The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on October 18, 2013

If you stop to think about it, the power of invisibility would be extremely useful, yet highly overrated.  With enough tact, you could easily eavesdrop on any conversation, give the slip to anyone, take what you want or pull some great scares with little chance of being caught.  What a...   read more

The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on October 12, 2013

I’ve probably spent too much time planning what I would do if the dead began walking.  In my home, I wouldn’t stand a chance; too many doors and windows to worry about.  But somewhere out in my little slice of southern suburbia would be a perfect place to hideout.  Somewhere...   read more

The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on October 8, 2013

Where chainsaws ever present in nightmares before The Texas Chain Saw Massacre?  Since Tobe Hooper’s film in 1974, the chainsaw has taken new life.  The rev and buzz of the machine has become part of the soundtrack of the Halloween season and being chased by a madman wielding the tool...   read more

The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on October 6, 2013

The story of Carrie White is one that I always found very sad and sympathetic.  Her home life is terrifying; she seems to have been regularly abused, mentally, verbally and physically by her overly religious mother.  This seems to have affected her social skills, and she hides behind her flat...   read more

The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on October 4, 2013

I’m not sure if I ever saw 1932’s The Mummy as a small child.  I seem to have more recollection with the CGI action/adventure version of the film that came out in the late ‘90s.  And the images in my mind of an old black and white mummy wrapped head...   read more

The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on October 2, 2013

Drag Me to Hell has become one of my favorite guilty pleasure movies.  It’s gotten to the point where if I find it on tv, I cannot turn it off.  The first time I saw it, I wasn’t sure if it would be a truly scary film that would give...   read more

The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on October 1, 2013

Time to celebrate all those creepy shadows and bumps in the night. It’s hard to believe that October is here again.  Here at The Best Picture Project, that means a month focused on classic and great horror films that fit into the Halloween season. Now I realize the past month...   read more

The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on September 5, 2013

The Triplets of Belleville is a very unique animated film.  Written and directed by Sylvian Chomet, also known for The Illusionist, the film was nominated for best animated feature in 2003, alongside Finding Nemo and Brother Bear.  The characters are not designed to be overly cute, nor is there any   read more

The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on August 26, 2013

Back in 2009, my husband was very excited for the opening of Watchmen.  In the past year, he had read the graphic novel (written by Alan Moore, art by Dave Gibbons) and we went to a late showing, though we’re usually matinee people.  I went into the film bind, only...   read more

The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on August 14, 2013

Pink Floyd – The Wall is unlike any film I’ve ever seen.  It can be seen as a long, elaborate music video, a daring rock opera or a stand alone story set to music.  There is no concert footage or time in the recording studio shown.  The film keeps rooted...   read more

The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on August 7, 2013

Pacific Rim This may have been the most fun I’ll have at the movies this summer.  In the moment, Pacific Rim is awesome.  Giant robots fighting giant alien dinosaur looking things is as epic as it sounds.  This feels like someone took a kid’s daydream from Power Rangers and Godzilla,...   read more

The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on August 1, 2013

When I think of my favorite adventure and fantasy films, I usually don’t reach back further than the 1970s.  For fantasy to work, we have to believe in what we’re seeing, and in a pre-CGI era, no everything is so believable.  However, when it is done right and with enough...   read more

The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on July 27, 2013

When I have heard of Hoop Dreams over the years, I expected a sports documentary full of uplifting moments seeing our protagonists slowly achieve their dreams.  Instead, I found a heart wrenching story about two boys with big dreams, lots of talent, but no easy path to make their dreams...   read more

The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on July 16, 2013

After I finally sat down to watch The African Queen, the I immediately wondered why it had taken so long to check it off my list.  I loved it.  It’s the kind of film that feels tailored to me: action and adventure down the wild jungle rivers of Africa with...   read more

The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on July 9, 2013

1960’s Spartacus was a laborious film for all involved.  After one week of filming under Anthony Mann’s direction, Stanley Kubrick took over as director.  Working with a script by blacklisted Dalton Trumbo that feels pulled between political views of the time and a main character paralleling Moses,   read more

The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on July 2, 2013

I’ve been prowling around my local theater again, fueled by popcorn and misguided trust in the summer blockbuster.  Honestly readers, I was only excited for one of the following films.  Another my husband wanted to see and pounced on some tickets.  The last I saw out of superhero/blockbuster obligat   read more

The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on June 26, 2013

Supposedly, as a very small child, I believed that the tree in the backyard was where Pooh lived and searched for honey.  Eeyore was my sister’s favorite and now she has a collection of his stuffed likeness.  And my brother was nothing short of a modern Christopher Robin, with his...   read more

The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on June 20, 2013

Most know Andy Griffith best from his popular show, The Andy Griffith Show, and his later years on Matlock.  However, few realize that his screen debut came in 1957 in the film by Elia Kazan, A Face in the Crowd.  Here, Griffith is a downtrodden young man found in jail...   read more

The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on June 12, 2013

When Who Framed Roger Rabbit first came to theaters in 1988, I was three years old.  As far back as I can remember, my family had a copy of the movie on VHS, and it was regularly in the VCR.  There are many scenes I can play back in my...   read more

The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on June 2, 2013

Happy June!  It’s hot out and the theaters are nice and cool, which means there are some fun blockbuster movies to check out.  Though I’m not the kind of online critic who sees the latest movies in theaters every week, I couldn’t help but catch a few that I have...   read more