Tag Archives: war movies

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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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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“The main thing about directing is: photograph the people’s eyes.” — John Ford

It’s his birthday today. For Film Comment, I wrote about his somber, emotional WWII movie, with the title that really BITES: They Were Expendable. And they really were expendable. It’s an amazing film and – in my opinion – one … Continue reading

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“I think I’m a pretty good storyteller.” — John Sturges

It’s the birthday today of great and weirdly under-rated American director, John Sturges. One of the best parts about writing about the Criterion essay for the release of The Great Escape was getting to do a deep dive into the … Continue reading

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Movies I Loved in 2022

It is the month of Top 10 Lists. I’ve submitted a few to different sites. And … each list is slightly different. Because I’m not a list person and I don’t rank things and I really don’t like to argue … Continue reading

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January/February/March 2021 Viewing Diary

Better late than never. I moved at the end of January – a big interstate move – so I’ve been a bit, how you say, busy. Not too busy to keep up my viewing schedule but too busy to put … Continue reading

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Review: Cherry (2021)

I reviewed Cherry, the new movie by the Russo brothers, adapted from Nico Walker’s debut novel (which is great!).

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Review: A Call to Spy (2020)

I found A Call to Spy fascinating from start to finish. It’s about Britain’s secret recruitment of “lady spies” during WWII, who were sent over to France – with little to no organizational support – to engage in “ungentlemanly warfare” … Continue reading

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Podcast #1: Talkin’ the Cooler King

I was a guest on the Speeding Bullitt podcast, devoted to the life and films of Steve McQueen. Host Kelsy Norman had me on to discuss The Great Escape (I came to his attention because of the essay I wrote … Continue reading

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The Great Escape: Criterion release today 5/12

The long-awaited Criterion release of John Sturges’ 1963 classic The Great Escape is now available for order. The release includes a number of special features: a couple of different audio commentaries, one done in 1991 by Sturges and Elmer Bernstein … Continue reading

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