With Gratitude for the Life and Work of Lee Hough
Lee Hough was my friend, my counselor, my confidant, my voice of reassurance, my coach.
2 Comments2 Minutes
Losing My Religion: A Pre-Hutchmoot Interview
In which I ramble on about burnout, about disillusionment, about driving myself into dangerous territory, about a desperate attempt to change my life...
0 Comments2 Minutes
Secondhand Lions (2003): A conversation with Duvall, Caine, Osment, and McCanlies
A film-review assignment can change your life. In fact, ten years ago this month, a film-review assignment changed my life. In August 2003, I took my first step into a larger world — the wild, wild world of film junkets.
0 Comments22 Minutes
This is Martin Bonner (2013): (Previously: “Biggest Surprise of This Moviegoer’s Year So Far)
I've reworked my top 10 of 2013 so far, and "This is Martin Bonner" is currently sitting at #1. This isn't just a movie that treats faith with profound sensitivity. It's a film that is beautifully crafted. And it features my favorite performance of the year so far.
2 Comments7 Minutes
The World’s End (2013): My Apocalyptic Chat with Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and Edgar Wright
Read my conversation with Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost, the three masterminds of "Spaced," "Shaun of the Dead," "Hot Fuzz," and the new sci-fi/comedy extravaganza, "The World’s End."
0 Comments5 Minutes
The Quotable Renshaw
One of this film critics' favorite quotable quotes comes from Roger Ebert: "A movie is not about what it is about. It is about how it is about it." But now I'll carry another knockout definition of criticism in my back pocket to help clarify matters...
1 Comment1 Minutes
Angela Tucker Found Something on Facebook That Changed Her Life
Ask about “Sandy the Flower Man” in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and the citizens will tell you stories. He’s a lively and well-loved local who bicycles up and down Main Street, giving flowers to women and smiles to everybody. But when Angela Burt Tucker found his Facebook page in 2010, she knew she was looking at more than a friendly stranger...
0 Comments3 Minutes
The Spectacular Now (2013)
During a summer overstuffed with blockbuster excesses, I found myself encouraged by the way "The Spectacular Now" offers real human beings, patient observation, truthful storytelling, and nuanced performances from talented actors. But alas, the film squanders most of that suspension of disbelief by fumbling the film’s turning-point crisis.
1 Comment9 Minutes
Blue Jasmine (2013)
It feels like Woody Allen has just enough energy to rack up some ideas, to pick up the pool cue, to break, and then watch the balls scatter, some of them occasionally dropping with a satisfying "plunk" into the pockets.
1 Comment12 Minutes
Does the Noah Screenplay Sink or Float? Chattaway and Godawa Disagree.
I've been looking forward to seeing Noah. But now, for the first time, I can say I'm excited about the day when we are drawn, two by two (or otherwise), to theaters to see this one for ourselves.
3 Comments2 Minutes
July 18: The Gratitude List
A magical night at the ferryboat dock. Lunch with a film critic. Reviews of "Fruitvale Station" and "Red 2." A remembrance of movie novelizations. And more.
2 Comments6 Minutes
Netflix Brings Back the Coen Brothers’ Most Underrated Comedy
The Coen Brothers' "Intolerable Cruelty" may be their most underrated film. Now that it's streaming on Netflix, it's time to watch it again.
1 Comment15 Minutes
The Way, Way Back (2013)
It's sweet, it's good for you, it's simplistic and unsurprising, and it vanishes. In other words, it's one of those summer juice pops designed to make Vitamin C appealing. But take note: Sam Rockwell's performance is worth the price of the ticket.
0 Comments16 Minutes
Five Must-See Movies of the Summer (Including “Stories We Tell”)
Here are a few recent releases for adventurous moviegoers who seek more than the cinematic equivalent of junk food.
0 Comments1 Minutes
It’s a Fourth of July. Enjoy it.
It occurred to me that the Fourth of July was about to pass us by without anybody bothering to post an image of...
2 Comments1 Minute
The “Best” Films of 2013 So Far: Name Your Favorite!
The Film Society of Lincoln Center and indieWire have both posted critics' polls celebrating the Best Films of 2013 So Far. Did the critics agree? Do you agree with their choices? Do you agree with mine? Make a case for your favorite today!
5 Comments2 Minutes
My Kid Could Paint That (2007): Revisiting Marla
Did Marla Olmstead really paint the canvases that became a sensation, the art that sold for a fortune? Or was it all a hoax?
0 Comments10 Minutes
WALL•E (2008): Looking Back 5 Years, Plus an Interview with Andrew Stanton
Five years ago this weekend, Pixar brought us a vision of the future through the eyes — the amazing, expressive, binocular eyes — of a robot called WALL•E.
1 Comment23 Minutes
Looking Closer with Jeffrey Overstreet
(now the ears of my ears awake andnow the eyes of my eyes are opened)
– e. e. cummings, “i thank You God for most this amazing”