Tag Archives: Terrence Malick

“I have trouble working off things that are too preconceived, like storyboards.” — Terrence Malick

“When people express what is most important to them, it often comes out in cliches. That doesn’t make them laughable — it’s something tender about them. As though in struggling to reach what’s most personal about them they could only … Continue reading

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“I’m a tough little rebel.” — Linda Manz

Days of Heaven (1978) It’s her birthday today. Manz died on August 14, 2020. She was HUGE to me growing up, and I have written about it on occasion. She didn’t work all that much, but her performances meant so … Continue reading

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“If I could say it in words there would be no reason to paint.” — Edward Hopper

It’s his birthday today. I wrote about Edward Hopper quite a bit in my Present Tense column at Film Comment, detailing the Hopper-y vibe of Tom Noonan’s great film about urban loneliness, What Happened Was… In fact, I have a … Continue reading

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R.I.P. Linda Manz

This teenage actress – from films such as Orphan Train (the first time I saw her), to Days of Heaven (her voiceover makes that film what it is), and Dennis Hopper’s nihilistic punk-rock scream Out of the Blue – is … 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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Year in Review: Shooting My Mouth Off in 2019

Thanks, everyone, who hangs out here, who likes what I do, whether you’re an Elvis fan, a Supernatural fan, a general cinephile, a book-lover, or just someone who’s been checking in periodically for 17 years – WHAT? – I appreciate … Continue reading

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For Film Comment: On Terrence Malick’s A Hidden Life

I wrote about A Hidden Life, Terrence Malick’s stunning – and extremely Catholic – latest, for Film Comment. It opens this Friday. If you can, this one should be seen on the big screen. I know it’s not possible for … Continue reading

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In Film Comment: On Terrence Malick’s A Hidden Life

I wrote about Terrence Malick’s new film – the overwhelming A Hidden Life – for the new issue of Film Comment. Print only. On stands now! And you should certainly see the film.

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September 2019 Viewing Diary

Satanic Panic (2019; d. Chelsea Stardust) Rebecca Romijn is reason enough to see this. My review at Ebert. A Hidden Life (2019; d. Terrence Malick) The new Terrence Malick film, about WWII conscientious objector Franz Jägerstätter, a man from Austria, … Continue reading

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For Criterion: “Love is Strange”: The Hot-Blooded Love Cry at the Cold Heart of Badlands

For Criterion’s “Songbook” column: I wrote about the use of Mickey & Sylvia’s “Love is Strange” in Terrence Malick’s Badlands: The Hot-Blooded Love Cry at the Cold Heart of Badlands.

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