Living for the Cinema

Geoff Gershon

Short movie reviews from the last 50+ years by Geoff Gershon. https://livingforthecinema.com/

  1. ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES (1991)

    1 day ago

    ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES (1991)

    At the peak of his movie stardom and in the wake of having just won several Oscars for Best Picture-winner Dances With Wolves which he both starred in and directed, Kevin Costner (Yellowstone, Bull Durham, JFK) took on the iconic role of Robin of Locksley for his next major project.  He partnered with long-time friend and director Kevin Reynolds (Waterworld, The Count of Monte Cristo) to spearhead this this new adaptation of an iconic story, while also filling key roles with several prominent stars of the time including Oscar-winner Morgan Freeman as Azeem, Christian Slater as Will Scarlett, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as Marian, and most importantly at the time.....Alan Rickman (Die Hard) as the Sheriff of Nottingham.  What resulted was a very rushed, messy production where several roles ended up being miscast (including California-native Costner as the British Robin) and where the villain pretty much stole the show.  And yet when released in June of 1991, this film was a MASSIVE hit (much of that due to Costner's stardom) with several iconic scenes and a best-selling soundtrack.  In fact, this would go to be the ONLY genuinely successful on-screen adaptation of the Robin Legend since then.....so did it actually work, does it hold up?  Well only one way to find out....and remember that before you embark on this review: No blades! No bows! Leave your weapons here!  Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon Producer: Marlene Gershon  Send us Fan Mail Support the show https://livingforthecinema.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Living-for-the-Cinema-Podcast-101167838847578 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livingforthecinema/ Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/Living4Cinema/

    19 min
  2. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

    6 days ago

    Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

    Roy Neary (Oscar-winner Richard Dreyfuss) was just a mild-mannered Indiana family man working for the power company.  Until one evening while out on the job.....he had an encounter with an unfamiliar being blasting brilliant light into the night sky.  What results for Roy is an increasingly bizarre descent into madness as he not only feels drawn towards seking out these otherworldy beings but also begins to alienate his wife (Teri Garr) and family in the process.  And he's not the only one: there's also Jillian Guiler (Oscar nominee Melinda Dillon) who is also drawn towards seeking out these strange, new visitors.  Both of their journeys eventually lead them Devil's Tower in Wyoming where these "visitors" might be headed.  Also eventually heading this way are two curious scientists (Francois Truffaut, Bob Balaban) who have been trying to figure out the best way to communicate with these extra terrestrials.  It all adds up to a transcendant experience and one of THE greatest films from one of our greatest living directors, Two-time Oscar-winner Steven Spielberg (Schindler's List, Raiders of the Lost Ark, ET) as his direct follow-up to the singular phenomenon which was Jaws.  See below for a link to an extended sequence added to the 1980 "Special Edition" of this film, referred to within this review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqiSIaia-k4&t=197s Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon Producer: Marlene Gershon  Send us Fan Mail Support the show https://livingforthecinema.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Living-for-the-Cinema-Podcast-101167838847578 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livingforthecinema/ Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/Living4Cinema/

    22 min

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Short movie reviews from the last 50+ years by Geoff Gershon. https://livingforthecinema.com/

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