The Wonders in the Dark sci-fi countdown rolls on, and here’s another contribution from yours truly: at #25, it’s the 1956 deep-space classic Forbidden Planet: MGM, the studio that produced Forbidden Planet, threw a couple million dollars into the production of the film, and it shows in the final product. Boasting an intriguing storyline that is…
Over at Wonders in the Dark today, I’ve posted another entry in the sci-fi countdown, and this one was a particular joy to revisit. At #47, it’s Daffy Duck’s bravura turn as the daring do-er of the future skies in that masterful Chuck Jones joint, Duck Dodgers of the 24 1/2th Century (1953): 1953 also saw Daffy, along…
It is time yet again for another genre countdown hosted by our friends at Wonders in the Dark! This year, they are tackling sci-fi films, and I am honored to be contributing four essays for this year’s event. First up, at number 66, it’s Brad Bird’s fantastical directorial debut, the 1999 animated sci-fi masterpiece The Iron…
A belated link to my final contribution to the Childhood Films countdown at Wonders in the Dark–at number four, it’s one of my favorite movies of all time, adapted from one of my favorite books, 1962’s To Kill a Mockingbird: I don’t think it’s too far off the mark to label To Kill a Mockingbird one…
As the Childhood Films countdown at Wonders in the Dark winds down to a close in the next couple of weeks, there are a number of beloved, brilliant films comprising the top twenty of the list. Among them is a longtime favorite of mine–at #17, it’s Steven Spielberg’s 1982 masterpiece E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial: To say that E.T. had…
The childhood films countdown rolls along at Wonders in the Dark, and my contributions continue with a look at the movie voted into the #54 spot. From 1988, it’s legendary Japanese director/animator Hayao Miyazaki’s stunning, magical My Neighbor Totoro: What’s most fascinating about My Neighbor Totoro is how it portrays the two young girls, who are allowed…
This year, for their annual extended film countdown, the inimitable folks at Wonders in the Dark have chosen to focus on films about childhood. I was, as always, quite honored to be extended an invitation to participate, and my first contribution is now live on the site. At #58, it’s one of my very…
True Classics 