This is the time of lists.
As one century comes to a close, and another begins, lists proliferate. They are either as intriguing as fireflies or as noxious as locusts, d ... more
In discussing Citizen Kane, Charles Higham mentioned "artistic cheats," flaws in credibility whereby characters in scenes gave information about which they couldn't p ... more
The plays of Edward Albee have seldom been received clearly by his audiences. Yet it is obvious that the modern artist is going to have something to say about the shape and subs ... more
With most adaptations, either the literary work or the film is better than its relative, but in the case of Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon and John Huston's versio ... more
Clint Eastwood makes religious movies.
One's first reaction might be to scoff at that statement. Eastwood is thought conventionally to be an action star who makes violent ... more
In 2008, cinema is mostly moribund, mired in CGI and slacker mentality, with an assembly line of remakes and sequels. One awaits Citizen Kane with Seth Rogen.
Toda ... more
"Anyone who speaks unsanitized thought is going to lose."
Street Kings needs a cornerman to staunch its egregious cuts, so I volunteer.
I suppo ... more
Who is Casey Affleck, and why is he the hottest “young” actor in movies at the moment?
Up until this year, Casey Affleck seemed like a negligible actor. He ha ... more
Since it is about an actual serial killer — Zodiac, who terrorized
Northern Californi ... more
Regis lied.
Recently Regis Philbin, on his television talk show “Regis and Kelly,” said he had seen “Miss Potter,” and it was a very good movie. L ... more
As Yogi Bear -- or one of his sources -- once said, "It's not over 'til it's over." He should tell that to moviegoers.
Recently I was discussing X-Men: The Last Stand ... more
One of the things that keeps a critic from completely losing his mind is the possibility that at any moment he may stumble across a movie that needs him. He can bring it to the ... more
The release of 81-year old Robert Altman's A Prairie Home Companion raises the issue of a director's farewell. Although it may not be Altman's last movie, the end of ... more
With the release of the movie The Da Vinci Code, censorship has raised its empty, lopsided head again. Movies draw censors like sugar entices slow-witted, buzzing flies.
As ... more
Satire is the wit of society.
When satire is mostly spoof -- such as in recent movie offerings -- the society probably isn't as smart as it should be.
Two movies release ... more
Are movie theaters going the way of dinosaurs?
Recently it was announced that three Mann theaters are closing in Westwood, California. Westwood, California! This is not ... more
Movies and film criticism at their best nourish each other. Throughout the history of films it has been a positive union -- raising knowledge, understanding, and more complete e ... more
40 years ago, one of the major values flourishing in our society was
anti-Establishmentism -- the fervent opposition to the social and
political establishment. A lot of people ... more
Today everyone is a film critic, but few want to be interviewers. We're still a different breed.
I doubt if anyone grows up hoping to be an interviewer. We want to be
writ ... more
The Grapes of Wrath is as fertile and sprawling as the American Dream itself. It is a
document about the American spirit. capturing the strifes and struggles of the Amer ... more
Film is an ideal form to show the myths of time and space with its compositions, freeze frames, tracking shots, montage, and other evocative stylistic techniques. Because of t ... more
One of the great ironies about Vincent and Theo, Robert Altman's stunning, classic film released in 1990, about Vincent Van Gogh and his art-dealer brother Theo, is t ... more
It is easy to recognize what guides most film critics in their approaches (e.g., Andrew Sarris' sense of the auteur, Dwight Macdonald's concern with culture, John Simon's ... more
With his recent film, The Silence, Ingmar Bergman has completed his trilogy of disgust. (Through a Glass Darkly and Winter Light are the other parts.) With ... more
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