30, 2009 | Rating: 3/4
 
 James Berardinelli
 ReelViews
 TOP CRITIC
 The entryway to the disturbed psychological headspace of a single man, one bent evermore on survival, instinct trumping all.
 
 June 14, 2008
 
 Keith Uhlich
 UGO
 TOP CRITIC
 Pushed-to-the-edge survivalist John Rambo raised the bar significantly for action heroes.
 
 September 6, 2020 | Rating: 9/10
 
 Mike Massie
 Gone With The Twins
 Considerably “less thoughtful than, say, Coming Home on a similar subject, First Blood so revels In sadism that Its high-minded pretenses are quickly washed away in blood — first, last and always.
 
 May 12, 2020 | Rating: 2/4
 
 Richard Freedman
 Newhouse News Service
 The first and best of the franchise.
 
 September 22, 2019 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Matt Brunson
 Film Frenzy
 While the sequels may have tarnished it’s reputation, Rambo’s original adventure is a great action-thriller and character study.
 
 September 17, 2019 | Rating: A-
 
 Sean Chandler
 Sean Chandler Talks About
 The movie makes the protagonist into a new hero, which is why he doesn’t die, although in the excellent original novel his defeat was precisely the message. [Full Review in Spanish]
 
 August 27, 2019
 
 Diego Galán
 El Pais (Spain)
 There’s no trace of the Rambo that would become the symbol of American militaristic excess of the ’80s in First Blood.
 
 November 19, 2018 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Sean Mulvihill
 FanboyNation.com…

 

Plot
John J. Rambo is a former United States Special Forces soldier who fought in Vietnam and won the Congressional Medal of Honor, but his time in Vietnam still haunts him. As he came to Hope, Washington to visit a friend, he was guided out of town by the Sheriff William Teasel who insults Rambo, but what Teasel does not know that his insult angered Rambo to the point where Rambo became violent and was arrested. As he was at the county jail being cleaned, he escapes and goes on a rampage through the forest to try to escape from the sheriffs who want to kill him. Then, as Rambo’s commanding officer, Colonel Samuel Trautman tries to save both the Sheriff’s department and Rambo before the situation gets out of hand.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny or odd comment about the film First Blood on Fresh Kernels.
 

 
Ted-Kotcheff.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Hollywood Pictures,
 
Distributor
MCA/Universal Pictures [us], MCA, MCA/Universal Home Video
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
24124 Welby Way, Canoga Park, Los Angeles, California, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
R
 
Year of Release
1982
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy
 
Keyword(s)
starring Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Phoebe Cates, Brian Backer, Robert Romanus, Ray Walston, directed by Amy Heckerling, written by Cameron Crowe, comedy, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Ernest Leogrande, Richard Corliss, James Berardinelli, Variety Staff, Jonathan Rosenbaum, Nell Minow, David Harris, F.X Feeney, David Nusair, Matt Brunson, Rob Aldam, Mike Massie, R rating, Art Linson, Irving Azoff, MCA/Universal Pictures, MCA, MCA/Universal Home Video, high school, teenage life, love triangle, surfing, stoned, strict teacher, small details, school, work, American Graffiti, teen stories, teen audiences, sex, relationship, school issues, charisma of cast, iconic ’80s teen sex comedy, stellar cast, Cameron Crowe’s script, struggles of teenagers, Fast Times at Ridgemont High
 

Cast & Crew

Sean Penn

Jennifer Jason Leigh

Judge Reinhold

Robert Romanus

Brian Backer

Jeff Spicoli

Stacy Hamilton

Brad Hamilton

Mike Damone

Mark “Rat” Ratner

Sean Penn – Jeff Spicoli
Jennifer Jason Leigh – Stacy Hamilton
Judge Reinhold – Brad Hamilton
Robert Romanus – Mike Damone
Brian Backer – Mark “Rat” Ratner
Phoebe Cates – Linda Barrett
Director – Amy Heckerling
Producer – Art Linson, Irving Azoff
Writer – Cameron Crowe

 

Amy Heckerling

Cameron Crowe

Art Linson

Irving Azoff

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Amy Heckerling
 
Writer(s)
Cameron Crowe
 
Producer(s)
Art Linson, Irving Azoff

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
2 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Ernest Leogrande

Richard Corliss

James Berardinelli

Variety Staff

Jonathan Rosenbaum

New York Daily News

TIME Magazine

ReelViews

Variety

Chicago Reader

FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH
 All Critics (55) | Top Critics (11) | Fresh (43) | Rotten (12)
 What it doesn’t have is a clear point of view, something that would make it of more interest than leafing through a high school yearbook.
 
