Evan Saathoff
Go for Broke: How ‘The Internship’ and Other Comedies Found Laughs in Hard Times
Times are tough, but that doesn't mean we can't all have a good time at the movies, even if the movies are all about how tough the times are. Poverty has long been a solid catalyst for movie plots, especially comedy plots. The following films bear this theory out, as all either feature poor characters or focus on economics in some fundamental way...
Choose Your Own Apocalypse: 10 Ways the World Has Ended in Movies
If there's one thing people love, it's the end of the world. Just this summer alone we have 'After Earth,' 'World War Z,' 'Pacific Rim' and 'This Is the End' (and, of course, there's 'The World's End' this fall). And these are just examples from this year...
10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About the Land of ‘Oz’
With 'Oz the Great and Powerful' in theaters this Friday, it's time for a little refresher course on the world of Oz. If all you know of Oz comes from the films, then you have quite a lot left to discover about this wacky, magical realm...
10 Arnold Schwarzenegger Movies That Should Be Remade
Arnold Schwarzenegger was Hollywood's leading action hero for much of the 1980s and 1990s. His body of work is filled with action extravaganzas and fun, high-concept comedies. The release of 'The Last Stand' - Arnold's first starring role in a film in 10 years - has us thinking about Arnold's entire body of work...
No. 1: Killing Hitler – Quentin Tarantino’s Boldest Moments
As far as boldness goes, it's difficult to top the gruesome onscreen murder of Adolph Hitler in 'Inglourious Basterds.'
No. 2: The Mexican Stand-Off – Quentin Tarantino’s Boldest Moments
This big climactic moment might supply 'Reservoir Dogs' with its biggest bit of visual iconography (neck and neck with shots of the crew walking down the street after breakfast), and it's not hard to understand why. The moment sums up all the film has to say about criminal moral codes and the idea of honor among thieves, and it does so while looking incredibly cool.
No. 3: Killing Melanie – Quentin Tarantino’s Boldest Moments
'Jackie Brown' is more focused on romance and age and money schemes than rampant violence, but when it gets to killing characters, it's certainly not shy. Most of the film's big deaths come as a bit of a shock, but none more so than Louis' sudden gunning down of a nagging Melanie in a shopping mall parking lot.
No. 4: The Eyeball – Quentin Tarantino’s Boldest Moments
By the time we get to 'Kill Bill Vol. 2,' we've already seen enough carnage and bloodshed for three regular films, which is why this one smartly goes a bit smaller (that being a relative term).
No. 5: Acting in ‘Pulp Fiction’ – Quentin Tarantino’s Boldest Moments
A lot of people give Tarantino grief for being a bad actor. I generally find him good in non-Tarantino films, but not so great in his own. Even when he does give himself a part, though, it's usually small and easy enough to work with.
No. 6: Stuntman Mike’s a Crybaby – Quentin Tarantino’s Boldest Moments
Stuntman Mike's successful murder of 'Death Proof's first group of young girls is pretty amazing for the raw brutality of the violence involved (seriously, Vanessa Ferlito's face gets ripped off by a spinning tire). But it's when Mike's second would-be group of victims turn the tables on him that Death Proof really turns into something special.