Few directors have had a run of brilliance that Alfred Hitchcock had in between 1958 and 1963, when he directed in succession Vertigo, North by Northwest, Psycho and The Birds; four of the greatest films ever made. But surprisingly, Hitchcock was still racked by self-doubt during that period, terrified that he was not good enough;…
Change is good. It might be uncomfortable, especially if you like the status quo, but it’s good. Without change, we’d still be traveling on horseback, wearing crinolines and communicating via letters. No change, no out-of-season vegetables or sushi restaurants. We’d live without TV and Internet, and die of diseases that are now curable. Change is…
Now is the perfect time to take in a holiday show, or two, and plan for a new year of plays and musicals from some of San Diego’s most well respected theaters. From Shakespeare to Broadway’s finest, you certainly won’t be disappointed with this season’s theater offerings. Heading north, New Village Arts in Carlsbad, Intrepid…
thursday, dec. 6 The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged) Christmas will never be the same once you share the holiday with the inspired lunacy of the masters of condensing the classics – the Reduced Shakespeare Company. Since 1981, the company has delighted audiences throughout North America and England with their reduced versions of The Complete Works…
When you begin a novel with “I have a story that will make you believe in God,” you have made a bold promise that is very likely to be left unfulfilled. But that is how Yann Martel begins the Booker Prize-winning Life of Pi, with the narrator explaining that an old man has told him…
No one could hope that Rises could ever be as good as The Dark Knight, which is inarguably the best superhero movie ever made. The main problem with Rises is that director Christopher Nolan and his brother Jonathan forced the Rises screenplay to tie up the plot threads of The Dark Knight and Batman Begins…
thursday, nov. 29 A Christmas Carol Cygnet continues its annual holiday tradition with a new live radio play. Be a part of the live studio audience as the WCYG Players bring a unique presentation of the classic A Christmas Carol to life. Complete with holiday music, commercials and live sound effects. A treat for the…
If you’ve been reading my reviews, you’ll know that I tend to dislike movies about people with disabilities, maladies or unfortunate circumstances overcoming their problems, usually with swells of mediocre music and a cheap plea for tears.It’s not that I don’t like seeing people succeed when the odds are more likely that they’ll fail; rather…
John Hawkes’s performance in The Sessions is being described as reminiscent of Daniel Day-Lewis’ Christy Brown in the classic 1989 film My Left Foot. Playing the Irish writer who was born with cerebral palsy that prevented him from using any body part but his left foot, Day-Lewis won an Oscar (as did Brenda Fricker playing…
Turner Classic Movies, Sunday, Nov. 25, 1:30 a.m. On my list of movies that every gay man should see, Funny Girl is what transformed Barbra Streisand from a Broadway star into a movie star. Playing the great Vaudeville comedienne Fanny Brice from her girlhood to international fame, Streisand does everything from comedy to drama, owning…
