Thumbnails 3/12/14
The death of modern malls; Matthew Weiner talks Mad Men; Spike Lee is coming to Ebertfest; Nicolas Cage on film critics and being famous; Daze and Confused and growing up.
Features
Thumbnails 3/11/14
An interview with J.P. Donleavy; The art of watching and writing about documentaries; More details about Ebertfest released; Kurtwood Smith on his acting career; A defense of 300: Rise of an Empire.
“A Lie Agreed Upon: David Milch’s Deadwood”
A half-hour documentary about David Milch’s Western drama “Deadwood,” which premiered ten years ago this week on HBO. Written by Matt Zoller Seitz, edited by Steven Santos, narrated by Jim Beaver.
Mapping my Childhood Through Monster Movies
Bob Calhoun uses a new book, “Shock It to Me: Golden Ghouls of the Golden Gate”, to track down the details of the horror movies of his childhood.
Thumbnails 3/10/14
“True Detective” finale; coverage of the True/False film festival; the case against Wes Anderson; a case for Wes Anderson; inside the mind of a psychopath
Robert Rodriguez Adapts “From Dusk Till Dawn” For Small Screen
Robert Rodriguez adapts the George Clooney-Salma Hayek vampire thriller for his El Rey network.
Stories within Stories: Wes Anderson Talks About “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Wes Anderson talks about the sources behind “The Grand Budapest Hotel”, dining with his cast every night on location, and the comic gifts of Ralph Fiennes.
NBC Wants You to “Believe” While ABC Needs a “Resurrection”
Three new network dramas premiere in the next two weeks and two of them are actually worth a look.
“Chicagoland” Tackles Big Problems in Broad Brushstrokes
The CNN documentary series “Chicagoland” looks at Chicago’s problems with violence and school reorganization.
Thumbnails 3/6/14
Why DiCaprio doesn’t get lucky at the Oscars; Atheism in Hollywood; Famous rejection letters; Wes Anderson as an advertiser; Auteur theory and Kent Jones.
“Let It Go” Gets a Send-Up from Chicago Newscaster Dan Ponce
A parody of “Let It Go” tackles Chicago’s long winter.
Thumbnails 3/5/14
Eric Kohn attends the Oscars; The economical realities of being an actor in Hollywood; Product placement at the Oscars; A woman confronts her critics; Remembering the Laser Age.
Thumbnails 3/4/14
Kim Novak and aging; Michelangelo Antoniono’s Blow-Up; A comical story about Church organists; In defense of jaywalking; An argument to bury the ‘In Memoriam’ segment.
Thumbnails 3/3/14
Lost, Oscar-nominated films; Lupita Nyong’o and beyond; Evaluating Ellen DeGeneres as the Oscar host; Oscars snubs and surprises; A recap of the Oscars from The New York Times.
Thumbnails 2/28/14
Generation X has midlife crisis; Oscar predicability; Popular Twitter accounts making money; Casting directors getting praised for their work; Charlie Chaplin’s monologue.
Able-Bodied Actors and Disability Drag: Why Disabled Roles are Only for Disabled Performers
Scott Jordan Harris argues that disabled characters should not be played by able-bodied actors.
Thumbnails 2/27/14
Stephen Tobolowsky remembers Harold Ramis; Alec Baldwin says goodbye to public life; A snipe at Jared Leto and his performance in Dallas Buyers Club; Jimmy Fallon is not funny.
