Chicago is the setting of two offbeat romantic comedies recently released on DVD. Hannah Takes the Stairs and I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With are both quirky little stories of rather odd leading characters looking for love in the Windy City.

In Hannah Takes the Stairs we follow Hannah, played by Greta Gerwig, who resembles a young Chloe Sevigny (from her Kids days), while she struggles to find herself through her work and various male counterparts. The film leaves you with the feeling that Hannah will not end up with any of the guys that she dates. Even the final scene, with her and her office romance, Read the rest of this entry »

Has anyone else noticed the similarities in the two characters Morgan Freeman portrays in his most recent DVD releases, Feast of Love and Gone Baby Gone? These two films could not be more different in all aspects.

Feast of Love, directed by Robert Benton, is about eight couples who grapple with the different levels of love. Morgan Freeman plays Harry, a professor who has taken a leave from the University to deal with the grief of losing his son to a drug overdose. Gone Baby Gone is the tale of a Boston community torn apart by a missing child. In this film, directed by Ben Affleck and starring little brother Casey, Freeman plays a police officer who heads a special unit which deals with missing children. Read the rest of this entry »

I know in light of all the more serious issues surrounding us here in New Orleans, it seems rather petty to talk about TV and movies and even more petty to yammer on about awards shows. However, even more in light of all the serious issues here, it seems very important for us all to escape, every once in a while, to a far, far away land sometimes referred to as LA-LA Land.

In L.A., the Oscars last night were rather unsurprising. Of course, as always there were a few upsets. I’m sorry but I might have been the only person in the present film society that was secretly hoping for a Hal Holbrook win. It’s not that I do not think that Javier Bardem is more than deserving, but it is Hal and he was there with Dixie Carter of Designing Women and his character was so sweet and grandfatherly in Into the Wild. In fact, of all the Best Leading Actor nominees, he and George Clooney were the only two that did not portray lonely, deranged and psychopathic characters. Hal’s character was just lonely and I believe that loneliness deserved an Oscar! Read the rest of this entry »

With Mardi Gras rolling fast and hard, it is easy, while living in the heart of New Orleans, to forget what is happening in the rest of the world. However, since I am the wimp of all wimps when it comes to weather, I have yet to venture out to see a parade.

This unwillingness to be cold or wet has given me the opportunity to catch up on my favorite past time. Surprisingly, this obsession of mine is with Awards Shows. Normally, I love them all. I am not a huge fan of the droning on of announcers or the sometimes unbearable acceptance speeches, but instead, I love to see actors dressed in their finest. Nothing is more satisfying to me than to see what beauty is cast upon the red carpets. Read the rest of this entry »

I love when I go to the local movie rental store (no large conglomerates named here) to return a DVD and the clerk asks me about the movie I rented. As I have always felt that the ability to talk about film all day is the greatest perk of working in the movie rental environment, it has been my past experiences that the eighteen year old clerks have not felt that I deserved to take part in their movie dialogue. I have tried to impress. I have chuckled at mere mentions of obscure eighties films, without giving away my age ( I hope) and I have resisted stating the obvious, “before you were born,” statements. But, I was still held at bay. My opinions did not matter and they certainly were not willing to share their movie insights. That is, until tonight. Read the rest of this entry »

As if the world of filmmaking is not already strange enough, there are now rumors that the McCanns may be discussing making a movie out of the disappearance of their 3-year-old daughter, Madeleine. The story went like this; two seemingly intelligent adults take the family on vacation in Portugal. Mom and Dad McCann go out to dinner and leave their three toddlers alone in their resort apartment. Of course, the children were sleeping. So, there should be no problem? (Hmm…) Well, when Mr. and Mrs. McCann returned from their dinner, Madeleine, who was the oldest of the toddlers, was missing. Wow! The story received international attention and pleas for the public’s help from many celebrities.It does sound like a great script for a Lifetime Movie. Or, it would be if it wasn’t true and the case had been solved. Since, the McCanns have recently been relieved of being two of the prime suspects in the case, it does seem a little unusual to be marketing your “story” for the world to see. Perhaps they hope the movie will prove once and for all their innocence? Read the rest of this entry »

Film enthusiasts usually make grand lists at the end of a year. For the end of 2007, I have been glued to Best and Worst lists in film, TV and music, in all my favorite publications. Since I don’t feel as though my opinion warrants a list of this year’s best and worst, my end of year focus will be on the couple movies I feel were unfortunately overlooked by critics and the general film audience. Meaning, I have not seen these films on any list (or maybe not the most popular lists). These films are 2007 DVD releases. Meaning, read up, get interested and go rent. Read the rest of this entry »

It is not normal to watch a slasher film while removing the ornaments from your tree. But, I guess this is how I signify that the holiday spirit is truly done for me. Nevertheless, sometimes a good old slasher/horror film is the greatest gift of all. Hatchet, directed by Adam Green and released on DVD this month, is a gift I want to return.

The total draw of this film is that it is based in New Orleans and Louisiana bayou country. Yes, I am a sucker for the familiar and a devotee of movies that support our local film industry. Also, it is always fun to criticize what people above the Mason-Dixon Line perceive as representative of Louisiana. Read the rest of this entry »

Remember back in 1998, when Disney released the remake of The Parent Trap starring a button cute redhead named Lindsay Lohan? She was one of those Disney kids, who was so cute and talented (she can do a British accent), that we all were just dying for her to grow into all of her many promising roles to come. Little did we know that Hollywood would become a cesspool of gossip and mayhem among young starlets, with Ms. Lohan leading the pack. Boyfriend swapping, narcotics abuse and finally a couple of stints in rehab have finally created the Lindsay Lohan who would star in a vehicle such as, I Know Who Killed Me. Which incidentally, is an untruth, because if she did “know who killed her (career),” she might not have read the script or taken the part. Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve never been able to speak a foreign language. I took four years of high school French and can still barely even mutter “Bonjour,” without a weird southern drawl making it hardly distinguishable as one of the most recognizable French greetings. I traveled to Paris in the nineties but, I lazily relied on the ability to always find someone who spoke English. Although I do not understand the language, I adore Paris. It is a city like no other where life can be whimsical, seductive, gloomy, romantic and haunting all at once. There are few cities that Read the rest of this entry »