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Category Archives: Actors
For Film Comment: Miriam Hopkins
Two hard-to-see films starring the glorious Miriam Hopkins, Wise Girl (1937) and Lady with Red Hair, will be airing on TCM on October 19. I wrote about both films – and Hopkins, in particular, for Film Comment: TCM Diary: Miriam … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Movies
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R.I.P. Bill Nunn, aka “Radio Raheem”
In the comments section for Spike Lee’s FB message passing on the sad news of the death of Bill Nunn (most well-known for his portrayal of Radio Raheem in Do the Right Thing, although he had a long career with … Continue reading
Film Comment: Dean Stockwell “Sweet Agony”
Pretty happy with the layout of the “Dean Stockwell spread”. The Film Comment folks did an incredible job, and the screen-grabs they found are eloquent, illustrating the many scenes I mentioned in the essay. Still catching up with the rest … Continue reading
My Film Comment essay on Dean Stockwell in 1959’s Compulsion
I have an essay in the September/October issue of Film Comment, in their new column “Finest Hour,” singing the praises of Dean Stockwell’s radical and honest performance as the sexually-repressed/tormented/closeted Judd Steiner in the 1959 film Compulsion (based on the … Continue reading
Podcast: Nathaniel and I discuss the Best Supporting Actress Oscar, 1984
I participated in Nathaniel Rogers’ wonderful Oscar Smackdown series, where a group of film critics and movie buffs rate the Oscar nominees/winners in a certain category in a specific year. Nathaniel has been doing this for YEARS, and I’ve been … Continue reading
Best Supporting Actress Smackdown: 1984
The results are up! We are re-living the Oscar race in 1984 over at Nathaniel’s place, voting again on the Best Supporting Actress category. To refresh your memory, the nominees were: Dame Peggy Ashcroft for A Passage to India (she … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Movies
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“To match the shoes with the jacket is fey. To match the shoes with the hat is taste.” – Gene Wilder on the Willy Wonka costume sketches
In Gene Wilder’s book Kiss Me Like a Stranger, he describes his first meeting with the director Mel Stuart, before he had decided to do it. He had reservations. He had an idea for what would dispel those reservations. Listen, … Continue reading
The Mystery That Was Gene Wilder’s Gift
Is it the eye pan to the right? Is it the delayed eyebrow raise? Is it what he’s doing with his mouth? Is it that it’s one of his specialties – the comedic pause? Is it all of that together? … Continue reading
R.I.P. Gene Wilder
I said what I needed to say on Twitter. Humphrey Bogart said that good acting was “6 feet back” in the eyes. Gene Wilder exemplified that. For example this: Actors watch a moment like that and have the same reaction … Continue reading
Supporting Actress Smackdown of 1984
I have been following Nathaniel Rogers’ wonderful Oscar smackdown series for YEARS. He was one of the first film bloggers I discovered, back in the dark ages of time, so it’s super fun that I finally get to participate in … Continue reading