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

Mel and Nancy Coplin (Ben Stiller, Patricia Arquette) are a young couple living in New York City who just had their first child. They can't seem to decide on a name and that's because Mel is feeling lost - he grew up as an adopted child and with the help of Tina (Tea Leoni) from the adoption, he has now been told that they have located who his REAL parents are. And so the three of them venture off across the country with baby to seek out Mel's real parents - several mistakes are made, several misunderstandings occur, and hilarity ensues! Written and directed by Oscar-nominee David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook, The Fighter, Three Kings, American Hustle) early in his career, this remains one of the more underappreciated indie comedies of the '90's and features a stacked veteran cast including Mary Tyler Moore, George Segal, Lily Tomlin, Alan Alda, Richard Jenkins, and Josh Brolin. Host & Editor: Geoff GershonProducer: Marlene Gershon Send us Fan MailSupport the showhttps://livingforthecinema.com/Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Living-for-the-Cinema-Podcast-101167838847578Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/livingforthecinema/Letterboxd:https://letterboxd.com/Living4Cinema/

One of the earliest films from Oscar-nominated Austrailian director Peter Weir (Witness, Dead Poet's Society, The Truman Show, Master & Commander), this is a stirring tale of one of THE pivotal events in the history of Australia: their campaign with British forces to fight the Turkish forces in World War I on the hills of Gallipoli more than a hundred years ago. The story focuses on two young Austrailian sprinters (Mark Lee, Mel Gibson) who enlist together and form a strong bond, before eventually facing the brutal realities of "The Great War" when they are sent to fight. When it came out forty-five years ago, this film was not only a seminal event in Australian cinema for war movies overall. It also co-stars Bill Kerr, John Murphy, and Bill Hunter. Host & Editor: Geoff GershonProducer: Marlene Gershon Send us Fan MailSupport the showhttps://livingforthecinema.com/Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Living-for-the-Cinema-Podcast-101167838847578Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/livingforthecinema/Letterboxd:https://letterboxd.com/Living4Cinema/

Marshall O'Neill (Sean Connery) has just been assigned to take over security of a new mining colony....on the Jupiter moon of IO. :o Yes this takes place in the future though many things have not changed as much as you would think: suddenly miners are starting to die under some VERY unusual circumstances as it might be as a result of a new illegal drug. Against the advice of everyone around him, O'Neill digs deeper to find out how and why these drugs are starting to spread....and soon finds himself being targeted. Even though this film was a critical and commercial failure upon release forty-five years ago, it has since developed a cult following and is now often affectionately nicknamed "High Noon in Space." Legendary genre filmmaker Peter Hyams (TimeCop, Capricorn One, Running Scared) directed this sci-fi western which also co-stars Peter Boyle, Frances Sternhagen, and Clarke Peters. Host & Editor: Geoff GershonProducer: Marlene Gershon Send us Fan MailSupport the showhttps://livingforthecinema.com/Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Living-for-the-Cinema-Podcast-101167838847578Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/livingforthecinema/Letterboxd:https://letterboxd.com/Living4Cinema/

An FBI chemical weapons expert (Oscar-winner Nicholas Cage) and a former SAS soldier turned political prisoner (Oscar-winner Sean Connery) must break into Alcatraz prison when a rogue military group, lead by a renegade general (Oscar-nominee Ed Harris), has taken it over and are now threatening a nerve gas attack on San Franscisco. This high-octane action thriller was a huge smash when released in the Summer of 1996 and helped cement director Michael Bay (Bad Boys, Armageddon, Transformers, Pearl Harbor) as an established brand of filmmaker for decades to come. The stacked supporting cast also includes John Spencer, David Morse, William Forsythe, Vanessa Marcil, Tony Todd, Bokeem Woodbine, and Michael Biehn among several others. Get ready to ROCK!Host & Editor: Geoff GershonProducer: Marlene Gershon Send us Fan MailSupport the showhttps://livingforthecinema.com/Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Living-for-the-Cinema-Podcast-101167838847578Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/livingforthecinema/Letterboxd:https://letterboxd.com/Living4Cinema/

