The 5 Obstructions Blogathon (#1): Alien (1979)

Earlier this month fellow film blogger Nostra posted a very interesting idea for his latest c0mmunity-building blogathon that I thought would be a neat exercise in writing.

This is what the creator had to say:

“This is not a blogathon where you write one post and you are finished. This is a blogathon for which you have to write 5 posts (1 per month) with 1 restriction in place each time. The goal? To challenge yourself as a writer and force you to get out of your comfort zone (hopefully) resulting in lessons learned to improve your blogging in various ways. If you are worried, I have some fun obstructions in mind which I think you will enjoy.

At the beginning of each month I will post the obstruction for that month and you will have the whole month to write your post. You can do it immediately or take your time, but it has to be done before the month ends. You can send me the link to the post or leave it in the comments underneath the obstruction. At the end of the month I will check who has managed to pass the challenge and post an overview of the posts. This will be repeated for the other 4 obstructions”

Film review: Man of Steel (2013)

Genre: Action/ Thriller

Cast: Henry Cavill (Superman/Kal-El/Clark Kent), Amy Adams (Lois Lane), Michael Shannon (General Zod), Russell Crowe (Jor-El), Kevin Costner (Jonathan Kent), Diane Lane (Martha Kent)

Writer: David Goyer

Director: Zach Snyder

As a summer flick of blockbuster proportions, Man of Steel delivers the thrill and excitement that audiences seem to respond to at this time of year. The question I like to ask myself is whether these kinds of films offer anything extra beyond pure entertainment.
In the case of Man of Steel, director Zach Snyder (300, Sucker Punch) tries to give the film that added dimension, but coming just short of the standard bearer of the modern wave of superhero films: The Dark Knight trilogy.

Film review: Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)

Genre: Drama/Comedy

Cast: Jack Lemmon (Shelley Levene), Al Pacino (Ricky Roma), Alec Baldwin (Blake), Alan Arkin (George), Ed Harris (Dave), Kevin Spacey (John Williamson)

Writer: David Mamet (play & screenplay)

Director: James Foley

With a cast made up by Jack Lemmon, Al Pacino, Alec Baldwin, Kevin Spacey, Ed Harris and Alan Arkin, there is little that can go wrong.

Adapted from a play of the same name, Glengarry Glen Ross feels very much like a theatrical piece, limited to a handful of sets and driven by characters with large personalities, the kind that make for perfect salesmen and convincing theater actors.

The Alfred Hitchcock Marathon (part 5): Psycho (1960)

Cast: Anthony Perkins (Norman Bates), Janet Leigh (Marion Crane), Vera Miles (Lila Crane), John Gavin (Sam Loomis)

Writers: Joseph Stefano (screenplay), Robert Bloch (novel)

There is no better inspiration to write about cinema than Psycho, a film that remains surprising and thrilling with every watch, even after more than 50 years have passed since its release. Being one of my favorite films, it would be simple, maybe even pointless to emphasize its virtues, which are many. Instead, I will play devil’s advocate in the next few lines and start with its faults, or should I say fault, one and singular, which prevented me from giving it a perfect score (elusive number 14th).

Film review: La Vie en Rose (2007)

Genre: Drama/Biopic

Cast: Marion Cotillard (Edith Piaf), Gerard Depardieu (Louis Leplee), Sylvie Testud (Momone)

Writers: Isabelle Sobelman & Olivier Dahan

Director: Olivier Dahan

Edith Piaf, the famed French singer whose fans called the “Soul of Paris”, seemed at odds with life from the moment she was born. Cast aside by a mother who dreamed of a career as a performer, Edith would follow her footsteps almost subconsciously, singing for money at first, and later for salvation. Her childhood was spent in a brothel, a circus, and the streets of Paris. It was a hard life, marked by the occasional tragedy, but also a unique life, picturesque and unpredictable, the life of an artist.