Movie-A-Day #342: Imagine: John Lennon (1988).
The murder of John Lennon on this date in 1980 shocked the world. For those who aren’t old enough to remember it first hand, it’s hard to imagine the impact it had in that pre-Internet, pre-TMZ, pre-cable news age. The idea of such violence directed toward a celebrity was unthinkable then. (Indeed, the jadedness in our culture toward stalker violence is due in large part to Lennon’s death.) But the man who changed the world with his music also, along with Yoko Ono, changed the nature of celebrity. Their lives were chronicled in the media to an extent never heard of before, which serves the retrospective film “Imagine: John Lennon” very well. It’s a loving portrait of a genius who still had so much to say.
Movie-A-Day #341: From Here to Eternity (1953).
Seventy years ago today – December 7, 1941 – was a day that would live in infamy. Forget the Hollywood bombast of “Pearl Harbor” and stick with “From Here to Eternity.”
Movie-A-Day #340: Night on Earth (1991).
On this day in 1897, London became the first city in the world to become home to a fleet of licensed taxicabs. Cab drivers are a breed apart, with London cabbies becoming legendary for their navigational skills. (So legendary, in fact, that they are able to help neurologists study previously unknown aspects of human brain development.) Jim Jarmusch’s film “Night on Earth” celebrates cab drivers around the world with five stories set on the same night in five different cities (not including London, unfortunately).
Movie-A-Day #339: M (1931).
Director Fritz Lang was born on this day in 1890. While his “Metropolis” was a cinematic landmark, the tense and powerful “M” is just as much a masterpiece. This German-made story of a pedophile who is hunted down by members of the underworld not only propelled Lang to a career in Hollywood (which included classics like “Scarlet Street” and “The Big Heat”), but it also did the same for its star, Peter Lorre.
Movie-A-Day #338: Tron (1982).
Happy 62nd birthday, Jeff Bridges. The man is a certified American legend and seems to be one of the coolest dudes around. He’s done tons of great and iconic work over the years and even has an Oscar to show for it. But to celebrate his legacy, it’s hard to beat the cheeseball charm of “Tron.” I’m still waiting for enough time to pass that “Tron: Legacy” looks just as ridiculously dated.
Desuko Movie Spot. 