The Quotable Renshaw
August 22, 2013
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
On Movies & Media,Interviews,Blog
August 21, 2013
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)
On Movies & Media,Blog,Film Reviews
August 16, 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)
On Movies & Media,Blog,Film Reviews
August 9, 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.
July 25, 2013
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
July 19, 2013
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
Turbo (2013): A Looking Closer Film Forum
On Movies & Media,Film Forum,Blog
July 18, 2013
0 Comments2 Minutes
Netflix Brings Back the Coen Brothers’ Most Underrated Comedy
July 17, 2013
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)
On Movies & Media,Blog,Film Reviews
July 12, 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”)
July 9, 2013
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.
July 4, 2013
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!
July 3, 2013
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
On Movies & Media,Blog,Film Reviews
July 2, 2013
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
On Movies & Media,Interviews,Blog,Film Reviews
June 28, 2013
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
Monsters University: Bonus Question – Are These Monsters Dangerous?
On Movies & Media,Blog,Film Reviews
June 24, 2013
Is "Monsters University" going to mess up a child's concepts of good and evil?
10 Comments17 Minutes
Star Trek Into Darkness (2013): (Or, “Star Trek Into Heartlessness”)
On Movies & Media,Blog,Film Reviews
June 22, 2013
Warning: This is not a review. This is a rant. And it is full of spoilers. I really hoped J.J. Abrams's "Star Trek Into Darkness" would take my mind off my troubles. But alas, no. Now I have more troubles.
6 Comments10 Minutes
Monsters University (2013)
June 22, 2013
Who knew that Mike and Sulley almost ruined each others' lives before they found bromance?
1 Comment11 Minutes
Watch a Work of Art Come to Life Before Your Eyes
June 19, 2013
If you have a few minutes, put on your headphones and take a brief vacation to Laity Lodge and witness Roger Feldman at work.
2 Comments2 Minutes
Before Midnight (2013): An All-Thumbs Review
On Movies & Media,Blog,Film Reviews
June 14, 2013
The following is a review of "Before Midnight" … in fiction. It’s Part Three of the new series I’m calling All Thumbs Video.
2 Comments55 Minutes
The Desolation of “The Hobbit”
June 11, 2013
Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit" is turning out to be, for many of us who love the book, a failure of "Phantom Menace" proportions.
11 Comments4 Minutes
Finding Nemo (2003): Looking Back (This Fish is Still Fresh)
On Movies & Media,Blog,Film Reviews
June 11, 2013
Here, at the ten-year anniversary, looking back at my original review of "Finding Nemo," I find that my respect for this film has only increased.
3 Comments15 Minutes
The Bard on the Big Screen: Much Ado About ‘Much Ado,’ ‘Shakespeare in Love,’ and More
On Movies & Media,Film Reviews
June 9, 2013
Shakespeare adaptations range from the muddled to the magnificent. What's your favorite big-screen blast of the Bard? Is there some cinematic Shakespeare that deserves more attention than it's received?
10 Comments13 Minutes
Warm Bodies (2013)
On Movies & Media,Blog,Film Reviews
June 6, 2013
Well, it could be that zombie movies have finally eaten my brain, but I think this movie has an honest-to-goodness heartbeat.
4 Comments4 Minutes
Has the Power of the Ring Corrupted The Hobbit’s Filmmakers?
June 5, 2013
Today's Entertainment Weekly story about The Hobbit's new character played by Evangeline Lily has dealt a heavy blow to my hopes that this series will improve.
1 Comment3 Minutes
Want to Go to Jerusalem with Benedict Cumberbatch?
June 1, 2013
There's a documentary tour of Jerusalem on the way. But I suspect that a lot of people will tune as much for the tour guide as for the subject of the tour.
5 Comments2 Minutes
What Do 2013’s Most Stylish Vampires Have in Common with Johnny Depp, Tom Waits, and Bill Murray?
June 1, 2013
What do 2013's most stylish vampires have in common with Tom Waits, Johnny Depp, and Bill Murray? A director: Jim Jarmusch.
2 Comments11 Minutes
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
On Movies & Media,Blog,Film Reviews
May 28, 2013
Five years ago this week, I was so excited about seeing Harrison Ford return to the role of Indiana Jones — and even more excited about seeing Karen Allen return to the role of Marion Ravenwood — that I had a great time watching Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Then I saw the film again...
3 Comments15 Minutes
Hey, Steven Spielberg, Nicole Kidman, and Ang Lee: What’s Your Verdict?
May 26, 2013
What film prize means more to filmmakers around the world than an Oscar? Somebody won it today. And most American moviegoers — munching popcorn and slurping corn syrup as they watch disposable, factory-made films — won't even notice that it happened.
2 Comments8 Minutes
Happy Birthday, Bob Dylan!
May 23, 2013
In honor of Friday's birthday boy, here's Andy Whitman's post about the man of many musical identities...
1 Comment10 Minutes
I Love Luci… and Levertov
May 22, 2013
This year, IMAGE presented the tenth annual Denise Levertov award to someone who is more than an inspiration to me.
2 Comments12 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”