The Movie Journal

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) 1966’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is a searing film based off Edward Albee’s controversial 1962 play of the same name. The movie, which was Mike Nichol’s ( The Graduate) directorial debut, broke many boundaries in the world of cinema. Never before have audiences seen a movie with provocative language and sexual tendencies displayed here. Despite extreme pressure, the film was released to rave reviews from critics and audience alike. The film only has four main characters and really only one location, but the searing, angry dialogue grabs you and keeps you hooked. Modern audiences may think of Aaron Sorkin when taking in every bit of the dialogue. This was also a box office success thanks to the powerful combination of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, perhaps the most publicized couple of the 1960’s. Edward Albee’s play had a successful Broadway run, but people believed it could not be adapted to the big screen because ...

The Breakfast Club (1985) When people talk about teen movies, most minds stray to John Hughes’s 1985 classic, The Breakfast Club . Like his previous feature Sixteen Candles , Hughes attempts to explore the teenage mind. Just like that film, this film is a relatable teenage character study. Each of the main characters are vastly different in terms of image and personality, but they eventually share a common interest; a seething anger for adults, mainly their Principal Vernon. The film is a little on the talky, philosophical side but John Hughes made every word count with his screenplay and style of direction. Hughes made each one of the characters relatable for the people who have been through high school, even downright likable at times. Believe it or not, Universal was highly skeptical of the film. When shooting began, Sixteen Candles was not released yet, so the studio was still dealing with an unproven director. Hughes was able to calm the film’s investors. After all...

Witness (1985) Peter Weir’s Witness is a movie that literally took my breath away. The film was marketed as a tense thriller set within the Amish community. The ads failed to show the film for what it really is: an intelligent love story confined in a thriller. The first half is a tense thriller, but it slowly leads into a believable romance story before turning on the thriller button again. Both parts of the film are excellent! Harrison Ford, who earned an Academy Award nomination, is at his very best here. Trust me, this film is not your typical police thriller. Earl Wallace’s and William Kelley’s sensitive, endearing script was circling around Hollywood for a few years before being picked up. The script went out of its way to show the Amish culture as real as it can be within the thriller setting. After the film’s release, the Amish were very concerned about tourists invading their land. They were also somewhat critical of the script. That said, I loved how the film ...

Black Lightning: Season 1, Episode 10 "Sins of the Father: The Book of Redemption" March 28, 2018 The A.S.A are closing in on Jefferson Pierce. That’s the overall theme of this episode, “Sins of the Father: The Book of Redemption.” This episode is filled with tension and there are quite a few reveals. This is not my favorite episode of the season, but it is a necessary episode to move along the plot. Cress Williams continues to deliver solid performances as Jefferson, and he is this episode’s MVP. To protect his family from Martin Proctor and his goons, Jefferson moves his family to the house his father was killed in, as the Pierce girls reminded Jeff. Gambi is bruised and battered from Proctor as he tries to wring secrets out of him. Jeff does pay the bloodied Gambi a visit, but it is still clear Jeff is angry at him still. We learn more about Jennifer’s powers. She creates her own power and may be the strongest out of everyone in the family. And that big reve...

Black Lighting: Season 1, Episode 9 "The Book of Little Black Lies" March 20, 2018 “The Book of Little Black Lies” is an episode that focuses…on well, lies! Jefferson and Lynn had been hiding Jeff’s secret from their daughters all their lives. Once Anissa discovered her powers, she also kept lying to Jennifer. This comes crashing down when Jennifer discovered she has powers and now everything has been revealed to her. Of course, she is peeved because she wanted to be trusted like an adult. Speaking of deceits, Gambi continues to do things behind Jeff’s back, and those things may involve very toxic spider venom. This is a very strong episode with Jennifer at the forefront. China Anne McClain does an excellent job depicting the real-life feelings of a teenager. Some may find Jennifer whiny, but she is acting like a true teenager. In this episode, Jennifer learns the secrets from her family. Her family are being grounded and real about her newfound powers. Jennife...

Blood Simple (1985) Joel and Ethan Coen deserve a huge round of applause for the way they stormed the cinematic world with their debut Blood Simple. The Coen Brothers are currently a Hollywood wonder, but their debut back in 1984 was simply unforgettable. They proved themselves master storytellers with their complicated plot. They also proved that they can effectively use visuals to tell they story they want to tell. Yes, this story is bloody, gory, twisty, and incredibly fun. I love the story how the Coen Brothers got their film made. They made a trailer themselves. It was a short trailer about a man dragging a shovel on a road to a man he was going to kill. It was brief and to the point. These unknown men went door-to-door looking for financing so they can make their movie. They succeeded. They were able to raise the million or so dollars needed to make their film. The film then was made in a short time and premiered at the 1984 Sundance Festival where it was well-rec...

The Cotton Club (1984) 1984’s The Cotton Club marks Francis Ford Coppola’s return to the world of mobsters…and to mixed results. If you are familiar with the director’s filmography, you will know he is the creative mind behind The Godfather films. I thought being back in his wheelhouse, he would create another masterpiece. While not a completely bad film, the highly energized film is rather bland, and the strong cast is not able to live up to its complete potential. It is an interesting movie to dissect and the making of the movie itself is somewhat interesting. Robert Evans, the famed producer behind Chinatown , had his eyes on to direct the film. He backed out and suggested Coppola to direct this movie. In purely financial terms, this was a mistake for the studio as the budget ballooned under his supervision. Mario Puzo, who had written The Godfather and its sequel, actually had a script that was already completed. Coppola hired William Kennedy at the last minute to m...