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The Unexpectedly Timely Satire of <i>Citizen Ruth</i>

The Unexpectedly Timely Satire of Citizen Ruth

Apr 15th, 2022 Sara Batkie

Alexander Payne's debut feature hits a little different in the current women's health crisis.

<i>The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance</i> and the Lessons of American Myth-Making

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and the Lessons of American Myth-Making

Apr 13th, 2022 Will DiGravio

John Ford’s 1962 Western wasn't merely a team-up of legends John Wayne, James Stewart, and Lee Marvin; it was a pointed commentary on the stories America tells about itself.

The Moral Gymnastics of the Original <i>Scarface</i>

The Moral Gymnastics of the Original Scarface

Apr 8th, 2022 Audrey Fox

When Howard Hawks' iconic gangster movie hit screens 90 years ago, it had to do a bit of a two-step with the enforcers of the Production Code.

Classic Corner: The Train

Apr 8th, 2022 Sean Burns

Director John Frankenheimer and star Burt Lancaster continued their fruitful ‘60s collaboration with this mean, muscular adventure thriller, now streaming on Amazon Prime.

Mary Pickford, Hollywood Trailblazer

Apr 6th, 2022 Audrey Fox

Mary Pickford was born 130 years ago this week. She was a groundbreaking silent movie star, but she also created a template for industry power that is still followed today.

Harvey's Hellhole: Get Over It

Apr 5th, 2022 Craig Lindsey

This month, we look back at Miramax’s messy mishandling of what should’ve been a slam-dunk entry in the “Shakespeare for teens” craze.

In Defense of <i>Chasing Amy</i>, 25 Years Later

In Defense of Chasing Amy, 25 Years Later

Apr 4th, 2022 Ciara Moloney

A quarter-century after the release of Kevin Smith’s slacker rom-com, we look at its gradual fall from public favor – and make the case for its virtues.

Classic Corner: <i>Design for Living</i>

Classic Corner: Design for Living

Apr 1st, 2022 Julia Sirmons

Ernst Lubitsch’s comedy about a ménage à trois (now streaming on the Ccriterion Channel) is a Pre-Code treat – a sexy, free-spirited examination of attraction and affection.

The Bronson in Winter: <i>Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects</i>

The Bronson in Winter: Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects

Mar 30th, 2022 Jeremy Herbert

The final film from director J. Lee Thompson – and his final collaboration with star Charles Bronson – is a fitting postscript to their sketchy legacy.

Scenes from the Class Struggle in the Reagan-Era Cinema of Paul Bartel

Mar 28th, 2022 Craig J. Clark

In a handful of idiosyncratic indies and comedies-for-hire, writer/actor/director Paul Bartel carved out a niche as a merciless social satirist in a grim era.

Classic Corner: The Omen

Mar 25th, 2022 Anya Stanley

The satanic classic - now streaming on Paramount+ - wasn't created in a vacuum. It was very much of its time, and a peek ahead from it.

Classic Corner: The Dirty Dozen

Mar 18th, 2022 Sean Burns

Robert Aldrich's men-on-a-mission adventure (now streaming on HBO Max) is brutal, cruel, and nasty - just as it should be.

The Complicated Legacy of Russ Meyer

Mar 15th, 2022 Julia Sirmons

One of America’s horniest filmmakers was also one of its most subversive – a gleeful bomb-thrower in an era of profound social and political change.

Per Saint Patrick’s Day tradition, John Ford’s 1952 film The Quiet Man will be trotted out this March 17th for nostalgic re-watching, lauded as a masterpiece by one of America’s greatest directors, an enduring tribute to his proud Irish roots, and “one of the greatest love stories ever...