My 10 Best Movies from 2019
I love stories. It doesn’t matter what form they come in: novels, movies, television, autobiographies, or whatever. And I always love when I know – and usually I will know pretty quickly – that I’ve connected to a story. Then it’s just a case of sitting back and enjoying the adventure. Growing up in the 1980s, it was the blockbusters that did that for me. They were story-based, and the action complemented what was going on. Now it seems the opposite. Blockbusters are action-based, and the stories complement what’s going on. Well, they try. Too often, they feel like some loose thread woven around the action to link it together.…
Finding Connection
I had a discussion with somebody once about movies now compared to movies from my childhood (1970s–80s), and she said you tended to have a fondness – out of nostalgia – for things you grew up with. I thought about that, and while I agree that you do develop that emotional connection, the truth is there were a lot of great movies coming out when I was growing up. Here’s a small list off the top of my head (but which I’ve revised and put in chronological order): The Godfather (1972), The Exorcist (1973), The Godfather: Part II (1974), Jaws (1975), Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977),…