As always, the TCM Classic Film Festival did not disappoint on any level this year, be it the quality of the prints (whether archival celluloid or shiny new digital restorations), the quality and diversity of the guests (famous, knowledgeable, and often both rolled into one), the operation of the festival (seldom did a presentation start […]
2015 TCM Classic Film Festival: Wrap-Up Read More »
Los Angeles is home to hundreds of film-related events every year, and even though purist cinephiles often bemoan a lack of access to older films compared to New York, our repertory circuit stacks up pretty well: Cinefamily, the New Beverly, the Egyptian, the Aero, UCLA’s Billy Wilder, LACMA, the list goes on. But nothing in
2015 TCM Classic Film Festival: Preview Read More »
Film festivals are about seeing tons of movies, sure, but they’re also about hanging out with people who love talking about all those movies. Not long after the curtain fell on the 2014 Milwaukee Film Festival, Critic Speak contributor Eric Beltmann and The Cinemaphile blogger Shelly Sampon decided to continue a dialogue that started between
Conversation: Eric Beltmann and Shelly Sampon React to the 2014 Milwaukee Film Festival Read More »
“I’m going to yell at him when I go back to Iran,” Maryam Sepehri said while we chatted in the lobby of the Downer Theatre. She was referring to Mohammed Rasoulof, whose risky new feature “Manuscripts Don’t Burn” screened at this year’s Milwaukee Film Festival. Maryam, a documentary filmmaker from Tehran, knows Rasoulof but was
2014 Milwaukee Film Festival: Eric Beltmann’s Top Five Read More »
Guitar gods, of course, only play after the openers are through. No wonder the Milwaukee Film Festival saved its Centerpiece selection, a biopic starring Outkast’s André Benjamin as legendary musician Jimi Hendrix, for its final week. “Jimi: All Is by My Side” is written and directed by Mequon native John Ridley, who earned an Oscar
2014 Milwaukee Film Festival: Week Two Picks Read More »
Maybe close your eyes and start throwing darts at the program guide. It’s tough to choose movies to see from among the 276 feature and short films being presented at this year’s Milwaukee Film Festival. Selecting at random can be a rewarding methodology—after all, the potential return rises with an increase in risk—but there’s equal
2014 Milwaukee Film Festival: Week One Picks Read More »
For the Milwaukee Film Festival, the Times they are a-changin’. The festival is shaking things up for its sixth year, most notably by adding the Times Cinema in Washington Heights to its roster of sites. The cozy, single-screen theater has been a community treasure since 1935, making it a natural fit for a festival that
Introducing the 2014 Milwaukee Film Festival Read More »
Paramount and the Alamo Drafthouse movie theater chain today announced the “Anchorfan Pass,” a $15 ticket that will allow patrons to see “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues” an unlimited number of times at any Drafthouse location beginning on January 1. It’s a nifty promotional idea for a film that is sure to have many repeat
Could the Anchorfan Pass be Hollywood’s newest business model? Read More »
Regular readers of Critic Speak probably realize the absence of something that nearly every other movie blog on the web is currently running: Comic-Con coverage. I figure it’s best that I clue everyone in as to why, because our reasons for avoiding the popular convention will significantly influence the site’s content from now on. Those
A ‘Con’ is right: Why Comic-Con is destructive to film journalism and fanhood Read More »
Countless film bloggers post their lists of best films of the year “so far” at the end of June, because it’s “halftime.” While the occasion may be convenient, it’s also arbitrary — the year being halfway over coincides with nothing relevant to the film industry. Thus, I’ve decided to buck the trend and do three
Pre-Summer Top 5: The best films of the year so far Read More »
