Classic sitcoms have been and continue to be an important part of American culture. They are watched in syndication, studied in college courses, and remembered as breakthrough roles for some of the world’s biggest stars. Here are some of the…

1967 Best Picture: The Lion in Winter This film, almost entirely set in a dreary 12th Century castle, is best remembered for its razor sharp dialogue, amply sprinkled with wit. Henry II (Peter O’Toole), during a family gathering over Christmas,…

The Sound of Music and In the Heat of the Night shocked some audiences in the 1960s by grabbing the Best Picture awards in Oscars 1965 and 1966. Let’s look into it. 1965 Best Picture: The Sound of Music Yes,…

Director Arturo Perez Torres humanizes a divisive issue in U.S. politics — the problem of illegal immigration. Using first person accounts, Torres starts in the countries where the immigrants begin, their homelands. Problems with unemployment, poverty, hunger, and lack of…

The early tales and ballads describe Robin Hood as being a yeoman. Anthony Munday’s 1598 play ‘The Downfall of Robert, Earle of Huntington’ turned him into nobility. Over the years makers of film and television have approached the material in…

In 1940 Universal Studios bought the rights to Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories and cast Basil Rathbone as Holmes and Nigel Bruce as his loyal companion, Dr. Watson. The first three movies in the series, made early in World War…

In 1936, Humphrey Bogart, a rich kid from New York City who became a professional actor by default, finally achieved stardom on Broadway and in the movies. Leslie Howard’s Role in Bogart’s Stardom The role that put him on the…

The film features a vintage performance by Barbara Stanwyck in the title role, a small-town girl whose impulsive, murderous rage toward a nasty old aunt catapults her to a life of wealth, ambition and power but one devoid of joy…

The 1980s will be remembered for bad retro pop music and unforgettably cheesy fashion trends. However, there’s one popular culture trend that will be remembered more fondly– the 1980s teen movie. Teen films from the 1980s portrayed life in the…

In combination, Singin’ in the Rain, Sunset Boulevard, Chaplin, The Last Tycoon, and Silent Movie provide an unparalleled lesson on the early days of cinema. Although the releases of the movies themselves span nearly fifty years, the films’ observations on…