 August 12, 2015 | Rating: 2/4
 
 Ernest Leogrande
 New York Daily News
 TOP CRITIC
 Director Amy Heckerling has failed to provide the raunch or poignancy that would interest young moviegoers, all of whom have seen American Graffiti and its 467 imitators. Ridgemont High? A nice place to visit, but who would want to transfer there?
 
 March 13, 2009
 
 Richard Corliss
 TIME Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 Fast Times will always be remembered for one thing: showing respect for and insight into the members of its core audience, something that was as rare in the 1980s as it is today.
 
 June 10, 2008 | Rating: 3/4
 
 James Berardinelli
 ReelViews
 TOP CRITIC
 The nice thing is that Crowe and director Amy Heckerling have provided something pleasant to observe in all of these characters though they really are sadly lacking in anything gripping.
 
 July 18, 2007
 
 Variety Staff
 Variety
 TOP CRITIC
 Was never all it was cracked up to be.
 
 July 18, 2007
 
 Jonathan Rosenbaum
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 February 25, 2005 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Nell Minow
 Movie Mom
 TOP CRITIC
 Fast Times at Ridgemont High broke down the barriers for Hollywood to tell teen stories to teen audiences.
 
 February 8, 2022
 
 David Harris
 Spectrum Culture
 Here is a portrait of modern high school life that speaks lightly but truly to the fears and trials of post-Watergate teens.
 
 November 10, 2021
 
 F.X. Feeney
 L.A. Weekly
 …an erratic yet ultimately rewarding endeavor that deserves a place among Hollywood’s very best high-school movies.
 
 October 17, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 David Nusair
 Reel Film Reviews
 The comedy quotient just doesn’t cut it – in fact, it’s odd that this is always considered a comedy when it’s the dramatic material that resonates more strongly.
 
 May 14, 2021 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 Matt Brunson
 Film Frenzy
 In many ways, Fast Times at Ridgemont High defined a generation of young Americans, excited about the future and what life may hold for them.
 
 May 13, 2021
 
 Rob Aldam
 Backseat Mafia
 With a hint of fantasy and a touch of romance, this small but memorable comedy proves immensely satisfying.
 
 March 24, 2021 | Rating: 9/10
 
 Mike Massie
 Gone With The Twins…

 

Plot
Follows a group of high school students growing up in southern California, based on the real-life adventures chronicled by Cameron Crowe. Stacy Hamilton and Mark Ratner are looking for a love interest, and are helped along by their older classmates, Linda Barrett and Mike Damone, respectively. The center of the film is held by Jeff Spicoli, a perpetually stoned surfer dude who faces off with the resolute Mr. Hand, who is convinced that everyone is on dope.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels notes that Fast Times at Ridgemont High features Sean Penn’s “legendary performance” as Jeff Spicoli.
 

 
Amy-Heckerling.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Kennedy Miller Productions,
 
Distributor
Criterion Collection
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Mundi Mundi Plains Lookout, Silverton, New South Wales, Australia
 
MPAA / Certificate
R
 
Year of Release
1982
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Giulietta Masina, Anthony Quinn, Richard Basehart, Aldo Silvani, Marcella Rovere, Livia Venturini, directed by Federico Fellini, written by Federico Fellini, Ennio Flaiano, Tullio Pinelli, Carlo Ponti, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by New York Daily News Staff, Tara Brady, David Jenkins, Dave Kehr, Geoff Andrew, Joe Williams, Edouard de Laurot, Brian Eggert, Chris Barsanti, Matt Brunson, Scott Nye, Loren King, MPAA rating, produced by Dino De Laurentiis, circus, Italian countryside, abusive husband, naive young woman, carefree circus fool, poignant, tragic, Nino Rota’s score, Criterion Collection, 1954, 1h 55m, 98% Tomatometer, 93% audience score, Giulietta Masina and Anthony Quinn’s pitiable pair of outsiders, unforgettable parable, simple beauty, tender humanity, compassion, absorbing drama, harshness, protest, sentimental, mush, symbols, metaphors, larger-than-life performances, bizarre, inconsequential charm, fairy tale, tragedy, poignancy, delicate performance, heart and soul, captivating innocence, magical, whimsical, dark side, effective, powerful, stylistic features, early effort, Charlie Chaplin, annoying, disappointing, in your face, top horror movies, RT Podcasts, most anticipated movies, best Netflix series, renewed & cancelled TV shows 2022
 

Cast & Crew

Anthony Quinn

Giulietta Masina

Richard Basehart

Aldo Silvani

Marcella Rovere

Zampanò

Gelsomina

Il ‘Matto’-The ‘Fool’

