Author Archives: Paul Gaita

About Paul Gaita

Paul Gaita lives in Sherman Oaks, California with his lovely wife and daughter. He has written for The Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, Variety and The Fix, among many other publications, and was a home video reviewer for Amazon.com from 1998 to 2014. He has interviewed countless entertainment figures from both the A and Z lists, but his favorites remain Elmore Leonard, Ray Bradbury and George Newall, who created both Schoolhouse Rock and the Hai Karate aftershave commercials. He once shared a Thanksgiving dinner with celebrity astrologer Joyce Jillson, and regrettably, still owes the late character actor Charles Napier a dollar.

Movies Till Dawn: 2018 Gift Guide for Eclectic Insomniacs Part 2 (Nostalgia and Nightmares Edition)

Posted on December 16, 2018 by Paul Gaita

As ’80s teen comedies go, I’d rather watch “Valley Girl” (1983),  Martha Coolidge‘s salty-sweet tribute to life in the San Fernando Valley, than John Hughes’ c.v. The performances are charming (especially leads Deborah Foreman and a pre-fame Nicolas Cage, but … Continue reading →

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Movies Till Dawn: Back in Black (and White)

Posted on December 12, 2018 by Paul Gaita

“The Man Who Cheated Himself” (1950, Flicker Alley) Rookie detective John Dall (“Gun Crazy“) investigates the killing of Harlan Warde, husband to socialite Jane Wyatt, who committed the murder with the help of her lover: Dall’s older brother and fellow … Continue reading →

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Movies Till Dawn: 2018 Gift Guide for Eclectic Insomniacs (Small Screen and Three Stooges Edition)

Posted on December 8, 2018 by Paul Gaita

Goofball TV comedy or existential treatise on the human condition? In the case of Dan Harmon‘s “Community” (2009-2015), both are applicable. The series, about a gaggle of outcasts at a small junior college, embraced a dizzying array of high and … Continue reading →

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Movies Till Dawn: Arthouse Confidential Part II

Posted on December 5, 2018 by Paul Gaita

“Gas Food Lodging” (1992, Arrow Academy) Unvarnished snapshot of life in a dead-end town, as seen through the tired eyes of a single mother (Brooke Adams) and her daughters (Fairuza Balk and Ione Skye). Getting through the day-to-day on their … Continue reading →

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Movies Till Dawn: Short and Sweet and (Mostly) Brand New, Part 2

Posted on December 1, 2018 by Paul Gaita

“Skate Kitchen” (2018, Magnolia Home Entertainment) Shy New York tomboy Rachelle Vinberg finds acceptance and confidence – and considerable drama – when she joins an all-female skateboard crew. Dramatic feature debut of Crystal Moselle (“The Wolfpack“) benefits greatly from her … Continue reading →

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Movies Till Dawn: Short and Sweet and (Mostly) Brand New

Posted on November 28, 2018 by Paul Gaita

“Blindspotting” (2018, Lionsgate) Stars Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal, who also co-wrote this ambitious film, are hot-and-cold friends trying to stay out of trouble in Oakland, which is depicted as a landscape of thinly veiled traps to ensnare young men … Continue reading →

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Movies Till Dawn: Post-Thanksgiving Small Plates of Reality

Posted on November 23, 2018 by Paul Gaita

“Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood” (2017, Kino Lorber) Delirious, gossip-laden portrait of nonagenarian Scotty Bowers, who from a gas station at 5777 Hollywood Blvd., is alleged to have provided discreet sexual favors to a galaxy of Golden Age … Continue reading →

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Movies Till Dawn: Arthouse Confidential

Posted on November 16, 2018 by Paul Gaita

“Art School Confidential” (2006, MVD Visual) Naïve student Max Minghella is dismayed to find that his dream of becoming the next Picasso is regularly trampled at an East Coast art college by a parade of egos, both dampened and unfettered, … Continue reading →

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Movies Till Dawn: The Saturday Morning Strange – A Pair of Queens

Posted on November 10, 2018 by Paul Gaita

“Good Times” (1967, Kino Lorber) After confirming their pop star status by performing “I Got You Babe” (a re-recorded version, not the original single) , Sonny and Cher plot their ascent to movie stardom. But they don’t care for the … Continue reading →

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Movies Till Dawn: Mad Monster Party IV (Halloween Screenings A.D. 2018)

Posted on October 31, 2018 by Paul Gaita

“Down a Dark Hall” (2018, Lionsgate) An arson rap spurs the parents of headstrong teen AnnaSophia Robb to ship her off to the Blackwood Boarding School where, under the tutelage of headmistress Madame Duret (Uma Thurman), they discover and hone … Continue reading →

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