Bay Area Bloke

Roman Polanski

  • Movies Based on Plays – I

    Movies Based on Plays – I

    There are both advantages and disadvantages to adapting a play for the big screen (or TV). It can certainly save the filmmakers the cost and time of writing a screenplay for the movie, but it also adds a new set of complexities. Scripts for plays are usually restricted to a few venues, or in many… Read more

  • Movie Review: Macbeth (1971)

    Movie Review: Macbeth (1971)

    Today, we will look at director Roman Polanski’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth to the big screen. This overlooked gem is his first movie after the gruesome murder of his wife, Sharon Tate. The movie preserves most of Shakespeare’s storyline but includes a few small deviations. The original dialogue from the play is also retained almost… Read more

  • Movie Review: Chinatown (1974)

    Movie Review: Chinatown (1974)

    Chinatown, directed by Roman Polanski and based on a screenplay from Robert Towne, is one of the defining neo-noir movies of all time. Set in the Los Angeles of 1937, the movie features Jack Nicholson as a private eye trying to unravel a series of unfolding revelations after taking on the investigation of an unfaithful… Read more

  • Movie Review: Death and the Maiden (1994)

    Movie Review: Death and the Maiden (1994)

    If you have not noticed by now, most of my reviews,(at least for the time being) , besides film noir are on small budget movies with a limited cast. It always amazes me about how a director can do so much with few resources but with great actors. When a veteran director creates a movie… Read more