Aaron Aradillas
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Remembering Roger Ebert (1942-2013)
It was the same ritual every year. It was usually late October, maybe early November. You’d go to the mall where there was a bookstore, usually a Walden Books. (This was before Borders and Barnes & Noble were in every shopping center.) The section devoted to “Film” was one shelf, not a wall.
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The Five Best Uses of Pop Music in Coen Brothers Films
The Coen brothers' relationship to source music is as integral to their vision as recurring themes and subject matter. Like a signature shot or the way certain characters speak, a director’s song selection can reverberate throughout an oeuvre.
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VIDEO ESSAY: CRUEL SUMMER: BATMAN (1989)
Tim Burton’s "Batman" was a game-changer for summer blockbusters.
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CRUEL SUMMER: DIE HARD (1988)
"Die Hard" was something new, an over-the-top blowout its director made personal by injecting humor and humanity into its incredible action set-pieces.
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CRUEL SUMMER: ROBOCOP (1987)
"RoboCop"’s most lasting legacy is RoboCop itself. This film marks the first time moviegoers were made to identify with a machine.
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CRUEL SUMMER: TOP GUN (1986)
Tony Scott’s "Top Gun" is a visual and aural assault, a full-throttle “ride” that doesn’t stop for pesky things like story.
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REMEMBERING ANDREW SARRIS, 1928-2012
This is a remembrance of film critic Andrew Sarris (1928-2012).
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CRUEL SUMMER: PEE-WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE (1985)
The "Cruel Summer" series of articles examines influential movies from the summers of the 1980s. The previous entries in the series have covered THE BLUES BROTHERS (1980), STRIPES (1981), ROCKY III (1982), and WARGAMES (1983), and PURPLE RAIN (1984).
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CRUEL SUMMER: PURPLE RAIN (1984)
Albert Magnoli’s "Purple Rain" is a one-of-a-kind mix of rock concert, intense drama, romance, and comedy. A star vehicle designed to showcase the talents of rock-fusion musician Prince, "Purple Rain" was that rare vanity project that worked.
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CRUEL SUMMER: WARGAMES (1983)
The fantastic opening sequence of "WarGames" uses one of the most basic constructs of video games: just when you think you’ve figured out a level, it turns out to be part of a bigger scenario.
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