The Life Before Her Eyes
Film review by: Witney Seibold
I must warm you up front: this is another one in which I will give away the ending. Of course, when I could guess the “twist” ending before I even saw the film, I think it’s fair to talk about it openly in a review.
Slipstream (2007)
Film review by: Witney Seibold
“Slipstream” (née “Slipstream Dream”) is the 2007 writing/directing/score-composing vanity project of Academy Award-winning actor Anthony Hopkins. When thinking back on it, I recaAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH! AAAAHHH! OHGODNO! GETITAWAYFROMMYEYES!! AAAHHH!!
B Horror
By: Witney Seibold
(apologies to Edgar Allen Poe)
Lo, ‘tis a gala night
Within my lonesome teenage years. Read more »
Priceless (Hors de Prix)
Film review by: Witney Seibold
Pierre Salvadori’s “Priceless” is one of the cruelest romantic comedies I’ve seen. Read more »
The Beauty of the System
A film essay by: Witney Seibold
I’m going to have the same problems writing about “Casablanca” that I did writing about “Citizen Kane” and “The Wizard of Oz;” How does one approach a film that has been endlessly talked about, analyzed, admired, and reviewed since its inception in 1942? It’s easily one of the most popular movies, ever. Read more »
Leatherheads
Film review by: Witney Seibold
Oh for goodness’ sake, why doesn’t George Clooney just cast himself in a biopic of Cary Grant, and get it over with? Read more »
The Good German
Film review by: Witney Seibold
There are a few wonderful things about Steven Soderbergh’s WWII drama “The Good German.” O.k. There’s one wonderful thing. O.k. Maybe it’s not “wonderful,” but it’s certainly pretty to look at: Cate Blanchett in a dark wig and dark lipstick. Read more »
Race
Film review by: Witney Seibold
I love the philosophy behind Bollywood filmmaking: if you’re making movies for a poor populous for whom filmgoing is an extravagance, you’d better give them their money’s worth. Read more »
Stop-Loss
Film review by: Witney Seibold
When the beleaguered soldiers return to their Texas town after spending months and months in Tikrit, they are warned to behave themselves. They are not to drive drunk, they are not to fight with civilians, they are not to beat their sweethearts, they are not to sleep with anyone underage. By the end of the first third of the film, all but one of those things will happen.
When Witney Seibold was about 10 years old, he got in trouble for spitting on a new car. Witney wants his teachers and classmates to know that he was not a mean-spirited or unhappy child, and only did this to make his fellow classmates laugh. His classmates were, you see all merely pretending to spit on the line of new cars they were walking by, and Witney thought he could do them one better by actually doing it.
When thinking back on it, he realizes that some poor schmo working at the new car lot would have had to clean his spit off of the car. He apologizes to his classmates (who probably were more shocked than amused), his teacher (who was certainly not at all amused), and especially the unseen car lot attendant, armed with the Windex and paper towels, who was probably cursing his job as he had to lean over and touch a stranger’s saliva. I’m very sorry.
