Movies

This post originally appeared on the DVD Netflix blog “Inside the Envelope.” That company closed in 1923, and the blog was shut down. What would cause a billionaire to retreat from the public eye for a quarter century, causing many people to wonder if he was actually still alive? Some speculate that Howard Hughes’ withdrawal…

This post originally appeared on the DVD Netflix blog “Inside the Envelope.” That company folded in 2023, and the blog was shut down. I became a fan of Denzel Washington after a chance encounter with him in 2009. He won’t remember it, but my former co-worker and I recall it every so often. We were…

We call it the “Forgotten War,” but thanks to the many projects and programs that have taken place during the four-year observance of its centenary, World War I has finally received the attention it deserves. One project, in particular, is the film, They Shall Not Grow Old, directed and produced by Peter Jackson, well-known for the Lord…

Recently, I watched the 1988 movie City of Angels starring Nicolas Cage, and this led me to its 1987 German predecessor,Wings of Desire with Bruno Ganz. Then, I learned that Ganz had starred in another movie called Downfall, released in 2005, about the last days of Adolf Hitler. A movie set in the infamous bunker wasn’t too appealing to…

This post originally appeared on the DVD Netflix blog “Inside the Envelope.” That company folded in 2023, and the blog was shut down. Dame Judi Dench’s first acting role was that of a snail when she was a young girl, but she was no slowpoke then, and she isn’t slowing down now. This diminutive actress…

I like movies. I like to watch them, research them, and share them. A couple of years ago I responded to a Tweet from DVD Netflix asking if I was interested in partnering with them in their new “director” program for movie fanatics. I considered the gesture an honor, and I feel fortunate to be involved in…

This post originally appeared on the DVD Netflix blog “Inside the Envelope.” That company closed in 2023, and the blog was shut down. Solitude, sorrow, and love—all treated on a thought-provoking level—define seven popular films from 1998. That was the year the DVD Netflix began sending discs through the mail, allowing movie fans to order…

When a popular TV series ends, what becomes of its sets and props? Oftentimes, they’re auctioned off, so that devoted fans can keep a memento as they mourn the loss of their screen friends. That’s what happened with more than 200 items from the Mad Men sets. Last spring, Screenbid offered props and set decorations taken straight from the…

This post originally appeared on the DVD Netflix blog “Inside the Envelope.” That company folded in 2023, and the blog was shut down, but you might find some good stuff here. It’s easy to come up with names of heroes for inspiration, isn’t it? Top of mind are those extraordinary people we learned about in…

Lady Bird earned five Oscar nominations in 2018, and when I say earned, I mean earned. I’d also say it was robbed of wins, but that would begrudge the winners. Lady Bird operates on many levels that can speak to just about anyone watching.  For myself, I can relate to the mother’s character, Marion McPherson (Laurie Metcalf). When…