Jack Silbert
Movie Review: Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy
3.5 stars out of 5 First things first: Vanna White does not appear in this film. Having just named Drive My Car my favorite movie of 2021, I was excited to see another offering from director Ryûke Hamaguchi. And this time I’d be judging him fully on his own merits, as there wasn’t a Haruki […]
Aquarium Playlist, 1/18/22
EPISODE #470: RONNIE SPECTOR TRIBUTE The Ronettes — “Be My Baby” [ALTERNATE THEME]Billy Joel — “Say Goodbye to Hollywood”Marshall Crenshaw — “Something’s Gonna Happen”The Ramones — “She Talks to Rainbows”The Beach Boys — “Don’t Worry Baby”Ronnie Spector & the E Street Band — “Say Goodbye to Hollywood”Ronnie Spector — “Something’s Gonna Happen”Ronnie Spector — “She […]
Movie Review: France
2.5 stars out of 5Note to self: Just because a movie’s in French and is playing at an art theater doesn’t automatically mean it’s good. In this case, I must admit I didn’t do much advance research. A film starring Léa Seydoux? What she say, I do! Seydoux first caught my eye in The Grand […]
Aquarium Playlist, 1/11/22
EPISODE #469: CLASSIC ROCK Theme suggested by contest winner Marian Steffens. The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]Led Zeppelin — “Rock and Roll”The Doors — “Peace Frog” Jimi Hendrix Experience — “Manic Depression”ZZ Top — “La Grange”Chicago — “Questions 67 and 68”Rolling Stones — “Respectable”Creedence Clearwater Revival — “Fortunate Son” Patti Smith — “Ask the Angels” […]
Pandemic Cinema, Year 2
A chronological list of movies (feature length and short films) that I watched at home during the continuing COVID-19 crisis in 2021. The great majority of them were new to me. The Chimp (1932)A Night at the Opera (1935)Doubt (2008)The Devil Is a Sissy (1936)Block-Heads (1938)A King in New York (1957)Smithereens (1982)Adventures in Babysitting (1987)Dogfight […]
My Highly Subjective List of the Best Movies of 2021
Another Covid-screwed year at the movies, and until last Tuesday this was only going to be a Top 9 list. Still, thanks to the reopening of the Clairidge Theater in Montclair (kudos to Evelyn Colbert and the good people of Montclair Film), I was able to see some quality late-year releases on the big screen […]
Movie Review: The Tragedy of MacBeth
5 stars out of 5I’m not much of a Shakespeare buff, but MacBeth is my boy, yo! We read it in junior year of high school, and with my pals Steve, Rob, and Ken, made a related video project entitled Late Night With David MacLetterman. Two years later, I was lucky to see Christopher Plummer […]
Aquarium Playlist, 1/4/22
EPISODE #468: MOTOWN Theme suggested by contest winner Marian Steffens. The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]Kiwi Jr. — “Maid Marian’s Toast”Smokey Robinson & the Miracles — “(Come ’Round Here) I’m the One You Need” The Supremes — “Love Is Like an Itching in My Heart”The Four Tops — “You Keep Running Away”Martha Reeves & the […]
New Year’s Resolutions 2022
1. Stop meddling in friends’ lives, focus on medaling in the Winter Olympics. 2. Create a set of lower-case numbers. 3. Start letter-writing campaign for a Grey Poupon Groupon. 4. Add a plus after my name. • Resolutions 5 and 6 unavailable due to covid protocols. 7. Realize that my nervousness about not getting felt […]
Movie Review: Nightmare Alley
4.5 stars out of 5During pandemic days, or shall I say nights, I’ve really upped my watching of Eddie Muller’s Noir Alley offerings on TCM. One film I haven’t caught — or didn’t even known about till today — is 1947’s Nightmare Alley. Which is probably for the best, as I strolled into 2021’s Nightmare […]
Jack Silbert, curator