Across 110th Street (1972)
“If you steal $300,000 from the mob, it’s not robbery. It’s suicide." Whenever I come across a blurb about Across 110th Street, the word “gritty” is inevitably used to describe…
Ace in the Hole (1951)
“Bad news sells best. Cause good news is no news.” A devastating critique of American culture directed by the legendary Billy Wilder, Ace in the Hole (AKA The Big Carnival)…
About Schmidt (2002)
“Relatively soon, I will die. Maybe in 20 years, maybe tomorrow, it doesn't matter. Once I am dead and everyone who knew me dies too, it will be as though…
Abandon Ship! (1957)
“Why are the wicked always so strong?” A truly bleak and disturbing but thoroughly captivating drama on the high seas, Abandon Ship! (original UK title: Seven Waves Away) focuses on a diverse group of…
A Simple Plan (1998)
“I mean, hell, Hank, I’ve never even kissed a girl. You know, if me becoming rich is gonna change all that, you know I’m all for it.” According to the tagline,…
A Patch of Blue (1965)
“A man … a girl … captives in their own worlds … finding escape in each other …” Adapted from the 1961 novel Be Ready with Bells and Drums by Australian writer Elizabeth…
A Flash of Green (1984)
“We’re going to manufacture paradise.” A true forgotten movie classic, this compelling drama features a great performance by Ed Harris as “Jimmy Wing,” a cynical newspaper reporter in a small Florida…
A Boy and His Dog (1975)
“An R rated, rather kinky tale of survival …” Based on a series of short stories by acclaimed science fiction writer Harlan Ellison, this totally offbeat post-apocalyptic black comedy (AKA Apocalypse 2024),…
Gibtown: The Strangest Town in America
“There’s a place that I remember Down along a twisted river It’s a circus come the winter time It’s just off the road to nowhere And the carnies always go…
Deconstructing the Beat Generation
"The origins of the word 'beat' are obscure, but the meaning is only too clear to most Americans. More than mere weariness, it implies the feeling of having been used,…