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Tag Archives: westerns
“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
Posted in Directors, Movies, On This Day
Tagged drama, John Sturges, Steve McQueen, thrillers, war movies, westerns
6 Comments
August 2023 Viewing Diary
Oppenheimer (2023; d. Christopher Nolan) In general, I am not a Nolan fan (the only one of his I liked was Dunkirk), and I went into this hesitantly because I read an interview with him where he said the whole … Continue reading
Posted in Monthly Viewing Diary, Movies
Tagged animation, biopic, children's movies, coming of age, crime movies, drama, Elvis Presley, England, France, heist movies, horror, Kentucker Audley, King Creole, Michael Curtiz, Michael Mann, romantic drama, Sidney Lumet, South Korea, westerns, women directors
30 Comments
September 2022 Viewing Diary
The Deep End (2022; d. Jon Kasbe) I’m into cults but I actively avoid woo-woo, so somehow Teal Swan escaped my radar. Well, she’s on my radar NOW. This Netflix doc is extraordinary because Teal Swan participated in it, she … Continue reading
Posted in Monthly Viewing Diary, Movies, Television
Tagged Baz Luhrmann, comedy, documentary, drama, Elvis Presley, England, film noir, Hal Wallis, Ida Lupino, James Cagney, John Garfield, Marilyn Monroe, musicals, New Zealand, Olivia de Havilland, Raoul Walsh, Rita Hayworth, Thomas Mitchell, true crime, westerns, women directors
29 Comments
“If you’re going to make a gesture, make it.” — John Wayne
For his birthday: One of my favorite quotes about acting comes from John Wayne. It’s included in Peter Bogdanovich’s Who the Hell’s in It: Conversations with Hollywood’s Legendary Actors: Peter Bogdanovich: Your gestures in pictures are often daring — large … Continue reading
February 2022 Viewing Diary
Working really really hard on a couple of big things right now. This takes up so much brain space. It’s mentally exhausting. Not complaining, just stating facts. During times like this, I lean towards true crime docuseries, or re-watches. Or … Continue reading
Posted in Monthly Viewing Diary, Movies, Television
Tagged Australia, Curfew, documentary, drama, Elvis Presley, England, horror, Joachim Trier, musicals, Norway, short films, Tuesday Weld, westerns
4 Comments
Happy Birthday, John Ford: Doorways in The Searchers
Are you going in or are you staying out? In the world of John Ford’s The Searchers you must choose. You can’t have both. The Searchers takes place on the threshold of that choice, in the abyss of the borderlands, … Continue reading
Posted in Directors, Movies, On This Day
Tagged John Ford, John Wayne, The Searchers, westerns
30 Comments
For Film Comment: Shane & Everybody Wants Some!!
There’s a new column on Film Comment called “Seeing Double”, where writers explore connections between different movies, potential double bills. So I wrote about Shane and Everybody Wants Some!!, a piece I’d been wanting to write for a couple of … Continue reading
Posted in Movies
Tagged Alan Ladd, comedy, George Stevens, Glen Powell, Jean Arthur, reviews, Richard Linklater, westerns
1 Comment
For John Wayne’s Birthday: Hondo (1953) at MoMA: John Wayne in 3D
In real life John Wayne was huge, 6’3″, with broad shoulders, a lean waist, and long ambling legs. He towered over everybody. And yet, he was always graceful. His athleticism is extraordinary, his physicality smooth and controlled. So he was … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Movies, On This Day
Tagged Dennis Hopper, Gary Cooper, Gena Rowlands, Geraldine Page, James Dean, John Wayne, Sanford Meisner, Supernatural, westerns
44 Comments
June 2019 Viewing Diary
Once again: if you’re not a Supernatural fan, this might be a tough read. I’m so busy with work, this is how I unwind. Supernatural, Season 14, episode 4 “Mint Condition” (2018; d. Amyn Kaderali) I loved this episode. Perfectly … Continue reading