Biographical
The Turbulent Saga of Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds
It’s striking just how alike they were: both petite women with big personalities and talent who achieved overnight success in iconic movies at age 19; both immensely driven professionals who, in the face of personal challenges and misfortune, channeled their prodigious energies into their work.
Actors
Ida Lupino: Forgotten Trailblazer
Ida Lupino is a largely forgotten name that deserves to be remembered. She started as an ingenue in the thirties and through sheer pluck and determination, went on to become one of the only female directors in Hollywood. She was a trailblazer who found her own way to compete — and succeed — in a virtually all male world.
Actors
“Yankee Doodle Dandy” — The Movie Almost Born On the Fourth of July
Every couple of years, right around Independence Day, I revisit this beloved 1942 musical biopic, and it’s always the same joyful, rousing experience.
Classics
Why “North by Northwest”, Hitchcock’s Most Entertaining Film, Deserves the Big Screen Treatment
In my childhood, one of the movies that made me fall in love with movies was “North by Northwest” (1959). To my young, dazzled eyes, this film had everything: color, sweep, excitement, suspense, romance, humor, handsome scenery and even handsomer stars. It grabbed me from the first moment and never let me go. It was the most thrilling movie I had seen up to that time.
Directors
Kurosawa and Mifune: The Director and Actor Who Were Meant for Each Other
Rarely if ever has a collaboration between artist and muse yielded such rich cinematic treasure. Master director Akira Kurosawa and his favorite actor Toshiro Mifune worked together on sixteen films in as many years. Most of these titles achieve a very high level of quality and hold up beautifully, while a few are truly brilliant.
Actors
Why Eli Wallach Was the Happiest Good Actor Ever
Eli Wallach was known as one of our most versatile performers. Though Jewish, he played Mexican, Italian, and assorted other ethnic characters with the same fluency and assurance.
Directors
The 14 Most Legendary Film Composers and Their Most Unforgettable Scores
With the gradual passing of opening movie credits, we also lost a vital element that distinguishes many so-called “classic” movies: the original music score, including a heroic, memorable opening theme. What’s the last film you remember that had a score you could hum while walking home from the theater — a piece of music you knew you'd always remember and associate with the film?
Holidays
Anthony Hopkins: A Star Is Born on New Year’s Eve
Sir Anthony Hopkins, the scarily brilliant actor who played the scarily brilliant Hannibal Lecter in 1991’s “The Silence of the Lambs,” turns 80 this New Year’s Eve.