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I have several “favorite” movies of all-time. It is a list that includes flicks as varied as To Live and Die in LA, Goodfellas, Casablanca, and even Snatch. One of those gets the perfect scene honor for our fourth installment of the regular series here on The Movie Mensch. When […]

The Perfect Scene #4: The Sonic Succulence of La Marseillaise ...

January 6, 2021 in Movie Clips / Opinion Piece tagged Casablanca / Movie Clips / The Perfect Scene by joeldamos

The music industry is a fickle beast, but it is fruitful when it comes to providing fodder for film. Movies that take place in, or are about the music biz, have a special spot in the lineage of Hollywood. See, even if an actor has enormous success in the thespian […]

Turn it Up! The Best Movies About the Music Biz

November 10, 2020 in Lists / Movie News / Opinion Piece / Top 10s tagged Lists / Music Movies / Top 10s by joeldamos

Rarely does a superhero movie scene emit such power that it produces tears like what resulted from the so-called “No Man’s Land” moment in 2017’s Wonder Woman. That is exactly what occurred across the world when Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) refused to wait for a better time to engage the […]

The Perfect Scene #3: Wonder Woman Enters No Man’s Land

October 12, 2020 in Movie Clips / Opinion Piece tagged Chris Pine / Gal Gadot / Movie Scenes / Patty Jenkins / The Perfect Scene / Wonder Woman by joeldamos

The passing of Chadwick Boseman struck me pretty hard. Not one to get all worked up over the loss of a “celebrity,” the man who was Black Panther leaving this earth was different for a myriad of reasons. I needed some hours between breaking news and putting fingers to the […]

Chadwick Boseman: An Appreciation for a Once in a Generation ...

August 31, 2020 in Movie News / Opinion Piece / RIP tagged 21 Bridges / 42 / Black Panther / Chadwick Boseman / Get On Up / RIP by joeldamos

With our second installment of The Movie Mensch’s monthly column that looks at cinematic perfection personified, The Perfect Scene points its spotlight at Steven Spielberg and his Jurassic Park. What strikes first about the two scenes we’re saluting, is that last month’s selection—Paul Thomas Anderson’s Boogie Nights—utilized Rick Springfield’s smash […]

The Perfect Scene #2: A T-Rex Attacks Jurassic Park

August 19, 2020 in Movie News / Opinion Piece tagged Jurassic Park / Movie News / Steven Spielberg / The Perfect Scene by joeldamos

Of all the film genres, mob movies have a special place in our collective cinematic heart. What’s not to love? There’s always drama. You can count on some tense, action-filled moments while inhaling a cornucopia of heartstring pullers that leave you catching your breath. Looking for an organized crime drama […]

15 Underrated Mob Movies to Ice Your Film Blues

July 21, 2020 in Movie News / Opinion Piece / Top 10s tagged Mob Movies / Top 10s by joeldamos

Welcome to a new column here at The Movie Mensch, something we affectionately call The Perfect Scene. Starting off this look at these impeccable moments that are orchestrated by a priceless collaboration of directors, cinematographers, editors, performers, production designers, and music is a scene from Paul Thomas Anderson’s Boogie Nights. […]

The Perfect Scene #1: Boogie Nights Rocks Jessie’s Girl

July 1, 2020 in Movie Clips / Movie News / Opinion Piece tagged Boogie Nights / Mark Wahlberg / Movie Clips / Paul Thomas Anderson / The Perfect Scene by joeldamos

It’s my favorite time of year, awards season. Now, it is time for the best part of arriving at this point in the calendar—predicting Oscar victories! Who will win Oscar gold has been a question I’ve been answering ahead of the Academy Awards since I was 14-years-old. I’ve gotten pretty […]

Oscar Watch 2020: Predicting the Academy Award Winners in all ...

February 5, 2020 in Academy Awards / Opinion Piece / Oscar Watch tagged Oscar Predictions / Oscar Watch / Oscar Winners by joeldamos

As The Movie Mensch’s Oscar Watch stated—before Academy Awards nominations were even announced—the race this year is down to 1917 and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. This is not an endorsement of Sam Mendes’ epic World War I for Tinsel Town’s top prize. What this latest Oscar Watch column […]

Oscar Watch: Why 1917 Is One of Awards Season’s Most ...

January 16, 2020 in Opinion Piece / Oscar Watch tagged 1917 / Oscar Watch by joeldamos