Tag: Sam Mendes

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American Beauty- 25th Anniversary

John Stark

25 years ago, Sam Mendes took a screenplay from Alan Ball, and directed a simple film about peeling off the shine of suburbia. This went on to win a bunch of Oscars, including Best Picture, forever cementing itself in film history. But in the 25 years since, it has suffered from the passage of time. Some feel like it feels just too 1999. is this really middle class suburbia? Do mom and dad actually earn enough for this lifestyle? Is this just a modern Lolita, or a response to the reflective teen nightmare that was Columbine? Is this an early … Continue reading American Beauty- 25th Anniversary

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Empire Of Light

John Stark

Where I Watched It: HBO MAX English Audio description Provided By: Deluxe Narrated By: Christian Simpson Sam Mendes is a director that gets me into a film, cast be damned. I won’t make any claim that he has hit a home run every single time, but he’s a very strong director at bat. Generally, he has delivered some terrific work. For the longest time, when i was young and first starting to explore the art of cinema, I would refer to American Beauty as my favorite film. Times change, the lists move around, and while I still rank that movie … Continue reading Empire Of Light