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Looking back half a century (can it really be half a century?), I’m reminded that 1971 was a very good year for movies.

Whenever I note Harvey Keitel’s name in the credits of a film, its stock automatically goes up a bit. His involvement may not guarantee a great film, but it does guarantee a remarkable performance within it.

This Independence Day, America confronts a host of serious challenges, and appears diminished on the world stage. There’s a vacuum of leadership for all the world to see.

Here are ten special movies that capture the unique spirit, grit and energy of this incredible town.

Beyond the tragic loss of George Floyd, for me the saddest part of this past week is realizing how little progress we’ve made on racial inequality since the founding of the Civil Rights movement well over half a century ago. 

You don’t have to be a liberal to love Rob Reiner. But it helps.

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?

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.

In the first two decades of television, many a star from Hollywood’s Golden Age found both a warm reception and a welcome paycheck on the small screen as their movie careers were waning. That move happens almost as frequently today with paid cable series enjoying immense popularity.