Il Signor Giraffa-Mr Giraffe

La Vedova-The Widow

Anthony Quinn – Zampanò
Giulietta Masina – Gelsomina
Richard Basehart – Il ‘Matto’-The ‘Fool’
Aldo Silvani – Il Signor Giraffa-Mr Giraffe
Marcella Rovere – La Vedova-The Widow
Livia Venturini – La Suorina-The Sister

 

Federico Fellini

Federico Fellini

Dino De Laurentiis

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Federico Fellini
 
Writer(s)
Federico Fellini, Ennio Flaiano, Tullio Pinelli, Carlo Ponti
 
Producer(s)
Dino De Laurentiis

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
8 wins & 10 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

New York Daily News Staff

Tara Brady

David Jenkins

Dave Kehr

Geoff Andrew

New York Daily News

Irish Times

Little White Lies

Chicago Reader

Time Out

THE ROAD
  All Critics (45) | Top Critics (13) | Fresh (44) | Rotten (1)
  Simple beauty is such a rare quality in films these days, when serious filmmakers everywhere seem to be turning to harshness and protest, that the tender humanity and compassion of this absorbing drama from Italy shine all the stronger.
 
  November 17, 2021
 
  New York Daily News Staff
  New York Daily News
  TOP CRITIC
  It holds its own, more than six decades on. If Giulietta Masina and Anthony Quinn’s tragic two-step doesn’t break your heart, then Nino Rota’s score will.
 
  June 6, 2017 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Tara Brady
  Irish Times
  TOP CRITIC
  Undeniably powerful, but also very sentimental at times.
 
  May 19, 2017 | Rating: 4/5
 
  David Jenkins
  Little White Lies
  TOP CRITIC
  Early mush from the master, Federico Fellini.
 
  April 27, 2009
 
  Dave Kehr
  Chicago Reader
  TOP CRITIC
  Symbols, metaphors, and larger-than-life performances hold sway, and moments of bizarre if inconsequential charm abound.
 
  February 9, 2006
 
  Geoff Andrew
  Time Out
  TOP CRITIC
  July 7, 2005 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Joe Williams
  St. Louis Post-Dispatch
  TOP CRITIC
  Fellini has given the screen a poem of bitter and tender beauty.
 
  June 7, 2022
 
  Edouard de Laurot
  Film Culture
  Though La strada may be a painful reflection of Fellini’s life, it remains an enigmatic fairy tale whose interpretation is so specific to its author that one cannot help but project meaning onto it.
 
  February 14, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
 
  Brian Eggert
  Deep Focus Review
  Fellini’s fable about an innocent clown roaming postwar Italy with an abusive strongman has the romance of his later epics but a more potent sense of tragedy.
 
  January 13, 2022 | Rating: 8/10
 
  Chris Barsanti
  PopMatters
  Its poignancy is accentuated by Masina’s delicate performance and Nino Rota’s exquisite score.
 
  November 21, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
  Matt Brunson
  Film Frenzy
  Art helps to magnify our emotions, to draw them out on a grand scale and craft a drama to fit the size they hold within us. And then, it becomes a little bit easier to identify with Zampanò, and to see the beauty of this film.
 
  December 8, 2020
 
  Scott Nye
  Battleship Pretension
  The great Giulietta Masina, who was Fellini’s wife, is the heart and soul of La Strada.
 
  November 21, 2020
 
  Loren King
  Newport This Week (RI)…

 

Plot
Wandering the deserted highways of an energy-starved dystopian Australia after eradicating the Night Rider’s followers in Mad Max (1979), the former patrolman, Max Rockatansky, finds himself roaming the endless wasteland scavenging for food and precious petrol. Suddenly, in the scorched wilderness, the hungry for fuel Max chances upon a small oil refinery; however, the place is under siege by Lord Humungus’ barbarian horde of biker warlords, hell-bent on destruction and mayhem. Now, to get his hands on as much gas as he can carry, “Mad” Max will have to provide the defenceless community with a powerful truck to transport the gasoline to safety; nevertheless, this is easier said than done. Is Max, the battle-scarred Road Warrior, up to the task?
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Giulietta Masina, who plays the naive young woman Gelsomina, was actually Federico Fellini’s wife in real life.
 

