Introducing TONY SCOTT: A FILMMAKER ON FIRE, Out This January

Tony Scott: A Filmmaker on Fire, my second book, is hitting bookshelves this January courtesy of McFarland & Co. Publishers. Paperback copies will be available first, followed closely by an eBook version. The story of Scott's life and career is an exciting and tragic tale of a fascinating man who left us too soon, and with … Continue reading Introducing TONY SCOTT: A FILMMAKER ON FIRE, Out This January

Scenes I Love: Frank’s Final Plea for Salvation in THIEF

Michael Mann's debut feature, the lean, neon-soaked noir thriller Thief, feels like the work of a seasoned pro. It's efficient but rich in detail at the same time. Mann douses his Chicago streets with water and gives us the feeling that his characters are cut off from the world. Thief also lays out a mission statement for … Continue reading Scenes I Love: Frank’s Final Plea for Salvation in THIEF

A PERFECT WORLD, and Clint Eastwood’s Broken Father Fables

Butch Haynes never wanted to be a criminal, it just sort of happened somewhere along the way. He was, like so many characters have been in Clint Eastwood films since A Perfect World, a man poisoned by the sins of his own father, condemned to pass along whatever damaged deck he was dealt. What's left, then, … Continue reading A PERFECT WORLD, and Clint Eastwood’s Broken Father Fables

On Second Thought, Gore Verbinski’s THE LONE RANGER (2013) is Good

I remember seeing The Lone Ranger in theaters, back in 2013, despite the absolute beating it had been taking in the media. And I remember not understanding exactly what people had seen, or what they had wanted; what I had just seen was a big, broad, exciting, silly action movie that somehow, in the middle … Continue reading On Second Thought, Gore Verbinski’s THE LONE RANGER (2013) is Good

Scenes I Love: The Terrifying Brilliance of the CLIFFHANGER Opening

Cliffhanger could have been just another run-of-the-mill action thriller. It could have been one of the many Die Hard ripoffs, this time from Die Hard 2 director Renny Harlin no less, another middling attempt for its star, Sylvester Stallone, to branch out from his Rocky and Rambo franchises. But Harlin's direction, and the effervescent supporting cast surrounding the typical, stoic Stallone hero made Cliffhanger an admirable … Continue reading Scenes I Love: The Terrifying Brilliance of the CLIFFHANGER Opening

CARLITO’S WAY, Brian De Palma’s Unsung Masterpiece, at 25

A look back at the greatest Brian De Palma movie nobody ever talks about.