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- Reviews: Currents (2026)
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- “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
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- An Acting Lesson: John Wayne and the “Reality of the Doing”
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- 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
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Tag Archives: reviews
Review: On the Record on HBO (2020)
The story of one woman’s decision to go “on the record” about being assaulted by hip-hop giant Russell Simmons. It’s also a doc about the surrounding context of her era, of the early years of hip-hop – a culture she … Continue reading
Review: AKA Jane Roe (2020)
I reviewed the new Hulu doc AKA Jane Roe, where “Jane Roe” (aka Norma McCorvey) makes her “death bed confession”, which I’m sure you’ve all heard about by now: it’s made international headlines, obviously since advance press screeners went out … Continue reading
Review: The Vast of Night (2020). SEE this movie.
God, what a great assignment. I fell so in LOVE with this UFO-appears-over-1950s-small town movie, a first feature from Oklahoma-based Andrew Patterson. I am lost in admiration. Even better, the film is going to be released over the next two … Continue reading
Review: The Flood (2020)
New movie about the refugee crisis in Europe: a woman has to judge whether or not a refugee’s claims for political asylum are warranted. My review of The Flood is up at Ebert.
My final column at Film Comment: on Jonathan Demme’s Citizens Band
As some of you may be aware, Film Comment is going on an “indefinite” hiatus during this uncertain time. There have been a lot of layoffs at the Film Society of Lincoln Center, and Lincoln Center itself is struggling. While … Continue reading
Review: Endings, Beginnings (2020)
My review of Endings, Beginnings is now up on Ebert. It’s so drenched in indie-movie cliches the characters barely have room to breathe. But they aren’t really characters and that’s a problem too.
Review: Tigertail (2020): on Netflix
Movies do continue to open, albeit online. Here’s my review of a film opening today on Netflix, and I highly recommend it: Tigertail, written and directed by Alan Yang (of Parks and Recreation, Master of None). Without any spoilers: I … Continue reading
Present Tense: on Emir Kusturica’s Arizona Dream (1993)
I’ve been obsessed with Arizona Dream – the 142-minute version, not the BUTCHERED version released in theatres or on DVD (at least in the US) for decades now. It stars Jerry Lewis, Faye Dunaway (in one of her best performances), … Continue reading
Review: Almost Love (2020)
Wow. I was almost surprised at how much I was NOT in the mood for this one. Normally I put aside my mood. You kind of have to. Now? Nope. To be fair, I would have called out the things … Continue reading
Review: Banana Split (2020)
Many thanks to the editors at Rogerebert.com for keeping us going during this very weird time, with no movies releasing in theatres, many movies switching to VOD releases, and in general … a chaotic moment when everyone (including us) is … Continue reading