Posts Tagged ‘Michael Mann’
Under the Radar/The Stream | Michael Mann’s “The Keep”
THEY WERE ALL DRAWN TO THE KEEP. The soldiers who brought death. The father and daughter fighting for life. The people who have always feared it. And the one man who knows its secret… THE KEEP Tonight, they will all face the evil.
For film fans there is often no greater treasure than viewing a movie you had no idea existed, or in the case of Michael Mann‘s 1983 gothic horror film The Keep, re-discovering a film that has been forgotten by it’s studio. The Keep was always the hole in Mann’s filmography that I had hoped to someday fill, although doing so would involve tracking down a crummy VHS pan and scan version of a movie that was shot in 70mm (the IMAX of it’s time). For me, any knowledge of the picture was limited to it’s IMDB page and the synopsis posted there.
Nazis guard a citadel that harbors a dangerous force that starts wreaking havoc and death upon them, forcing an uneasy alliance with a Jewish professional who can stop it.
Intriguing no? I for one love WWII stories and anytime Mann steps out of the urban landscape and into a period piece is worth seeing.
Read the rest of this entry »
Score Your Week | Miami Vice
Michael Mann’s Miami Vice (2006) is a film I am not ashamed to say I love. Although it is not on the level of Heat, The Insider, or The Last of the Mohicans; Miami Vice is in a lot of ways the perfect Hollywood cop drama. It establishes great characters (cliched as they are) and a great sense of time, tone, and place.
Mann always has unique musical choices that perfectly fit the character’s plight. From Trevor Jones and Randy Edelman‘s score for The Last of the Mohicans or Moby‘s Heat anthem “God Moving On the Face of the Waters”, Mann has an ear for music that elevates the story. Read the rest of this entry »
The Filmdogs Podcast: Episode 28 – The Other Side
The 28th Episode of The Filmdogs Podcast is here and just in time to wish you a Happy Halloween. In the News this week we discuss the rumors surrounding the villain in Star Trek 2..or 12…then talk about Michael Mann‘s upcoming projects. Then in Our Featured Topic of the Week we talk about some of our favorite Scary/Horror Movies, and continue the theme in our One Liner the Week with a classic from Poltergeist. Listen in, if you dare..(Evil Laugh)
Email us with you podcast feedback or segment suggestions at filmdogspodcast@gmail.com. Subscribe to the podcast here, or listen in you browser. Also, you may download an enhanced AAC feed with chapter markers and artwork from iTunes on your computer or straight to your iPhone/iPod touches now! If you like what you hear be sure to write a quick review on iTunes as well. It helps us out. Thanks!
Either You Got Heat or You Don’t | Review of “The Town”
Ben Affleck’s The Town may be the most visceral and emotionally charged film I have seen so far this year. As Affleck slides behind the camera for a second time, he crafts a film that proudly wears it’s Boston identity. From the streets littered with stories, to the aerial shots of buildings concealing secrets, Ben Affleck treats Charlestown as both a breeding ground for crime and a town with rich history. But most importantly, he creates characters so conflicted and engaging you will not want to leave your seat when it ends. Read the rest of this entry »
Scene Stealer | Collateral “Ready Steady Go”
I like my Cruise crazy.
Director Michael Mann is known for writing memorable characters and putting them in amazing set pieces. Who could forget the epic meet-up of Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in Heat, or the equally romantic parting of Daniel Day-Lewis and Madeleine Stow in The Last of the Mochicans. Scenes like those make you wonder if Mann starts his writing process with an idea for a sequence and builds the movie from there. Something Hitchcock was known to do on many occasion.
Read the rest of this entry »
Scene Stealer | “The Last of the Mohicans” I Will Find You
Every film buff has a special group of select movies that help pave the way to complete obsession. For me one of those films was Michael Mann’s 1992 epic, The Last of the Mohicans. Based on James Fenimore Cooper’s novel and inspired by George Seitz 1936 film, Mann creates a historical saga charged with emotion and feeling. At the center of this vast story of the French and Indian War, is the blossoming love affair between Hawkeye (Daniel Day-Lewis) and Cora Munro (Madeleine Stowe). They are two vastly different souls searching for a place in a world that is as Cora puts it “… on fire”. The two share many memorable scenes together, but the most memorable is the, often quoted, Waterfall Scene. Read the rest of this entry »
Across the Pond | France’s: Le samouraï
When people think of foreign films they often simply pass them off as being too pretentious and experimental for their liking. Yet, one of the things I’ve discovered about films from oversees is how their main influence is often American. Which makes sense when you think about it, Hollywood is in the U.S. after all. Such is the case with director Jean-Pierre Melville and his 1967 hitman masterpiece Le samouraï. Read the rest of this entry »
Cinematic TV – HBO has “LUCK”
So here we are again with a new column. This time it’s Cinematic TV. Here I will be talking about the latest and greatest in television. From big names to big budgets, Cinematic TV will explore the world of film’s forgotten brother, Television.
Which brings me to our first topic, the highly anticipated, recently announced HBO drama, “Luck”. Creator David Milch’s (Deadwood) new series will dive deep into the world of horse racing. Although Milch’s work in the TV industry has usually brought out brilliance, the best part lies ahead! Read the rest of this entry »
My list of ten favorite filmmakers is constantly changing. There are, however, a handful of directors that will always stay put, and Michael Mann is in this category. Although he is mainly known as the “crime filmmaker”, his style is vibrantly unique using imagery and music in ways that create beautiful atmosphere and breathtaking drama. I find it to be a cinematic gift when Michael Mann gives even the slightest glimpse into his creative process, and that is one of the many reasons Fox’s newly released Blu Ray for The Last of the Mohicans is a worthy upgrade for fans. Read the rest of this entry »