V for Vendetta (2006)

Twenty years ago, this started the first of five films starring Daniel Craig as the FIRST blond-haired James Bond - it was a soft reboot for the popular character and also the first time in this long-running franchise's long-running history that he was given his first official assignment for MI6.  This was also based upon the ground-breaking first novel in the series written by Ian Fleming in 1953.  Fans, audiences, and critics alike loved this new take on Bond and director Martin Campbell (The Mask of Zorro, Vertical Limit) proved once again that he had the magic touch, having helmed the previous relaunch of the character just eleven years prior with Goldeneye.  Bond's first official mission as a "Double-O" is to smoke out LeChiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), a notorious mondy launderer for terrorists around the world - he needs to beat him in a high-stakes tournament for poker?? :) Beyond that, Bond has aligned with an accountant from MI6 named Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) to embark on this mission with....only he didn't count on falling in love. :o And dangerous complications ensue!  Oscar-winner Judi Dench (Shakespeare in Love, Mrs. Brown) also returns to the franchise as M.Host & Editor: Geoff GershonProducer: Marlene Gershon  Send us Fan MailSupport the showhttps://livingforthecinema.com/Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Living-for-the-Cinema-Podcast-101167838847578Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/livingforthecinema/Letterboxd:https://letterboxd.com/Living4Cinema/ 

Based upon a real tragic incident which occured in 1993, this is the story of several US special forces which were sent into Mogadishu to help destabilize the leadership of local warlords while attempting to bring food and humanitarian aid to the starving population, in conjunction with the United Nations.  Using Black Hawk helicopters to transport these soldiers, an unexpected attack by Somalian forces brings two of them down immediately.  And what results is a harrowing battle which lasted around 17 hours of non-stop gunfire and violence as we follow these soldiers attempt to survive and reach safety.  Directed by Oscar-nominee Ridley Scott (Alien, Thelma & Louise, Gladiator), this was a blockbuster and Oscar-winner (Best Film Editing, Best Sound) upon release at the end of 2001.  It is considered by many to be among the most realistic war films of the 21st Century and was lead by an all-star cast including Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Tom Sizemore, Eric Bana, William Fichtner, Jason Isaacs, Orlando Bloom, and Sam Shepard among several others.Host & Editor: Geoff GershonProducer: Marlene Gershon  Send us Fan MailSupport the showhttps://livingforthecinema.com/Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Living-for-the-Cinema-Podcast-101167838847578Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/livingforthecinema/Letterboxd:https://letterboxd.com/Living4Cinema/ 

Remember, Remember the Fifth of November.....Based upon the acclaimed 1982 graphic novel anthology written by Alan Moore, this highly influential tale of revenge and revolution takes place in a dystopian United Kingdom ruled by fascists in the not-too-distant future.  A masked vigilante with the nickname V (Hugo Weaving) begins a deliberate campaign of vengeance towards the government which left him disfigured as a result of dangerous medical experiments.  One fateful night, he rescues and meets Evey (Oscar-winner Natalie Portman) who works for the propaganda news network controlled by the government.  Just as he's starting his own deliberate campaign to spread the truth, he takes Evey hostage and eventually enlists her to his cause.  Along the way, several officials are killed, Evey becomes radicalized, and......a revolution begins??  Written and produced by the Wachowskis as a follow-up to their Matrix trilogy, this was also directed by James McTeigue (The Raven, Ninja Assassin) who also collaborated as their First Assistant Director on that trilogy.  Host & Editor: Geoff GershonProducer: Marlene Gershon  Send us Fan MailSupport the showhttps://livingforthecinema.com/Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Living-for-the-Cinema-Podcast-101167838847578Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/livingforthecinema/Letterboxd:https://letterboxd.com/Living4Cinema/ 

