Author Archives: sheila

Review: Honey Bunch (2026)

Posted on February 16, 2026 by sheila

I reviewed Honey Bunch for Ebert.

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“I have already been accused of trying to drown a boatload of wild Irishmen on Aran!” — Robert Flaherty

Posted on February 16, 2026 by sheila

Today is the birthday of the so-called “father of documentary film” Robert Flaherty, a man whose accomplishments cannot be ignored, and yet these same accomplishments are still, rightfully, debated to this day. Known mostly for his two films about “primitive” … Continue reading →

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Substack: Interview with author Julia Cooke

Posted on February 15, 2026 by sheila

Julia Cooke’s Starry and Restless: Three Women Who Changed Work, Writing, and the World comes out at the end of this month and I snagged an advance copy. I fell so in love with the book I reached out to … Continue reading →

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X Marks the Spot

Posted on February 14, 2026 by sheila

Teddy Roosevelt’s diary entry for Feb. 14, 1884. On February 12, his wife Alice gave birth to their daughter. Two days later, on February 14, Alice died. Catastrophically, his mother also died on that day.

Posted in On This Day | 5 Comments

Valentine’s Day Story #2: The Spitball Valentine

Posted on February 14, 2026 by sheila

In the 6th grade, I was passionately in love with a boy named Andrew Wright. My love for him began to blossom tentatively in the fifth grade, but the sensation exploding in sixth grade was real love, no more kid’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal | Tagged | 39 Comments

Valentine’s Day Story #1: An Eyeball and a Dozen Roses

Posted on February 14, 2026 by sheila

I was living in Chicago, having a grand old time. Let’s face it, I was wild. I had no interest in a serious relationship. There were a couple of men buzzing around me. One of them (sweet, nice, a guy … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal | 20 Comments

“I looked like a bad girl. But I wasn’t a bad girl, really. I was a very nice little girl, until I found out what life was.”– Harriet Andersson

Posted on February 14, 2026 by sheila

It’s her birthday today. Ingmar Bergman wrote in Images: My Life in Film, “Harriet Andersson is one of cinema’s geniuses. You meet only a few of these rare, shimmering individuals.” It’s difficult to talk about Harriet Andersson without hyperbole. She … Continue reading →

Posted in Actors, Movies, On This Day | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Happy Birthday, Burt Reynolds: “My love is unironic.”

Posted on February 11, 2026 by sheila

I will always be glad that I was assigned to review The Last Movie Star (2018), Reynolds’ final film, because it meant I got to pay tribute to him – not just his performance in the movie, but to HIM … Continue reading →

Posted in Actors, Movies, On This Day | Tagged | 4 Comments

“Listen, I never meant to make money. I never wanted it. I’m a singer, man.” — Gene Vincent

Posted on February 11, 2026 by sheila

The problem with Elvis is like the problem of, say, the sun. The sun blots out stars. The sun creates heat waves. The sun is a good thing but there’s a hell of a lot else going on besides the … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, On This Day | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

“Each of us have a gift, you see, given us freely by the universe. And each of us with every breath gives something back” — Kim Stanley

Posted on February 11, 2026 by sheila

It’s her birthday today. A couple things about Kim Stanley, who only appeared in 4 films, but was a hugely influential figure in theatre, live television, and Method acting. I mean, she’s the goddess. Jon Krampner’s 2006 biography of Kim … Continue reading →

Posted in Actors, On This Day | Tagged | 2 Comments