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Category Archives: Movies
In the Criterion Closet
This one’s been a long time coming! My friend, the great Kim Morgan, goes into the Criterion Closet. (If you’re not aware of what this is, “Closet Picks” is a series hosted by the Criterion Collection where celebrities, directors, artists, … Continue reading
In Memory of Roger Ebert: Michael, Roger & Me
Roger Ebert died 13 years ago today. I wrote about him and how he reached out to me a couple of months before he died and how it coincided exactly with the other Great Event in my life in the … Continue reading
Posted in Movies, On This Day, Personal
Tagged drama, friends, July and Half of August, Kwik Stop
8 Comments
Review: Living the Land (2026)
What a beautiful movie. Living the Land takes place in a small village in the Henan province. Although the year is 1991, modernity has not touched the place. There’s intermittent electricity but the people still harvest the wheat by hand, … Continue reading
“The only thing an actor owes his public is not to bore them.” — Marlon Brando
“Sending Marlon Brando to acting class was like sending a tiger to jungle school.” – Stella Adler “You can’t always be a failure. Not and survive. Van Gogh! There’s an example of what can happen when a person never receives … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Movies, On This Day
Tagged Elia Kazan, Marlon Brando, On the Waterfront
38 Comments
“The films I find boring are the ones that have no space for the audience’s misconceptions.” — Josephine Decker
Unfortunately, considering Josephine Decker’s recent output, much of what I say here is no longer relevant and I can’t even say how much this saddens me. I don’t wish for her to not change, of course, but watching her abandon … Continue reading
Review: Holy Days (2026)
Anything with these three actresses is, at least, worth checking out … but overall … Holy Days felt pretty insubstantial. My review at Ebert.
“If you want to see the girl next door, go next door.” – Joan Crawford
Today is Joan Crawford’s birthday. Some links first: World-Class Acting: On Joan Crawford and Sudden Fear Here are the re-caps of Feud: Bette and Joan I did for The New York Times. Lots of discussions of Joan Crawford’s career and … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Movies, On This Day
Tagged Clark Gable, Dana Andrews, Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Crawford, Johnny Guitar, Otto Preminger, Sudden Fear, Vincente Minnelli
10 Comments
Review: Tow (2026)
I reviewed Tow, based on a true story, starring Rose Byrne, for Ebert. I liked writing this.
“Reality is always extraordinary.” — Mary Ellen Mark
It’s her birthday today. My first job was as a page at a local library. I would go there after school, shelve books for a couple of hours, and then head home. I ended up working there all through high … Continue reading
“I think my cinema is minimalist because so is my gaze: I’m very interested in people.” — Joanna Hogg
It’s the birthday of director Joanna Hogg, who hasn’t directed that many films (comparatively) and yet what she has done really matters, so much so that when there are gaps between films, people who always have her on their radar … Continue reading
Posted in Directors, Movies, On This Day
Tagged England, Joanna Hogg, Martin Scorsese, Tilda Swinton, women directors
2 Comments