thumbnails 7/15/2014
Apologizing for the Manic Pixie Dream Girl; what to do about clickbait web sites that pretend to peddle “satire”; why it’s important to give credit; “24: Live Another Day” ends its run.
Features
Bright Wall/Dark Room July 2014: “American Idols” by Kara VanderBijl
An excerpt from the July 2014 edition of “Bright Wall/Dark Room” on the impact of “Blue Velvet.”
Thumbnails 7/14/14
Britney Spears is a feminist role model; The plot of “Hellboy 3”; “Black Hole” appears in “Apes”; Zohra Sehgal dies at 102; The tallest woman in the world.
Dave Legeno, 1963-2014: a Remembrance by J.d. Zeik
A remembrance of actor Dave Legeno, by screenwriter J.D. Zeik.
It’s Gonna Feel All Right: The Musical and Cinematic Legacy of “A Hard Day’s Night”
RogerEbert.com editor Matt Zoller Seitz discusses the impact of Richard Lester’s great musical comedy “A Hard Day’s Night,” which revolutionized the use of pop music in cinema and made big-screen stars of the Beatles.
Seinfeld at 25: or, You Don’t Have to Like Characters as Long as You Find Them Interesting
Links to RogerEbert.com editor Matt Zoller Seitz discussing “Seinfeld,” which turns 25 this week, and which helped pave the way for a wave of acclaimed series starring characters you wouldn’t want to know in life.
Thumbnails 7/11/14
Is V.O.D. the future of indie film?; Revisiting “Great White”; Zach Braff on his critics; Our unrealistic views of death; Gilding the small screen.
Reverse Trip: Charting the History of Bong Joon-Ho’s “Snowpiercer”
A look at the cinematic and political history that resulted in Bong Joon-Ho’s “Snowpiercer.”
Thumbnails 7/10/14
The longest film ever made; Social media spawns outrage; Kanye West is a sanctimonious prat; Binge-watching can be good medicine; 10 films mishandled by the MPAA.
Book Excerpt: “Film Firsts: The 25 Movies that Created Contemporary American Cinema” by Ethan Alter
An excerpt from “Film Firsts” about the production and influence of “The Blair Witch Project.”
Thumbnails 7/7/14
Paul Apted dies; The neo-liberal rhetoric of trauma; Universe may be a hologram; Skyler Page out of Cartoon Network; Indie filmmakers in conversation.
Thumbnails 7/4/14
“Life Itself” movie reviews; Frances Dodds on Roger; Filmmaker Magazine interviews Steve James; “Midnight Rider” filmmakers charged; Natural remedy to repel mosquitoes.
Thumbnails 7/3/14
Greg Salvatore on the LA premiere of “Life Itself”; How John Oliver Changed TV; Michael Mirasol on “Do the Right Thing”; 2014 fails The Bechdel Test; Steve James talks to The Daily Beast.
Thumbnails 7/2/14
Remembering Paul Mazursky; “Community” Returns; Revisiting “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me”; Why “The Leftovers” Arrived Stale; Kenneth Anger in conversation with Harmony Korine.
Bong Joon-ho: Living Images, Moving Frames
A video essay on Bong Joon-ho, the director of “Snowpiercer,” “Memories of Murder,” “The Host,” and “Mother.”
Thumbnails 7/1/14
Angela Bassett on directing Houston biopic; Indie film’s real threat; Welcome back “Edge of Darkness”; Remembrances of matinees past; Chaz Ebert on Roger.
Thumbnails 6/30/14
Roger Ebert’s least-read reviews; Sadness baking inspired by “Transformers”; Stop the anti-spoiler paranoia; Self-control is a limited resource; How Seinfeld paved the way for Tony Soprano.
News: National Society of Newspaper Columnists Honors Roger Ebert
On Saturday, June 28, 2014, The National Society of Newspaper Columnists chose to honor the writing of Roger Ebert within their annual column contest.
Thumbnails 6/27/14
What mise-en-scène is and why it matters; Naked dating shows are the new trend; Women in Michael Bay films; How Brando broke the movies; Ben Franklin on “Transformers.”
