Categories
Archives
-

-
Recent Posts
- “[My ambition is to] give something to our literature which will be our own.” — Walt Whitman
- “I don’t want to show things, but to give people the desire to see.” — Agnès Varda
- “I never made a message picture, and I hope I never do.” — Howard Hawks
- “If I am going to be a poet at all, I am going to be POET and not NEGRO POET.” — poet Countee Cullen
- Reviews: Currents (2026)
- Reviews: Forge (2026)
- “Only the bad directors tell you how to read a line, how to define your character. The good ones let you do your job.” — Carroll Baker
- “I never heard the term ‘rockabilly’ back then. Nobody did…When people asked what music we played, we were rock ’n’ rollers.” — Sonny Burgess
- “I am in a prison: one wall is the avant-garde, the other wall is the past, and I want to escape.” — György Ligeti
- An Acting Lesson: John Wayne and the “Reality of the Doing”
Recent Comments
- Mike Molloy on 2026 Shakespeare Reading Project: Much Ado About Nothing
- sheila on “I never made a message picture, and I hope I never do.” — Howard Hawks
- Bryan Summers on “I never made a message picture, and I hope I never do.” — Howard Hawks
- Lyrie on “I just love telling stories. That’s what we do and it’s a good business to be in, especially if you know you have talent.” –Jensen Ackles
- Kendra Williams on Josh White, singer of “the fighting blues”
- sheila on “I dont want to just do just country type stuff the rest of my life. I want to do some different things.” — Charlie Rich
- sheila on The Books: “Awake and Sing” (Clifford Odets)
- Jincy Willett on “There’s nobody as good as the Ramones, never will be.” — Joey Ramone
- Bill Wolfe on “I dont want to just do just country type stuff the rest of my life. I want to do some different things.” — Charlie Rich
- Donn Harris on The Books: “Awake and Sing” (Clifford Odets)
- sheila on “Listen, I never meant to make money. I never wanted it. I’m a singer, man.” — Gene Vincent
- Pat on “Listen, I never meant to make money. I never wanted it. I’m a singer, man.” — Gene Vincent
- sheila on “There’s nobody as good as the Ramones, never will be.” — Joey Ramone
- Jincy Willett on “There’s nobody as good as the Ramones, never will be.” — Joey Ramone
- sheila on 2026 Shakespeare Reading Project: Hamlet
- Biff Dorsey on 2026 Shakespeare Reading Project: Hamlet
- sheila on 2026 Shakespeare Reading Project: Hamlet
- Dave on Review: The Chronology of Water (2025)
- Biff Dorsey on 2026 Shakespeare Reading Project: Hamlet
- sheila on “I just love telling stories. That’s what we do and it’s a good business to be in, especially if you know you have talent.” –Jensen Ackles
-
Tag Archives: reviews
Review: Seriously Red (2023)
Rose Byrne as an Elvis impersonator? Bobby Cannavale as a Neil Diamond impersonator? First of all: yes, please. But there’s more. This movie wiggles free from its own tropes. It’s weird – and I mean that as a compliment. There’s … Continue reading
Review: Baby Ruby (2023)
A horror movie about postpartum depression. I reviewed for Ebert.
January 2023 Viewing Diary
Friday Night Lights No time like the present. I binged this entire series in a couple weeks. This took commitment, and a couple days of sick leave, while trapped in my hotel room in Memphis, too sick to move. I … Continue reading
Posted in Monthly Viewing Diary, Movies, Television
Tagged Aubrey Plaza, Baz Luhrmann, Bette Davis, biopic, Cary Grant, comedy, documentary, Dorothy Parker, drama, Eddie Cochran, Elvis Presley, film noir, Hedy Lamarr, Hungary, Italy, Jean Renoir, Little Richard, Poland, Pre-Code, Ralph Bellamy, Raoul Walsh, reviews, Spencer Tracy, Teresa Wright, true crime, William Wyler, women directors
9 Comments
Review: When You Finish Saving the World (2023)
Written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg. I’m not sure what happened here. I reviewed for Ebert. Thank you so much for stopping by. If you like what I do, and if you feel inclined to support my work, … Continue reading
Review: Saint Omer (2023)
An incredible film, the first narrative feature from celebrated documentary filmmaker Alice Diop. I saw this last year and included it in my year-end list. It’s out in theatres today. I reviewed for Ebert.
Review: Turn Every Page: The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb (2022)
My last review of 2022. I enjoyed this documentary about the decades-long working partnership between editor Bob Gottlieb and author Robert Caro. I reviewed for Ebert.
Review: Women Talking (2022)
Sarah Polley’s film adaptation of Miriam Towes’ novel Women Talking is now out. Not as bowled over by this as many others seem to be. Not saying everyone else is wrong, of course, just that I’ve seen this twice now … Continue reading
Posted in Movies
Tagged Canada, drama, literary adaptation, reviews, women directors
Leave a comment
Review: Retrograde (2022)
A documentary about the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan after nearly 20 years. It’s heart-breaking. I have a Special Forces pal, who was over there in the earliest stages. I thought of him often. I can’t repeat his stories, of … Continue reading
Review: The Eternal Daughter (2022)
I love writing about Joanna Hogg – her work has such a depth and richness – and so I was pleased to review her latest, The Eternal Daughter, where Tilda Swinton plays a dual role – mother and daughter. You … Continue reading
Posted in Movies
Tagged drama, England, Joanna Hogg, reviews, Tilda Swinton, women directors
Leave a comment
Review: Lady Chatterley’s Lover (2022)
I’m always assigned the sexy movies. What does it mean? I do like to write about sex, so …. what better way to put my interests to use than reviewing an adaptation one of the most scandalous books of the … Continue reading

