Author: Jim

Lawrence of Arabia – The Way Things Used To Be

There will be weeks where Jim and Teal cannot synch their schedules together to tape a regular episode of the show. This is one of those weeks. But don’t despair! This week we bring you a bonus 13-minute episode. It’s time for another one of Jim’s adventures in 70mm. Previous installments are written stories, and can be found on this site. This adventure is Jim’s first as an audio episode. Today Jim takes you back thirty years to February of 1989, when his Uncle Phil took him to see the restoration of Lawrence of Arabia in 70mm. Enjoy! Play the episode:

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Born on The Fourth of July – Teal to The Rescue

The film school at NYU has, or had, a long break between the fall and spring semesters. Depending on when one finished up with finals & projects there could be an entire month before spring classes began. Most years I was begging to go back to New York City by the time the spring semester rolled around. It was always fun to catch up with old friends, and this particular winter break my roommate freshman year at USC, Darin, came to visit me between Christmas and New Years’.

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Jim’s Top Ten Films of 2018

For one reason or another, I was able to see a good chunk of 2018 movies, and I feel confident enough to throw down a top ten list. Films are subjective, and lists are arbitrary. Even in my final decisions, the order changes daily. Sometimes my initial reaction to a movie I’ve seen increases days after the viewing, and other times it wanes. Talk to me in a year from now, and two or three films I’ve yet to catch up on might easily replace titles on the list you are about to receive.

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The Oscars get it wrong – again!

What in the holy hand grenade of Antioch is The Academy of Motion Pictures doing now? Their never-ending quest to stem the tide of declining ratings is tied to a Baby Huey-sized anchor around its neck that is choking the life out of the yearly event. They have lost total sight of the fact that awards shows, while not quite a thing of the past, are not something today’s world needs the way it used to. Sure, everyone complains about the show’s length. It frequently goes to four hours, and no one seems to be sure why. Even when the Academy makes a silly decision such as relegating the honorary award tributes to a separate ceremony, they gain nothing in shortened time length. Instead, they fill the show with lame stunts designed to go ‘viral’ that mostly don’t work, and they spend time showing scenes from all 8-10 Best Picture nominees. And that isn’t the biggest problem, one the Academy still hasn’t figured out yet; there are no surprises. Maybe if you are not an avid film watcher, and if you are not, why are you even watching this show, you might find it surprising that the winner of the BAFTA, Golden Globes, several Critics awards, and SAG trophy, just won an Oscar for Best Actress, but it isn’t surprising to most of us. There are so many awards now, all presented before the Oscars, that there is simply nothing left to be surprised about. Maybe once every five years

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The Empire Strikes Back in a Big Way

Jim’s Adventures in 70mm:

In the spring of 1980, as it was practice for many kids my age, I counted the days until the release of the second Star Wars movie, The Empire Strikes Back. At least one to two hours each day was devoted to thoughts of the new Star Wars film dancing through the daydreams of my ten-year-old brain. Star Wars was personal love affair for me at the time, as I am sure it was for plenty of other children. But I knew I was the number-one Star Wars fan in the world, and George Lucas was making this film to please me.

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