video essay
-
Press Play2 commentslike12tweet6
VIDEO ESSAY: Why SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK Should Win Best Picture
Why is a modern-day screwball comedy the best of the Oscar nominees? Because it’s a revealing reflection of the world we live in.
Read More » -
Press Play1 commentlike20tweet5
VIDEO ESSAY: Who Should Win the Oscar for Best Lead Actress
Some Best Actress contenders seem to be nominated for their roles more than for their performances, but the most deserving actress is a smart exception.
Read More » -
Press Play0 commentslike26tweet69
VIDEO ESSAY: Gangster Culture in the Movies
"He used to be a big shot." That's how a gangster's girlfriend describes him as she cradles his corpse at the end of "The Roaring Twenties." But the line could be plugged into any gangster film that ends with a tough-talking, two-fisted, hot-tempered alpha male cooling his heels in prison, frying in...
Read More » -
Press Play0 commentslike60tweet31
VIDEO ESSAY: ON THE Q.T., CHAPTER 4: KILL BILL: The Female Archetype vs. The Goddess
Withhold information, then release it. Set up expectations, then subvert them. Tease, then gratify. This is how you construct an epic. This is how Quentin Tarantino, block by block, builds up "Kill Bill."
Read More » -
Press Play4 commentslike61tweet38
ON THE Q.T., CHAPTER 3: JACKIE BROWN: Quentin and Pam's Big Score
Things don’t look good for Beaumont Livingston. His self-proclaimed benefactor, Ordell Robbie, has just posted $10,000 to bail bondsman Max Cherry in exchange for Beaumont’s release.
Read More » -
Press Play1 commentlike84tweet21
VIDEO ESSAY: BEAVER'S LODGE: THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL (1952)
Reckoned by many to be one of the best films about Hollywood, The Bad and the Beautiful is pungent and occasionally acidic, and at the time of its release a clear sign that things were changing in the movie capital.
Read More » -
Press Play3 commentslike2tweet0
Returning to St. Eligius: ST. ELSEWHERE, 30 Years Later, Part 2
Your ears didn’t deceive you. In the clip above, Dr. Wayne Fiscus (Howie Mandel) takes a verbal walk down Memory Lane as his residency at St. Eligius comes to a close in the final episode of "St. Elsewhere"’s six-year run and says it lasted “three years.”
Read More » -
Press Play6 commentslike104tweet80
VIDEO ESSAY: Growing up a Bond Girl
I am a woman, a feminist, and a hardcore James Bond fan; I've even written a book on the Bond movies. But when I meet fellow fans, they are often startled that a woman is among them.
Read More » -
Press Play2 commentslike20tweet0
Returning to St. Eligius: ST. ELSEWHERE, 30 Years Later, Part 1
In the video above, for the first time, the "St. Elsewhere" credit sequence, set to Oscar-winning composer Dave Grusin’s memorable and infectious theme, unites all 26 regular cast members who graced its opening credits for varying lengths of time, ranging from a single season to its entire six-year ...
Read More » -
Press Play0 commentslike44tweet0
VIDEO ESSAY: Gliding Over All: The Cinematography of Breaking Bad, Season 4
Hollywood can keep its 3D, its CGI and whatever Dolby Surround version they’re up to now. For a contemporary cinematic experience as visceral and visually arresting as "Breaking Bad," audiences must look abroad, to Gaspar Noé’s "Enter the Void," or further, to films coming out of Thailand, Japan, an...
Read More »
fresh from the blogs
-
Critic and Filmmaker Spar on Facebook over Sundance ...Criticwire
-
What Are You Seeing This Weekend? 'Would You Rather' ...The Playlist
-
Starting TONIGHT: Richard Pryor Retrospective At BAM, ...Shadow and Act
-
Berlin: Damon on Affleck’s ‘Rough Spot,’ 'Promised ...Thompson on Hollywood
-
Hollywood Sexist of the Day: Rex ReedWomen and Hollywood
-
VIDEO ESSAY: Why SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK Should Win ...Press Play
-
Good Night, Lost Boy(s)The Lost Boys
-
SIDE EFFECTSLeonard Maltin
on 
