Tag Archives: Ingmar Bergman

Happy Birthday, Bibi Andersson

It was my great honor to write and narrate a video-essay last year for The Criterion Collection about Bibi Andersson and Liv Ullmann’s collaboration – both separately and together – for Bergman: Liv Ullmann and Bibi Andersson, Sisters in the … Continue reading

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Talking 1953 movies with Jason Bailey and Mike Hull: A Very Good Year podcast

My pal Jason Bailey and his pal Mike Hull host a fascinating podcast called A Very Good Year, which they describe as: “Each week we invite a guest (filmmakers and actors, critics and historians, comedians and musicians) who loves movies, … Continue reading

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“Reality is diabolical.” — Ingmar Bergman

Bibi Andersson, Liv Ullmann, Ingmar Bergman It’s Ingmar Bergman’s birthday today. I saw Persona in college – while studying acting – and was so intimidated by it I thought, “Okay. I can’t ever watch this again.” I needed courage to … Continue reading

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Backs and Mirrors

If you’ve been around here for a while, you know how I love moments where actors have their back to the camera (back-ting) and moments where characters stare at themselves in the mirror. I started mulling about this 15 years … Continue reading

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June 2023 Viewing Diary

Succession (2018-2023) I finally watched, having somehow resisted the DEAFENING buzz over the last couple of years. I like Jeremy Strong, liked his small moment in Zero Dark Thirty, he totally stood out in The Big Short (directed by one … Continue reading

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“I looked like a bad girl. But I wasn’t a bad girl, really. I was a very nice little girl, until I found out what life was.”– Harriet Andersson

It’s her birthday today. Ingmar Bergman wrote in Images: My Life in Film, “Harriet Andersson is one of cinema’s geniuses. You meet only a few of these rare, shimmering individuals.” It’s difficult to talk about Harriet Andersson without hyperbole. She … Continue reading

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Happy Birthday, Ingrid Thulin

One of Ingmar Bergman’s repertory company of actors. As heavy-hitting as Liv Ullmann, Bibi Andersson, Harriet Andersson. She wasn’t fully fluent in English and therefore she didn’t move into international stardom the way Liv Ullmann was able to do. But … Continue reading

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Good artists borrow …

… great artists steal, and etc. and so forth. Moonlighting, 1982, d. Jerzy Skolimowski Persona, 1966, d. Ingmar Bergman     Thank you so much for stopping by. If you like what I do, and if you feel inclined to … Continue reading

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“The best thing that can come with success is the knowledge that it is nothing to long for.” — Liv Ullmann

It’s her birthday today. In 2018 I was assigned by the Criterion Collection to write tributes to four of Ingmar Bergman’s actresses: Liv Ullmann, Bibi Andersson, (Liv and Bibi were paired together in one video – Bergman saw them as … Continue reading

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November 2021 Viewing Diary

The Wire, half of Season 3 This is the busiest time of year in re: film-critic-land, so had to stop my re-watch of The Wire to make room for new releases. I’ll get back to it! All Is Forgiven (2007; … Continue reading

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