Spike Lee’s “Malcolm X” isn’t just a movie – it’s a movement captured on film, a three-hour-plus journey through one of the most complex and transformative figures in American history. And let me tell you, if you think you know Malcolm X’s story from your history books, this film will make you think again. The…
Fargo (1996): You Betcha It’s a Masterpiece Oh jeez, where do we start with “Fargo”? Ya know, the Coen Brothers could’ve just made a straightforward crime thriller about a kidnapping scheme gone wrong in Minnesota. Instead, they gave us a quirky masterpiece that’s basically what would happen if you dropped film noir into a wood…
Picture this: A former slave becomes one of history’s most influential philosophers, writes nothing down himself, and yet his wisdom survives two millennia to become a self-help sensation among Silicon Valley CEOs and Reddit stoics. That’s Epictetus for you, and “The Manual” is his greatest hits album. This pocket-sized guide to living well is essentially…
If you’ve ever wondered what the opposite of a feel-good war movie looks like, Oliver Stone’s “Platoon” is your answer. This isn’t your grandfather’s World War II glory story – this is Vietnam in all its mud-soaked, morally ambiguous, soul-crushing reality. Our guide through this green inferno is Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen, back when that…
Ever wonder what happens when you take a bunch of cocky test pilots, stuff them into experimental aircraft, and tell them to push the limits of human possibility? Well, “The Right Stuff” has your answer, and spoiler alert: it involves a lot of sonic booms and even more swagger. Based on Tom Wolfe’s bestselling book,…
When Revenge is Best Served with Style Need to get revenge on a murderous crime boss? Try elaborate confidence games and ragtime music! At least that’s the approach Johnny Hooker (Robert Redford) takes after his partner gets killed by enforcer Loretta Numbers for scamming a numbers runner connected to crime boss Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw).…
Amadeus: When God’s Favorite Composer Was His Least Favorite Human Meet Antonio Salieri, a man who had the misfortune of being a pretty good composer in the same era as a certifiable genius. It’s like being a decent amateur juggler who has to follow someone juggling chainsaws while riding a unicycle. Blindfolded. The film opens…
When Drug Busting Meets Defensive Driving 101 Ever wonder what would happen if you gave the world’s angriest cop a badge, a car, and an obsession with French drug dealers? Meet Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle (Gene Hackman), a New York detective whose approach to police work makes Bull Connor look like Officer Friendly. Doyle and his…
The Longest Game of Criminal Musical Chairs Ever Filmed Looking for a nice, straightforward gangster movie? Maybe try Goodfellas. Sergio Leone’s final film is what happens when you take a crime epic, throw it in a blender with a pocket watch, and hit the “timeline confetti” button. It’s nearly four hours of past, present, and…
In the narrow alleyways of Naples’ Quartieri Spagnoli, pizza fritta emerged during World War II as necessity transformed crisis into culinary innovation. When Allied bombing damaged many wood-fired ovens and ingredients became scarce, Neapolitan pizzaioli turned to a different cooking method – deep frying. What began as a wartime adaptation became a cherished street food…