Another ‘Reel Son’: Brideshead, soggy melodrama

Written by Jonathan Schumann
Thursday, 14 August 2008 14:51

I can’t be the only one a little surprised to see a new version of Brideshead Revisited hit screens. Most agree that Evelyn Waugh’s melodramatic saga received the definitive transfer in 1981 when BBC mounted an epic miniseries adaptation that featured Laurence Olivier and Claire Bloom, and launched the career of a budding Jeremy Irons.

A ‘Reel Son’: The Visitor a perfect movie for today

Written by Garrett Schumann
Thursday, 07 August 2008 10:41

For several years, Garrett Schumann contributed film reviews as part of the “Take Two” father-and-sons movie reviewer team. This week, his father Mark, “the Reel Dad,” steps aside to bring Garrett back to the column for a guest appearance.

Mamma Mia!: It’s a marvelous Meryl musical

Written by Mark Schumann, Father of Three
Thursday, 31 July 2008 13:22

Every film — like every meal — offers some degree of “nutritional value” to the people who partake. Like some meals, some movies dare to deliver more than a conventional helping. Each week, “the reel dad” offers the “nutritional value” of a film that parents may consider sharing with their kids. This week, he takes a look at the new musical, Mamma Mia!

WALL-E: A timeless, haunting classic

Written by Mark Schumann, Father of Three
Thursday, 17 July 2008 10:23

Many movies try to visualize what could happen to a world that people neglect. Charlton Heston, in the final moments of the original Planet of the Apes, is shocked to learn that the frightening planet of the title is, actually, Earth many years later. The futuristic dramas AI and Minority Report suggest that, ultimately, people may find it socially unacceptable to care for each other. And Al Gore’s riveting documentary An Inconvenient Truth imagines a world out of control because of individual and corporate greed.

The Dark Knight: One of the year’s best

Written by Mark Schumann, Father of Three
Friday, 25 July 2008 13:05

To call the new Batman film, The Dark Knight, just another movie based on a comic book hero would be to undervalue what will surely emerge as one of the year’s most highly regarded films. Rarely in our cinema memory has the confrontation between good and evil been so deliberately layered and creatively executed. There’s enough going on among all these characters to fill many movies. Leave it to the talented director, Christopher Nolan, to fill this Batman episode to the brim with excitement.

A salute to movie dogs: Canine Hall of Fame

Written by Mark Schumann, Father of Three
Thursday, 10 July 2008 10:43

The death of a pet can bring so many memories to mind — the bright eyes, the warm greetings, the meaningful companionship. Any of us who welcome four-footed friends into our lives cherish the joy that we share. Our family dog, Dodger, who died last week after 12 wonderful years was, actually, an avid movie watcher. Perhaps that was because he was, in fact, named after a famous character of page and screen (The Artful Dodger in Oliver Twist). Or, perhaps, it was because there were few weekend evenings in our home without a movie on the family schedule. So, in Dodger’s honor, here is a look at the “Canine Hall of Fame” on the silver screen:

Pinch hitter: ‘Reel Son’ on Sex and the City

Written by Garrett Schumann
Thursday, 03 July 2008 10:26

For several years, Garrett Schumann contributed film reviews as part of the “Take Two” father-and-sons movie-reviewing team. This week, his father Mark, the “Reel Dad,” steps aside to bring Garrett back to the column for a guest appearance.

Before I saw Sex and the City, I had heard mixed reviews. Some of my friends really liked it, while others did not, depending on their previous experiences with the HBO series. Fortunately for me, I have seen the entire six-season saga, and loved every minute of it. I did not need to be eased into the story line because I knew where the characters’ lives had ended at the series’ termination.

Saluting Cyd Charisse: A remarkable performer

Written by Mark Schumann, Father of Three
Thursday, 26 June 2008 13:50

Whenever a Hollywood icon passes away, a part of the cinema fabric fades. No matter how talented some current performers may be, nothing can compare to the stars that emerged from the Hollywood of the 1930s through the 1950s. They created larger-than-life personas that, thanks to the DVD, live on in our movie enjoyment.

Few of your children will recognize the name Cyd Charisse. Some of you, in fact, may be scratching your heads to place the name. But tune in to one of the grand MGM musicals of Hollywood’s heyday and the talent of this remarkable dancer, singer and actress will jump off the screen. She was, until her recent death, a Hollywood legend who created lasting cinema memories despite her relatively short list of films. Here is the quick course in what to look for online, or at the video store, to get up to speed on the magic of Cyd Charisse: