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| FEATURED ARTICLES BY JOHN H FOOTE | ||
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| | DAWN OF THE DEAD In remaking George Romero’s classic film Dawn of the Dead (1978) there is no doubt in my mind that the filmmakers were aware that they were tampering with a classic, and that legions of fans would be watching close, ready to pounce on those who ruined the film. Romero’s blood drenched film was a superb satire on the state of America at that time in history, with a particular jab at consumerism. |
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| | HELLBOY What is surprising about Hellboy, the latest major film adapted from a successful comic book, is that it is so good. The filmmakers obviously realized for the picture to work humour was an essential part of the equation, and that is exactly what makes the film as strong as it is |
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| | HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG (2003) One of last year’s best films, which was oddly largely snubbed by the Academy when it came to nominations. Many considered this film to be Dreamworks big Oscar picture, but somehow it slipped through the cracks. |
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| | KILL BILL VOLUME TWO (2004) While the first film was a tight, action oriented work, full of violence and stunning fight sequences, this second film is equally thrilling, but more for the dialogue and performances, which are deeper and much richer this second time round. |
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| | OSCAR PREDIX Will this finally be the year Martin Scorsese wins his long overdue Academy Award for best director? |
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| | ROOM WITH A VIEW (1986) – Special Edition One of the most beloved and romantic films of the last twenty years, A Room With a View (1986) gets the deluxe double disc treatment from Warner Brothers, which for fans of the film is a treat |
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| | SCOOBY DOO 2 – MONSTERS UNLEASHED I believe it is a sad state in the film industry when a film starring a computer generated dog is the top grossing film of the past weekend. There are still Oscar winners in the theatres, The Barbarian Invasions (2003), The Passion of the Christ (2004), Jersey Girl (2004) and Dawn of the Dead (2004) are playing yet a sequel to an equally bad film, |
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| | SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS OFFER A SHOCK!! In what must be the upset of the year so far in terms of the annual glut of major film awards, Johnny Depp won best actor for his role as the Swashbuckler, Jack Sparrow in The Pirates of the Caribbean at the Screen Actors Guild Awards |
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| | SOMETHING’S GOTTA GIVE One of last year’s biggest hits gets the digital treatment next week as Something’s Gotta Give (2003) comes to DVD |
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| | SUMMER MOVIE PREVIEW John Foote previews the big summer movies |
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| | THE CLASSICS # 7 THE GODFATHER (1972) Previously available only to consumers in the superb The Godfather Collection from Paramount Home Entertainment, the Oscar winning classic is now available for the first time on its own |
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| | THE CLASSICS #3 THE GRAPES OF WRATH (1940) About to be released on DVD for the first time, John Ford’s The Grapes of Wrath (1940) was among the first great “message” films |
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| | THE CLASSICS #4 JAWS (1975) Spielberg's first great film remains one of his finest; a masterpiece of suspense and tension beautifully merged with adventure and horror, Jaws (1975) is among the great thrillers ever made. |
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| | THE DRESSER (1983) Years before Ron Harwood collected an Academy Award for writing The Pianist (2002), Roman Polanski’s superb Holocaust drama, he wrote a play which he then adapted into the film The Dresser (1983) |
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| | THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH (1952) Alongside The Sound of Music (1965) and Rebecca (1940), this is the worst film tot ever win an Academy Award for best picture of the year. |
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| | THE LADYKILLERS A remake of a minor classic of the British cinema, The Ladykillers (1955) was one of those old chestnuts in which sudden plot twists stun the audience with their sheer audacity and yet delight us with the results |
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| | THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS Having never been a fan of either The Matrix (1999), The Matrix Reloaded (2003) or Keanu Reeves, I confess that I might be the wrong person to review The Matrix Revolutions (2003), the last of the trilogy. |
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| | THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST In years to come, film audiences, critics and historians will come to regard this film as the finest of its kind ever put to film |
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| | THE PRISONER OF SECOND AVENUE (1974) Neil Simon is perhaps the best known playwright of the last forty years. While Arthur Miller (Death of a Salesman, The Crucible) and Tennessee Williams (The Glass Menagerie, A Streetcar Named Desire) have created works that will last the ages, Simon created comedies that attracted audiences, which means a long run on Broadway, |
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| | VAN HELSING Over a decade ago, I was directing a production of Dracula a local theatre troupe and made the decision to go in a radically different direction with the play |
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