This was the directorial debut of the late, great Penny Marshall (Big, A League of Their Own, Awakenings) and it stars (in only her second on-screen acting role) Oscar-winner Whoopi Goldberg (Ghost, Sister Act, The Color Purple) who plays Terry Doolittle, a computer whiz who works at an international bank when one day her terminal starts receiving mysterious messages from an individual overseas with the online handle, "Jumpin' Jack Flash."  Being a lonely, curious person in search of adventure and intrigue, Terry not only forms a relationship with 'Jack but becomes enveloped within an increasingly complicated espionage plot involving the KGB and British Intelligence. :o And what results is a somewhat dated (with regards to technology) but very funny techno-thriller comedy with Whoopi at its center at the height of her comedic powers!  This film's stacked supporting cast includes John Wood, Stephen Collins, Annie Potts, Carol Kane, Jeroen Krabbe and Jonathan Pryce along with several alumni of Saturday Night Live including Jon Lovitz, Jim Belushi, and the late, great Phil Hartman.  It's a gas, gas, gas!!!As referenced within this review, see below for a link to the official music video for Aretha Franklin's cover version of the title song!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9biAp1-mBQ&list=RDO9biAp1-mBQ&start_radio=1Host & Editor: Geoff GershonProducer: Marlene Gershon  Send us Fan MailSupport the showhttps://livingforthecinema.com/Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Living-for-the-Cinema-Podcast-101167838847578Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/livingforthecinema/Letterboxd:https://letterboxd.com/Living4Cinema/ 

Considered by many to be his best film overall, this was the late, great David Lynch's (Mulholland Drive, Wild At Heart, Twin Peaks) follow-up to the massive flop which was his adaptation of Dune just two years prior - he both wrote and direct this mind-bender and also earned an Oscar nominatiion for Best Director.  The story focuses on Jeffrey (Kyle McLachlan), a small-town college student who's home to take care of his father's local hardware store when suddenly one day....he finds a severed ear in a nearby forest and decides to take it upon himself to investigate WHOSE ear this might be and the mystery surrounding it.  Initially helping him is local student Sandy (Laura Dern) whom he develops a romance with.  Their investigation leads him to the apartment of a local lounge singer named Dorothy (Isabella Rossellini) who has both a beautiful voice and some very dark secrets.  One night, Jeffrey sneaks into her apartment to find out what Dorothy's hiding and he witnesses some shocking brutality from a local villain thug named Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper).....and what results is a dizzying, haunting thriller which defies explanation and remains one of the more ground-breaking films of the 1980's! WARNING: DISTURBING VIOLENCE PORTRAYED VIA MOVIE CLIPS HEARD WITHIN THIS EPISODEHost & Editor: Geoff GershonProducer: Marlene Gershon  Send us Fan MailSupport the showhttps://livingforthecinema.com/Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Living-for-the-Cinema-Podcast-101167838847578Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/livingforthecinema/Letterboxd:https://letterboxd.com/Living4Cinema/ 

Accclaimed creators Nathan Fielder (The Curse, The Rehearsal) and Lance Oppenheim (Primetime, Ren Fair) have collaborated to direct this now highly-buzzed about documentary about infamous former tech billionaire Elizabeth Holmes.  Just over 30 days before she is to report to federal prison for crimes convicted in association with the creation of Theranos, Holmes has invited Nathan Fielder to her beachfront home to spend time getting to know Elizabeth and her family, including entrepeneur Billy Evans and the three young children they have had together.  What results ends up being much more than your standard documentary interview.....As mentioned within this review, see below for links to my written Letterboxd reviews of both "The Dropout" Hulu series and "The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley" documentary on HBO Max:https://letterboxd.com/living4cinema/film/the-dropout/https://letterboxd.com/living4cinema/film/the-inventor-out-for-blood-in-silicon-valley/Host & Editor: Geoff GershonProducer: Marlene Gershon  Send us Fan MailSupport the showhttps://livingforthecinema.com/Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Living-for-the-Cinema-Podcast-101167838847578Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/livingforthecinema/Letterboxd:https://letterboxd.com/Living4Cinema/ 