Ten years ago, legendary writer/director Shane Black (Lethal Weapon, The Last Boy Scout, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Iron Man 3) put out his latest original vision of yet another buddy cop action comedy, this time taking place in 1970's Los Angeles. The pairing was inspired: a drunken private detective (Ryan Gosling) teams up with a tough guy enforcer (Russell Crowe) to solve both a missing person mystery and an unsolved murder. And the plot just gets increasingly convoluted from there involving the auto industry, porn, and organized crime....both violent and funny complications ensue! The stellar cast of this now beloved cult classic also includes Kim Basinger, Margaret Qualley, Matt Bomer, and Keith David. Host & Editor: Geoff GershonProducer: Marlene Gershon Send us Fan MailSupport the showhttps://livingforthecinema.com/Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Living-for-the-Cinema-Podcast-101167838847578Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/livingforthecinema/Letterboxd:https://letterboxd.com/Living4Cinema/

“Living for the STREEP” Series: We are here to celebrate the career of Mary Louise Streep….now known to most as Meryl Streep who has become widely known by critics, film-lovers, and audiences as likely our GREATEST LIVING ACTRESS. Ever since her earlier breakout roles in the late 1970’s in films such as The Deer Hunter, and Kramer Vs. Kramer, she has carved out a filmography filled with brilliant performances in memorable films spanning a variety of genres including biopics, thrillers, family dramas, AND comedies. During this time, she has also earned a STAGGERING TWENTY-ONE Oscar nominations including THREE wins. Over the next several months, I will be revisiting one notable Streep film each month – each highlighting a different type of performance – culminating with the May 1 release of the long-awaited sequel featuring one of her more ICONIC roles as Miranda Priestly, The Devil Wears Prada 2.The Wait is Finally Over. It has been almost twenty years since the original The Devil Wears Prada hit theaters, featuring one of Streep's most celebrated performances which she also received an Oscar nomination for. She's back as Miranda Priestly, once again leading the fashion magazine "Runway" though times have changed the magazine (like all print media) is now struggling....making matters worse, a new scandale has erupted online further putting Miranda's future (and the magazine's future) more at risk. Fortunately whom else should return to the magazine but Andy Sacks (Anne Hathaway) to maybe save the day? Infact several of the key players from that first film are ALSO back including Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci, and Tracie Thoms....along with some new additions to the cast including Kenneth Branaugh, Justin Theroux, BJ Novak, and Luciy Liu! Let's see if this highly anticipated legacy sequel lives up to the hype..... Host & Editor: Geoff GershonProducer: Marlene Gershon Send us Fan MailSupport the showhttps://livingforthecinema.com/Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Living-for-the-Cinema-Podcast-101167838847578Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/livingforthecinema/Letterboxd:https://letterboxd.com/Living4Cinema/

Acclaimed genre filmmaker Joe Johnston (Honey I Shrunk The Kids, Captain America: The First Avenger) directed this highly anticipated Disney adaptation of the titular graphic novel from the 1980's. It takes place in the 1940's Los Angeles where aspiring pilot Cliff Secord (Billy Campbell) is trying to make a name for himself on the flying circuit until one day, he suddenly finds a mysterious metal device along with his friend/mechanic Peevy played by Oscar-winner Alan Arkin (Little Miss Sunshine, Catch 22). What they soon realize is that this device is actually a secret prototype jet-pack which the local Mafia, the FBI, AND the Nazis (!) are all on the hunt for. :o So Cliff tries on the jet-pack, is able to fly, and suddenly becomes....The Rocketeer! And what results is a fun throwback adventure which was initially a flop upon release in the Summer of 1991 but would eventually garner a cult following. The stellar cast also includes Oscar-winner Jennifer Connelly, Timothy Dalton, and the late, great Paul Sorvino. Host & Editor: Geoff GershonProducer: Marlene Gershon Send us Fan MailSupport the showhttps://livingforthecinema.com/Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Living-for-the-Cinema-Podcast-101167838847578Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/livingforthecinema/Letterboxd:https://letterboxd.com/Living4Cinema/

