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Category Archives: Movie Matchups
Louis L’Amour’s The Sacketts vs. Tombstone
Louis L’Amour’s The Sacketts feels like a prototype for Tombstone. It’s a two-part miniseries that came out in 1979, 14 years before Tombstone. Both have Sam Elliott playing one of three brothers who get into a shootout with some bad … Continue reading
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Tagged action movies, classic films, drama, family, films, louis l'amour, movie review, movies, movies based on books, relationships, the sacketts, tombstone, western genre
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The Funniest Thing About Airplane! Isn’t Even in the Movie
Airplane! is one of the funniest movies ever made. Its jokes and gags are the stuff of legend, from a jive-speaking June Cleaver to the panicking passenger who gets slapped silly by everyone on the plane. But, to me, the … Continue reading
Posted in Movie Matchups
Tagged 1980s, airplane, airport film, comedy, film genres, films, funny, humor, movie review, movies, movies based on books, parody
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James Cameron’s Amazing Flip from 1994 to 1997
The years 1994 and 1997 were significant for James Cameron. He had two big films that came out those years that went head-to-head with other big blockbusters. And the results are telling because they flipped spectacularly in Cameron’s favor.
Movie Matchups: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse vs. Back to the Future Part II
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is similar in many ways to Back to the Future Part II. I’m too excited to say much more than that in this introduction, so let’s just fly through their connections and see what sticks.
Movie Matchups: Pollyanna vs. It’s a Wonderful Life
It’s a Wonderful Life is one of those classic movies that other films love to emulate. I’ve heard Back to the Future compared to it by Siskel and Ebert, and I likened Click to it. There’s one film that I’ve … Continue reading
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Tagged classic films, disney, drama, films, frank capra, its a wonderful life, movie review, movies, movies based on books, pollyanna
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Movie Matchups: Three Men and a Baby vs. Baby Boom
In 1986, there was a famous rivalry between fighter-plane movies in which Top Gun trounced Iron Eagle. In 1988, it was body-switch movies in which Big crushed Vice Versa and 18 Again! But what about 1987? Was there any rivalry … Continue reading
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Tagged 1980s, baby, baby boom, comedy, competition, drama, family, films, leonard nimoy, movie review, movies, relationships, three men and a baby
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The Most Surprising Thing About Kung Fu Panda 4
The fourth film in a series is a big make-or-break moment. It is often where a series runs out of ideas and begins recycling old ones or else it becomes a self-parody. That’s true of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom … Continue reading
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Tagged action movies, animated films, comedy, dreamworks, films, kung fu panda, movie franchise, movie review, movies, sequels
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Big Is a Bridge Between Tom Hanks’ Early and Later Film Career
Like two parts of a piano duet, Big feels like the perfect bridge between Tom Hanks’ early and later career in film. He may have made a Splash in 1984, but it wasn’t until 1988 that he really hit the … Continue reading
Posted in Movie Matchups
Tagged 1980s, big, comedy, drama, films, movie review, movies, steven spielberg, tom hanks
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Which Is the Best Adaptation of Dune?
Dune is one of my favorite books. I’ve only read it once, but it stands out in my mind as one of the most immersive literary experiences I’ve ever had. And I’ve admired the many attempts to make it into … Continue reading
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Tagged action movies, drama, dune, films, movie review, movies, movies based on books, revenge movie, science fiction, sequels, tv movie
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This Poem Brought Tears to My Eyes
I had never heard of an early-20th-century poet named Eugene Field nor his poem entitled Little Boy Blue until recently. But I’ve definitely seen his poem play out in at least two films. I found it in a talk entitled … Continue reading
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Tagged death, disney, films, hope, little boy blue, love, movies, pixar, poems, poetry, relationships, sad, sequels, the little matchgirl, toy story
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