Christopher Nolan’s latest, Dunkirk, is a film for anyone who wished the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan was an hour and a half longer.
The director of the The Dark Knight Trilogy, The Prestige, and Inception has given us a definitive account of one of World War II’s most heroic and miraculous — not to mention, pivotal — events, and in the process, has made a movie that is a real must-see. Continue reading
Movie-watchers got their first look at Tom Holland in the Spider-suit last year, when the erstwhile Peter Parker was recruited by mentor Tony Stark (aka Iron Man) to help him in the fight against Captain America, et al. in Captain America: Civil War. Holland was such a blast of energy in the role that he practically stole the film right out from under stars Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans.
Now, Holland gets his own stand-alone Spider-Man film in Spider-Man: Homecoming, and shows that the inflated cameo was no fluke. This Spider-Man is the one we’ve been waiting for. Or, you might say, third time’s the charm. Continue reading
Photo credit: Stephanie McCabe / Unsplash
You don’t need a reason to make a playlist, but a holiday sure does provide a good one.
And today, on July 4th, one of my favorite days of the year, I like listening to one of my favorite Spotify playlists. Like my summertime mix, it’s a collection of songs all built around a theme — in this case, the word “America.” All included songs feature some use of the word America (or a variation of it) in a prominent way — which is why John Cougar Mellencamp’s “Pink Houses” qualifies, but, say, “Horse with No Name,” by the band America, does not. Bruce Springsteen’s “4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)” may be an exception to that rule, but come on. How could I not include it?
And, because it’s a mix for the Fourth of July, there are a few patriotic or July 4th or “Independence Day”–themed or related songs (like Chicago’s “Saturday in the Park” and Katy Perry’s “Firework,” natch) thrown in too. Yes, there are even some songs, like Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.,” that sound patriotic, but really aren’t.
I call this playlist, no surprise, American Tunes. Continue reading
Like so many single people of a certain age, Kumail Nanjiani is getting pressured by his family to get married. But there’s a “twist”: In traditional Pakistani Muslim culture, you don’t choose your spouse, it’s all arranged for you. And so, at every family dinner, a potential wife just happens to be in the neighborhood, and shows up right before dessert.
But Kumail wants nothing to do with that custom. Since moving to Chicago at a young age, he’s stopped praying and has been assimilating into American culture. Instead of becoming a doctor, he’s chosen a career as a stand-up comedian. (Fine. He’s also an Uber driver.) And, as the new movie The Big Sick begins, he meets an American woman named Emily (Zoe Kazan, writer and star of the excellent Ruby Sparks), and the two start dating. Continue reading
Baby Driver is a movie for anyone who lives life with a constant soundtrack of music playing. Those who sing along with the radio, change the way they walk or drive depending on the song they’re listening to, and can’t sit still when they go to concerts.
This one’s for all of us.
Nowhere is this more true than in its opening credits sequence, where our title character (played by Ansel Elgort, from The Fault in Our Stars) doesn’t so much walk through the city as he grooves, while listening to Bob & Earl’s “Harlem Shuffle.” Eagle-eyed viewers will spot song lyrics appearing as graffiti on the walls.
Nice touch. Continue reading
Photo credit: Martin Lieberman
Usually at the end of the year, I like to look back and take stock of all that happened, and celebrate the good times I had. This year, there’s been so much going on that I didn’t want to wait till December to do that. Continue reading
Photo credit: Diapicard / Pixabay
I was watching CBS Sunday Morning the other day, just like I do every weekend, and there was a great segment about three Hollywood comedy legends: Carl Reiner, Dick Van Dyke, and Norman Lear.
Towards the end of the interview, Lear and Reiner shared their perspectives on the secret to a long and happy life.
“I think there are two little words we don’t think enough about: ‘over’ and ‘next,’” Lear said. “When something is over, it’s over. We’re on to next. I mean, this is the moment.”
Then Reiner added: “If you have something to get up for, you’ll get up. You won’t die in the middle of the night if you have something in the morning you gotta do.”
These were good sentiments to hear a few days before my birthday — and not just because they helped inspire this blog post. Continue reading
Photo credit: Davide Ragusa/Unsplash.com
Sure, many people without a romantic partner tend to grumble when February 14 rolls around, and some feel less-than, relative to all the happy couples out there. But not me. I think that’s a misguided way to look at the day.
As Lin-Manuel Miranda famously said last year, “Love is love is love is love is love is love.” Or, to quote the Beatles, “All you need is love.” Point is: There’s no specific rule that says what or who you have to love or celebrate today. (I’ve never seen one, anyway.) Rather, this is a day to celebrate love itself.
And that’s why, on Valentine’s Day, if I don’t have someone specific in my life to love, I spend the day doing things I love, and celebrating all the people, places, and things I love.
This year, there are many people, places, and things to celebrate. For example … Continue reading
Something I’ve learned over the years is that happiness is not something you can seek or plan. You just have to allow yourself to feel it. To notice and appreciate the good things in life — no matter how small — that make you smile. Hopefully on a regular basis.
With so much negativity in the world, that can sometimes be hard. And this year, it may prove extra challenging.
So, to proactively prevent another sucky year like 2016 was, I want to do whatever I can to focus on my own happiness — and hopefully, in the process, share that happiness with others. Continue reading
Much has been made about how sucky 2016 was. And for good reason: For the most part, it was a pretty bad year.
But dwelling only on the negative does a disservice to all the good times some of us had. Continue reading
Martin's Musings 