In a dystopian 1997, a soldier-turned-bankrobber is taked rescuing the US President after he crashes into Manhattan, which has been turned into a giant maximum security prison. That's the official description for this gritty, sci-fi action thriller but a couple of key players involved made it more special than that. The solider is Snake Plissken played by Kurt Russell (The Thing, Tombstone, The Hateful Eight) in one of his more iconic performances. The director is genre master John Carpenter (Halloween, The Thing, They Live) who inadverdently created a sub-genre with the success of this film forty-five years ago. And the rest of this film's stellar supporting cast includes Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasance, Isaac Hayes, Harry Dean Stanton, and Adrienne Barbeau. See below for a link featuring a key deleted scene of this film which is highlighted within this review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riSBMj1oLGc&t=20sHost & Editor: Geoff GershonProducer: Marlene Gershon Send us Fan MailSupport the showhttps://livingforthecinema.com/Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Living-for-the-Cinema-Podcast-101167838847578Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/livingforthecinema/Letterboxd:https://letterboxd.com/Living4Cinema/

Directed by Oscar-winner Ron Howard (Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, Parenthood), this remains one of the most celebrated big budget Hollywood films about what is likely one of the more cinematic professions.....FIREFIGHTERS. It tells the seemingly simple story of two firefighting brothers in Chicago played by Billy Baldwin (Sliver, Flatliners) and Kurt Russell (The Thing, Tombstone) and their struggles to work together. Not only are they struggling with the dangers of their professions but also the women in the lives played by Jennifer Jason Leigh (Single White Female, The Hateful Eight) and Rebecca DeMornay (The Hand That Rocks The Cradle, Risky Business), along with an ongoing series of fatal pre-planned fires killing various real estate developers around town, which have the lead arson investigator (Robert DeNiro) on the case. This sprawling action adventure which has sometimes been referred to as "Top Gun for Firefighters" also co-stars Scott Glenn, JT Walsh, and Donald Sutherland among several others. Host & Editor: Geoff GershonProducer: Marlene Gershon Send us Fan MailSupport the showhttps://livingforthecinema.com/Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Living-for-the-Cinema-Podcast-101167838847578Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/livingforthecinema/Letterboxd:https://letterboxd.com/Living4Cinema/

“Living for the STREEP” Series: We are here to celebrate the career of Mary Louise Streep….now known to most as Meryl Streep who has become widely known by critics, film-lovers, and audiences as likely our GREATEST LIVING ACTRESS. Ever since her earlier breakout roles in the late 1970’s in films such as The Deer Hunter, and Kramer Vs. Kramer, she has carved out a filmography filled with brilliant performances in memorable films spanning a variety of genres including biopics, thrillers, family dramas, AND comedies. During this time, she has also earned a STAGGERING TWENTY-ONE Oscar nominations including THREE wins. Over the next several months, I will be revisiting one notable Streep film each month – each highlighting a different type of performance – culminating with the May 1 release of the long-awaited sequel featuring one of her more ICONIC roles as Miranda Priestly, The Devil Wears Prada 2.The legendary Albert Brooks (Lost In America, The Muse, Modern Romance) wrote, directed, AND starred in this afterlife comedy as Daniel, an advertising executve who just died after colliding head-on with a bus. Alas, Daniel now finds himself spending a few days in a otherwordly weigh station named, "Judgement City" where will sort go on trial to "defend his life." What he didn't count on was falling in love....which he does with Julia played by....you guessed it....Meryl Streep. And what results is a life-affirming romantic comedy also featuring fun performances from Rip Torn (Men In Black) and Lee Grant (Shampoo) as opposing counsel in Daniel's trial. Host & Editor: Geoff GershonProducer: Marlene Gershon Send us Fan MailSupport the showhttps://livingforthecinema.com/Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Living-for-the-Cinema-Podcast-101167838847578Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/livingforthecinema/Letterboxd:https://letterboxd.com/Living4Cinema/