Category Archives: Movies

Untimely Police Procedure Review: Running Scared

Posted on July 1, 2015 by Tom Garrett

One of the more powerful and sadly ubiquitous stories of the past year has been the strained relationship between local law enforcement and the public, particularly in certain poor, heavily minority communities. Whether due to misguided militarization of police forces, … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Movies, Reviews | Tagged Billy Crystal, Commentary, Gregory Hines, Humor, Law Enforcement, Michael McDonald, Movies, Reviews, Running Scared, Sweet Freedom, Yacht Rock | 3 Comments

Untimely Movie Review: North by Northwest

Posted on May 26, 2015 by Tom Garrett

After the bad taste in my mouth left by the subject of my last untimely review, I had rather high hopes for North by Northwest. It didn’t disappoint. North by Northwest is like a James Bond film, except if James Bond were … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Movies, Reviews | Tagged Alfred Hitchcock, Cary Grant, Commentary, Eva Marie Saint, Movies, North by Northwest, Reviews, Warner Bros., Warner Brothers | 4 Comments

Untimely Movie Review: Gigi

Posted on April 3, 2015 by Tom Garrett

After watching Gigi, I’m now more irritated than ever before that Saving Private Ryan didn’t win Best Picture. The movie—which did take home the Best Picture Oscar for 1958—begins with a borderline-elderly, thick-accented Parisian breaking the fourth wall to explain that … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Movies, Reviews | Tagged Commentary, Gigi, Leslie Caron, Louis Jourdan, Movies, Reviews, Warner Bros., Warner Brothers | 4 Comments

Timely Movie Review: Whiplash

Posted on February 26, 2015 by Tom Garrett

(Obvious spoiler alert: If you haven’t seen Whiplash, don’t read any further) I saw Birdman last week. Interesting movie. Michael Keaton was terrific. I never need to see it again. The first thing I did after watching Whiplash Monday night was to … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Movies, Reviews | Tagged Andrew Neiman, Bullying, Commentary, Conservatism, Jazz, JK Simmons, Miles Teller, Movies, Paul Reiser, Reviews, Terence Fletcher, Whiplash | 2 Comments

Untimely Movie Review: An American in Paris and Singin’ in the Rain

Posted on October 3, 2014 by Tom Garrett

The next two movies in the Warner Bros. 50 Film Collection are a pair of Gene Kelly musicals I’ll review in tandem: An American in Paris and Singin’ in the Rain. These films present something of a dilemma for me as a … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Movies, Reviews | Tagged An American in Paris, Commentary, Debbie Reynolds, Donald O'Connor, Gene Kelly, George Gershwin, Jean Hagen, Leslie Caron, Movies, Nina Foch, Reviews, Singin' in the Rain, Warner Bros., Warner Brothers | 7 Comments

Untimely Movie Review: A Streetcar Named Desire

Posted on July 8, 2014 by Tom Garrett

As the Warner Brothers 50 Film Collection moves into a new decade, the first movie from the 1950s is another story based on a play: Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire (which I will refer to simply as Streetcar to signal my … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Movies, Reviews | Tagged A Streetcar Named Desire, Commentary, Elia Kazan, Kim Hunter, Marlon Brando, Movies, Reviews, Vivien Leigh, Warner Bros., Warner Brothers | 4 Comments

Untimely Movie Review: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

Posted on June 18, 2014 by Tom Garrett

The last of the three Humphrey Bogart films in the Warner Bros. 50 Film Collection is The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, from 1948. This is an older, more grizzled Bogey, partially due to simple aging, and partially due to … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Movies, Reviews | Tagged Commentary, Humphrey Bogart, John Huston, Movies, Reviews, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Tim Holt, Walter Huston, Warner Bros., Warner Brothers | 4 Comments

Untimely Movie Review: Casablanca

Posted on June 3, 2014 by Tom Garrett

The last of the films in the Warner Bros. 50 Film Collection released before the end of World War II is 1942’s Casablanca. The Humphrey Bogart / Ingrid Bergman drama followed Mrs. Miniver in winning the Best Picture Oscar. Both movies are films about … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Movies, Reviews | Tagged Casablanca, Claude Rains, Commentary, Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Movies, Reviews | 4 Comments

Untimely Movie Review: Mrs. Miniver

Posted on May 22, 2014 by Tom Garrett

I’ll confess that I knew almost nothing if Mrs. Miniver before I watched it. About the only thing I was aware of was that it won Best Picture. So, with a blank slate, I dove in. As it turns out, Mrs. Miniver is about … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Movies, Reviews | Tagged Commentary, Greer Garson, Movies, Mrs. Miniver, Reviews, Walter Pidgeon | 8 Comments

Untimely Movie Review: The Maltese Falcon

Posted on May 16, 2014 by Tom Garrett

The problem with The Maltese Falcon isn’t that it’s a movie based on a book, it’s that it’s a movie that feels like it’s based on a play. The 1941 film is one of the earliest, greatest examples of film noir. It … Continue reading →