From Richard T. Jameson, Editor, Movietone News, 1971-81; Editor, Film Comment, 1990-2000: The opening credits of Richard Lester's "Juggernaut" (1974) play over a neutral backdrop that can just barely be detected as an undefined image rather than a simple blank…
Alvy Singer speaks. From Hiram M: If a movie's opening shot provides the compass with which to navigate the ensuing film, then this simple set up needs commending. Unexpected, efficient, and funny from frame one (relying as it does on…
It's already semi-legendary, in a puny sort of way. A mere 40 minutes (or an undendurable 40 minutes, depending on your point of view) into a New York press screening of "Clerks II," "Good Morning, America" movie critic Joel Siegel…
Of M. Night Shyamalan's handful of movies, the one Roger Ebert reviewed most favorably was "Signs," and the one he hated, hated, hated was "The Village." Here's Ebert's career overview of the director of "Lady in the Water" and "The…
Not Very Silent Bob blows his own tooter to make some publicity noise. Extra! Extra! It's a match made in movie hell: Joel Siegel vs. Kevin Smith (or vice-versa). It's ugly, but it's perfect, because the former is to movie…
Sure, it's scabrous, but is it funny? Those scabrously funny folks over at Rottentomatoes.com are having fun with the reviews of "Clerks II." Here are some of the quotes that appear on the main page right now: "If 'Clerks II'…
View image: Bob Balaban as The Critic: M. Night Shyamalan's "The Lady in the Water" comes with its own built-in film critic, allowing the filmmaker a shot at beating critics of his movie to the punch. I hope A.O. Scott's…
View image: Mickey Spillane Strips Down to Naked Fury! Mickey Spillane, the creator of hard-fisted private eye Mike Hammer, has died at the age of 88. Several of his kiss-kiss, bang-bang pulp novels -- including "I, the Jury," "The Long…
PRESS RELEASE: Chicago, IL -- Chicago Sun-Times and national television film critic Roger Ebert is in good condition and improving each day at Chicago’s Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was admitted for salivary cancer surgery last month. “Roger is improving…
View image: "The Crowd" (King Vidor, 1928) View image: "The Apartment" (Billy Wilder, 1960) View image: "The Rapture" (Michael Tolkin, 1991) View image: "Fight Club" (David Fincher, 1999) View image: "Office Space" (Mike Judge, 1999) Ken Wiley, a jazz historian…
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