Tag Archives: John Huston

“He who has never felt, momentarily, what madness is has but a mouthful of brains.” — Herman Melville

“Old nineteenth-century New England must have been fearful–in what other country would Thoreau, Melville, Whitman and Dickinson have been so overlooked?” — Robert Lowell, letter to Elizabeth Bishop, December 12, 1958 Herman Melville was born on this day in 1819. … Continue reading

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2019 Books Read

It’s been such a busy year for me as a writer. The busiest. I’ve had to “make time” for reading stuff that has nothing to do with anything writing-wise. I need to read for pleasure. Many of the books I … Continue reading

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Film Comment Countdown and Live Talk

Last night, I participated in a Film Comment live talk at Lincoln Center, hosted/moderated by Film Comment editor-in-chief Nic Rapold, which involved “unveiling” Film Comment‘s Top 10 of 2018. The other critics there were Michael Koresky, Nick Pinkerton and Molly … Continue reading

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2018 Top 10 Movies

To cut off people who want to say “But what about …” or “You forgot …”, let me just say: No. I did not. I did not forget. There will be another list to follow of all of the films … Continue reading

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December 2017 Viewing Diary

Supernatural, Season 11 (2015-16) What an incredible season, right up until the moment …. it was not an incredible season. I hadn’t re-watched in its entirety since it aired, although I cherry-picked favorite episodes to re-watch (of which there are … Continue reading

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April 2017 Viewing Diary

I just dash these off. Superficial bullet-point analysis for the most part. It’s a good way to keep track of what I’ve seen, for year-end lists, of course, but also for future reference. I also always love the discussions on … Continue reading

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March 2017 Viewing Diary

The Goddess (1958; d. John Cromwell) Written by Paddy Chayevsky. Starring Kim Stanley and Lloyd Bridges. Stanley plays a character clearly based on Marilyn Monroe, rather extraordinary when you consider Monroe was still alive. It’s a brutal movie about stardom … Continue reading

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The Books: The Making of The Misfits, by James Goode

Next book on the Hollywood shelf: The Making of the Misfits, by James Goode. I have known about the notoriously difficult shoot for The Misfits since I was in high school just because, if you study film, even in an … Continue reading

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Review: The African Queen (2011)

This originally appeared on Capital New York. See ‘The African Queen’ with a crowd; marvel at Hepburn’s pallor The African Queen (1951), directed by John Huston, has endured as a classic with audiences who love the humorous sparring between the … Continue reading

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The African Queen Restored

This year is the 60th anniversary of John Huston’s The African Queen, and the film, which has been seen in a pasty muddy-colored print for decades has finally been restored to its original brilliant luster. You can buy the restored … Continue reading

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