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- “I don’t have to be an imitation of a white woman that Hollywood sort of hoped I’d become. I’m me, and I’m like nobody else.” — Lena Horne
- “But man has always succeeded in rising again.” — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
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Category Archives: Movies
“I think I’m invisible sometimes.” — Ingrid Thulin
It’s her birthday today. I’m really proud of the video-essay I wrote on her for Criterion: The Eerie Intensity of Ingrid Thulin One of Ingmar Bergman’s repertory company of actors. As heavy-hitting as Liv Ullmann, Bibi Andersson, Harriet Andersson. She … Continue reading
“Acting is like letting your pants down; you’re exposed.” — Paul Newman
It’s his birthday today. I am so glad I grew up in a time when Paul Newman was still a leading man (and he was a leading man up until the end). So I got to experience the pleasure of … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Movies, On This Day
Tagged Elvis Presley, James Dean, Joanne Woodward, Marlon Brando, Paul Newman, Sidney Lumet
26 Comments
Review: In Cold Light (2026)
I love Maika Monroe. She’s carved out her own authentic place in the industry. She’s famous but not, like, Zendaya famous, and this is a good thing. She’s doing good work, she’s not just playing girlfriends or pretty girls, she … Continue reading
Forbidden Planet interview: The Art and Making of Frankenstein
I forgot I did this interview with Phil Wallis, a filmmaker with Forbidden Planet TV, about my book The Art and Making of Frankenstein. Forbidden Planet just posted it this morning and I was like “Oh! Yeah! I did that!” … Continue reading
Posted in Books, Movies, Personal
Tagged Frankenstein, Guillermo del Toro, Mary Shelley
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“I’m not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know I’m not dumb… and I also know that I’m not blonde.” — Dolly Parton
An American original. Born on this day. A living legend. A national treasure. I have too many favorite Dolly Parton songs to list, and I love her stuff with Porter Wagoner. Speaking of which, have you seen the episode of … Continue reading
Review: Sound of Falling (2026)
One of the best films of the year. lol Years are long, but don’t let this one slip by. I reviewed for Ebert.
“In France, I’m an auteur; in Germany, a filmmaker; in Britain; a genre film director; and, in the USA, a bum.” — John Carpenter
“An Elvis movie is always worth watching because of Elvis.” – Kurt Russell John Carpenter, director: In dealing with Elvis, I’m bringing a lot of my own feelings to it and how I feel about him, and how I interpret … Continue reading
NYFCC essay: “My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow”
All of the essays included in the program for the New York Film Circle Critics awards dinner, held a week ago on January 6, are now online. I wrote on the film we voted as the winner of Best Non-Fiction … Continue reading
December 2025 Viewing Diary
Marty Supreme (2025; d. Joss Safdie) I have mixed feelings on this, especially the last scene, which is corny as hell. Not as corny as the last scene in Lady Bird, but in its way even more obnoxious. Robert Towne … Continue reading
Posted in Monthly Viewing Diary, Movies
Tagged animation, Baz Luhrmann, Darren Aronofsky, drama, Elvis Presley, historical drama, Israel, Japan, Jean-Luc Godard, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Julianne Moore, Kentucker Audley, Kristen Stewart, literary adaptation, Richard Linklater, Russell Crowe, Tom Hanks, women directors
36 Comments
Solidarity, or: The boy in the green bandana
In 2011, as a hopeless protest in response to the the arrest of Iranian director Jafar Panahi, one of my faves, I came out of my shell blog-wise and hosted an “Iranian Film Blogathon“. So many people participated and I … Continue reading