Set in Spain during World War II, this is the moving story of a young girl named Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) who is sent along with her pregnant mother (Ariadna Gil) to live with her new stephfather (Sergi Lopez), a ruthless captain of the Spanish army.  During her first night there, she meets a fairy who takes her to meet an old faun (Doug Jones) in the nearby forest.....which is also at the center of a labyrinch.  And thus begins a haunting, fantastical adventure which is part fairy tale and part war story.  This modern classic was both written and directed by Oscar-winner Guillermo Del Toro (The Shape of Water, Hellboy, Blade II, Nightmare Alley) and became a worldwide phenomenon, eventually winning three Oscars for Cinematography, Art Direction, and Makeup.  Host & Editor: Geoff GershonProducer: Marlene Gershon  Send us Fan MailSupport the showhttps://livingforthecinema.com/Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Living-for-the-Cinema-Podcast-101167838847578Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/livingforthecinema/Letterboxd:https://letterboxd.com/Living4Cinema/ 

Based (loosely) upon real events, this is the incredible story of an incident which occurred in 1896 on a railroad construction site in Africa run by the British Empire.  Two mysterious lions started mauling and killing dozen's of local workers, resulting in an intense effort lead by the British Colonel (Val Kilmer) overseeing the site....to hunt AND take down these two murderous lions.  The lions are nicknamed, "The Ghost" and "The Darkness" and they prove VERY difficult to find and kill! :o Written by Oscar-winner William Goldman (All the President's Men Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid) and directed by Stephen Hopkins (Predator 2, Blown Away, Lost in Space), this rousing adventure opened thirty years ago to middling box office and reviews....but has since built a bit of a cult following.  It co-stars Michael Douglas, John Kani, and Tom Wilkinson.Prey For The Hunters.  Host & Editor: Geoff GershonProducer: Marlene Gershon  Send us Fan MailSupport the showhttps://livingforthecinema.com/Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Living-for-the-Cinema-Podcast-101167838847578Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/livingforthecinema/Letterboxd:https://letterboxd.com/Living4Cinema/ 

Someone's Taken Their Love of Scary Movies One Step Too Far.....It has been almost one year since high-school student Sydney (Neve Campbell) had to deal with the aftermath of the brutal murder of her mother.....now there's a new killer on the loose around the sleepy town of Woodsboro and apparently, he's now targeting her?? :o Teenagers are being killed all over town and everyone's a suspect....and what results is one of THE more influential horror films of all time which is approaching it's 30th Anniversary!  Directed by horror master Wes Craven (Nightmare on Elm Street, The People Under the Stairs, The Hills Have Eyes), this iconic thriller also co-stars Skeet Ulrich, Rose McGowan, Matthew Lillard, Jamie Kennedy, and Henry Winkler.  It's a SCREAM baby!!!Host & Editor: Geoff GershonProducer: Marlene Gershon  Send us Fan MailSupport the showhttps://livingforthecinema.com/Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Living-for-the-Cinema-Podcast-101167838847578Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/livingforthecinema/Letterboxd:https://letterboxd.com/Living4Cinema/ 

Digger Rockwell (Oscar-nominee Tom Cruise) is one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in the world who runs a lucrative oil company which has been digging for oill in the Arctic.  One fateful morning, it is revaled to him that a drilling operation in that part of the world has inadverdently caused a massive glacier to break apart.....and it's headed towards Europe, which would result in a MAJOR environmental catastrophe. :o Suddenly he finds himself surrounded by American leaders, scientists, family members, and various other lackeys ALL freaking out over the impending disaster....how will he handle this, will he come up with a solution, is it too late to save the world??  Oscar-winner Alejando G. Inarritu (The Revenant, Birdman, Amores Perros) directs this over-the-top satire which now seems destined to be one of the biggest box office flops of recent years....does it deserve the hate?  Also co-starring Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Huller, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jesse Plemons, and Emma D'arcy among several others....there's only way to find out. ;) Let's enter the world of Digger.....Host & Editor: Geoff GershonProducer: Marlene Gershon  Send us Fan MailSupport the showhttps://livingforthecinema.com/Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Living-for-the-Cinema-Podcast-101167838847578Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/livingforthecinema/Letterboxd:https://letterboxd.com/Living4Cinema/