Simon's Movie Reviews

  Zulu (1964) is a war movie that is surprisingly good in spite of its subject matter. Based on the true story of 150 British soldiers who had to hold off a force of 4000 Zulu warriors, it sometimes feels like a Monty Python sketch given how many of the soldiers keep their upper lip so stiff you would think they just graduated from gentlemen’s school. However, this is also an old-school epic shot on a grand scale with thousands of extras, it has great performances, and a surprising amount of nuance. Equally noteworthy, this is the first major role of Sir Michael Caine, demonstrating in almost every frame he has the makings of a movie star. With a 139-minute running time, this is yet another perfect movie for anyone confined to their home and with limited outdoor activities available. If you are also limited on your budget, it is streaming for free on Tubi minus a few 30-second commercial breaks. Plus, if you are tired of staring at the same walls of your apartment and winter weat...

  The lives of gangsters are often filled with drama, loss, betrayal, and the occasional shootout, which explains why Hollywood has made so many movies about their chosen professions. Once Upon a Time in America (1984) is a very interesting entry in the genre since it was directed by an Italian director, is based on a book by a Russian-American and takes place over three different eras in New York City. Also noteworthy is the fact the gangsters here are all Jewish, something rarely seen in a genre generally populated by Italian American characters. At 229 minutes, it is a massive epic that is worth the time but might leave some viewers shocked by one character’s particular crime. Given the movie’s length it is best viewed on an afternoon when one has nothing to do and nowhere to go, which over the past year has been the case for me and billions of others. This was yet another discovery on Amazon, which brought me one step closer to checking off every movie directed by the Italia...

When Todd Phillips’ Joker shook the world of comic book movies in 2019 (which is now starting to feel like a decade ago) two films kept being cited as influences: Taxi Driver (1976) and The King of Comedy (1983). Having already seen the violent Taxi Driver years ago I could see how that made sense and was curious to see how The King of Comedy also influenced the origin story of the Clown Prince of Crime. This week Amazon helped me fill in that cinematic blind spot, as I found yet another way to pass time indoors during this cold winter pandemic. Both Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy were directed by Martin Scorsese, star Robert De Niro as a loner living in New York City, and play with perceptions of reality. However, while Taxi Driver proved to be hit, The King of Comedy earned praises but not as much box-office success. Perhaps it is because it does not have as much violence as Taxi Driver or memorable lines, but I would venture it is because this movie was ahead of its time. Th...