In Fences (2016), Stephen McKinley Henderson, Viola Davis, and Denzel Washington lead an outstanding cast worthy of the Pulitzer that the original production of Fences won, along with every other major award in American theatre-dom.

A League of Their Own was released over 30 years ago in the summer of ‘92. The first George Bush was in office with Bill Clinton waiting in the wings. Gas cost just over a buck a gallon. On average, the stars (Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Rosie O’Donnell, Madonna, and Tom Hanks) were in their early 30s, about half their current age. Like most baseball movies, this one is steeped in nostalgia. It works even better now that enough time has…

“The opposing team and my teammates, they knew I was high, but they didn’t know what I was high on.”

Baseball’s back and better than ever! Especially if you’re a Baltimore Orioles fan, like me, but definitely not if you’re an Oakland A’s fan, like my cousin Reynold. In that case, baseball’s temporarily back and far from good. Take that, Reynold!

I saw it first as a 10-year-old kid and didn’t get it. People talk a lot, and nothing happens. I also didn’t recognize Princess Leia without the bikini. The faked orgasm at the deli was funny to my grade-school sensibilities, though. 

I started writing to explain the greatness of The Apartment (1960), but as I was looking for a header photo, I realized how well-composed and shot many scenes and images from this film are. Looking at the photos took me right back into the mood of the film. I encourage you to take each image in on as big a screen as possible. Do an image search, blow them up, drink them in. It’s film photography at its finest. Speaking of which,…

The music! The costumes! (Outrageous French accent) The mise-en-scene! Down with Love (2003) celebrates its 20-year anniversary on May 9th. This is a movie about men and women (in the hetero sense), sex, gender roles, and sex. With humor!

Romcoms! They've been around forever in some form or another (Adam and Eve: hilarious!), but if we're looking at movies, the prevailing belief is that It Happened One Night (1934) was the first of its kind. Directed by Frank Capra (of It's a Wonderful Life (1946) fame) and starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert, the film tells the story of a spoiled heiress and a down-on-his-luck newspaper reporter who fall in love while on a cross-country bus trip. With its snappy, witty dialogue and…

Cassius Clay, Sam Cooke, Jim Brown, and Malcolm X walk into a bar. Cassius and Malcolm don’t order anything.