 
Federico-Fellini.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
C J Entertainment, Barunson E& A
 
Distributor
NA
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
Mundi Mundi Plains Lookout, Silverton, New South Wales, Australia
 
MPAA / Certificate
R
 
Year of Release
1982
 

 
Genre(s)
Action/Adventure
 
Keyword(s)
starring Mel Gibson, Bruce Spence, Emil Minty, Vernon Wells, Michael Preston, Kjell Nilsson, directed by George Miller, written by Terry Hayes, George Miller, Brian Hannant, action, adventure, post-apocalyptic, revenge, nomadic tribes, oil, marauders, Pappagallo, Humungus, R rating, Byron Kennedy, budget, box office performance, reviewed by Richard Corliss, James Berardinelli, Bob McCabe, Roger Ebert, Variety Staff, Dave Kehr, Brian Eggert, Judy Stone, Eddie Harrison, David Nusair, Mike Massie, Michael Lasky, critic reviews, produced by Byron Kennedy, MPAA rating, sound mix, surround
 

Cast & Crew

Mel Gibson

Bruce Spence

Emil Minty

Vernon Wells

Michael Preston

Max

The Gyro Captain

The Feral Kid

Wez

Pappagallo

Mel Gibson – Max
Bruce Spence – The Gyro Captain
Emil Minty – The Feral Kid
Vernon Wells – Wez
Michael Preston – Pappagallo
Kjell Nilsson – The Humungus

 

George Miller

Terry Hayes

Byron Kennedy

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
George Miller
 
Writer(s)
Terry Hayes, George Miller, Brian Hannant
 
Producer(s)
Byron Kennedy

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
8 wins & 10 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Richard Corliss

James Berardinelli

Bob McCabe

Roger Ebert

Variety Staff

TIME Magazine

ReelViews

Empire Magazine

Chicago Sun-Times

Variety

MAD MAX 2
  All Critics (51) | Top Critics (10) | Fresh (48) | Rotten (3)
  Exhilarating entertainment — and a textbook for sophisticated, popular moviemaking.
 
  August 25, 2008
 
  Richard Corliss
  TIME Magazine
  TOP CRITIC
  A straightforward action/adventure film, filled to the brim with over-the-top chases and stunts.
 
  June 10, 2008 | Rating: 3/4
 
  James Berardinelli
  ReelViews
  TOP CRITIC
  Gibson is suprisingly uncharismatic, but Miller makes up for it with whizz bang action.
 
  May 30, 2007 | Rating: 4/5
 
  Bob McCabe
  Empire Magazine
  TOP CRITIC
  A film of pure action, of kinetic energy organized around the barest possible bones of a plot.
 
  May 30, 2007 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
  Roger Ebert
  Chicago Sun-Times
  TOP CRITIC
  Director Miller keeps the pic moving with cyclonic force, photography by Dean Semler is first class, editing is supertight, and Brian May’s music is stirring.
 
  May 30, 2007
 
  Variety Staff
  Variety
  TOP CRITIC
  For pure rhythm and visual panache, Miller has few real competitors; the climactic chase, with its deft variation of tempo and point of view, is a minor masterpiece.
 
  May 30, 2007
 
  Dave Kehr
  Chicago Reader
  TOP CRITIC
  Miller, the storyteller, recites the entire legend of Mad Max within The Road Warrior, and it’s a vision that echoes far beyond the reach of a single film.
 
  February 14, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
 
  Brian Eggert
  Deep Focus Review
  There’s plenty at tension, some humor and a lot of polish, but, finally, it isn’t any more memorable than your last fill-up at the service station.
 
  November 11, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
 
  Judy Stone
  San Francisco Examiner
  …a classic turbo-charged tale of men and machines…
 
  September 29, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Eddie Harrison
  film-authority.com
  …heightened by a pared-down, streamlined narrative…
 
  May 15, 2021 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
  David Nusair
  Reel Film Reviews
  Brandishes a costume-heavy look that would become the archetype for end-of-the-world, barren, nuclear warfare-devastated badlands.
 
  September 6, 2020 | Rating: 9/10
 
  Mike Massie
  Gone With The Twins
  I felt less like a movie viewer and more an indentured servant.
 
  May 12, 2020
 
  Michael Lasky
  Bay Area Reporter…

 

Plot
Wandering the deserted highways of an energy-starved dystopian Australia after eradicating the Night Rider’s followers in Mad Max (1979), the former patrolman, Max Rockatansky, finds himself roaming the endless wasteland scavenging for food and precious petrol. Suddenly, in the scorched wilderness, the hungry for fuel Max chances upon a small oil refinery; however, the place is under siege by Lord Humungus’ barbarian horde of biker warlords, hell-bent on destruction and mayhem. Now, to get his hands on as much gas as he can carry, “Mad” Max will have to provide the defenceless community with a powerful truck to transport the gasoline to safety; nevertheless, this is easier said than done. Is Max, the battle-scarred Road Warrior, up to the task?
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Mel Gibson stars as Max in Mad Max 2, the post-apocalyptic action-adventure film.
 

 
George-Miller.jpg