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- “Art is theft, art is armed robbery, art is not pleasing your mother.” — Janet Malcolm
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- “There’s a difference between writing about something and living through it. I did both.” — poet/novelist Margaret Walker
- “I believe what Camus says. When the curtain rings down, your job is done.” — Warren Oates
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- “My voice isn’t an instrument I can just hang up on a hook.” — Audra McDonald
- “You can’t be on top all the time. It isn’t natural.” — Olivia de Havilland
- “If I don’t feel it, I can’t play it.” — James Cotton
- “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 always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific.” — Lily Tomlin
It’s her birthday today. I wrote about Lily Tomlin (and other talented actresses who come from comedy/improv) in my “Present Tense” Film Comment column. She is on another level. I mean … A couple years back, as part of an … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Movies, On This Day, Television
Tagged John Travolta, Lily Tomlin, Meryl Streep, Robert Altman
7 Comments
“The movie doesn’t wink; it believes in the story it’s telling.”
Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein premiered yesterday at the Venice Film Festival (coincidentally, also Mary Shelley’s birthday! Or maybe it wasn’t a coincidence?) The red carpet stuff has been so fun to watch. I’m so happy for everyone involved. This has … Continue reading
“Certainly there have been better actors than me who have had no careers. Why? I don’t know.” — Richard Gere
It’s his birthday today. Here’s a piece I wrote about him: The Narcissist at Home: Richard Gere in American Gigolo.
Posted in Actors, Movies
Tagged drama, mirrors, newsletter, Paul Schrader, Richard Gere
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“In the 20s, you were a face. And that was enough. In the 30s, you also had to be a voice. And your voice had to match your face, if you can imagine that.” — Joan Blondell
It’s Joan Blondell’s birthday today. I am sure I saw Joan Blondell in her 1930s movies when I was a kid, although maybe not the Pre-Codes. That would come later. My real introduction to her, though, came through her performance … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Movies, On This Day
Tagged Busby Berkeley, Elvis Presley, Gold Diggers of 1933, James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Mervyn LeRoy, WWI
15 Comments
“We were reflecting what we could perceive, which was paranoia everywhere and irrational fear. Certainly, my films of the 1970s reflected just that.” — William Friedkin
William Friedkin was “there” in my life before I put it together that movies were a thing made by humans. As a kid, they were just full-immersion stories coming from out of the land of the imagination. It wasn’t until … Continue reading
Review: The Thursday Murder Club (2025)
I enjoyed this English caper! Great cast. I reviewed for Ebert.
“I do not ever want to be a huge star.” — Tuesday Weld
It’s her birthday today. From the great “Pretty Poison” (1968) with Anthony Perkins. And below you can see her as the creepily blank and heart-achingly gorgeous teenage majorette in the fantastic opening sequence of the film. See Pretty Poison if … Continue reading
“I try to lie as much as I can when I’m interviewed. It’s reverse psychology. I figure if you lie, they’ll print the truth.” — River Phoenix
It’s his birthday today. Just as I will never get over Kurt Cobain’s death, and will never stop missing him and wondering what he would be doing now, I will never get over River Phoenix’s death. Losing the two of … Continue reading
“If you’re creating anything at all, it’s really dangerous to care about what people think.” — Kristen Wiig
Today is the birthday of one of the greatest actors working today. I can’t seem to stop mentioning Kristen Wiig in my writing. I mention her even if she isn’t the main subject. She’s my favorite. I am in awe … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Movies, On This Day, Television
Tagged backting, comedy, drama, Kristen Wiig, mirrors
4 Comments
“Everyone thinks they know Frankenstein.” — Oscar Isaac
A lovely interview with both Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi about Frankenstein. I love them both. Also, finally people can TALK about this thing. It’s great to watch the film move into this next phase!