We have some amazing writers, film critics and video essayists at RogerEbert.com, and I like to introduce you to them individually from time to time and highlight their exceptional work. Our managing editor, Brian Tallerico, also happens to be our tv critic. Today he shared his thoughts on how he would vote if he had an Emmy Ballot. Indispensable reading for Emmy fans and the Academy. You will also learn more about Brian from reading his responses to our Movie Love Questionnaire, as well as some of the reviews he has written in 2017 so far. He is quite prolific. Without further ado, Brian Tallerico —Chaz Ebert, publisher
Brian Tallerico’s Thoughts on 2017 (so far):
While the daily 5pm news dump has created more drama than Hollywood this year, there have been a few stand-out cinematic experiences already, and more to come from a very strong Sundance and what seems like a strong Cannes. In other words, film continues to thrive, and I’m impressed by the range of what I’ve liked already this year from James Mangold’s deconstruction of the superhero genre in “Logan” to the beautiful visions of “Your Name” to relatively underseen gems like Kore-eda’s “After the Storm” and the documentary “Uncertain.” While it’s been a decent year to date already, I’m really excited about what’s to come, including seeing how audiences respond to the great “A Ghost Story” and “Call Me By Your Name,” and experiencing new films from Bong Joon-ho, Sofia Coppola, Edgar Wright, and Christopher Nolan, to name a few, in just the next few weeks. We’re just getting started.
Excerpt from Brian’s Movie Love Questionnaire (read the full Q&A here):
Both of my parents were movie fans but it was my mother’s adoration of musicals that I think had the most formative effect. I remember watching movies like “Singin' in the Rain,” “On the Town,” and “Kiss Me Kate” repeatedly as a youngster, along with classics like “Some Like It Hot” and the majority of the Hitchcock catalog. My parents instilled in me a love for classic cinema. It also helped significantly that they were theater lovers, especially my father, who took me to Broadway at a young age. It sparked a love for the stage in me, pushing me toward a career in theater. I acted a good amount in high school and college but fell in love with directing, mounting plays in college and even one here in Chicago. Not able to pay rent with it, I took only a slight turn from my Theater/English education and focused on writing about what I loved, including film, but I trace a lot of what I do back to watching and, importantly, discussing films with my parents at a young age. They encouraged conversation. I remember talking about what I read or watched and THAT had the greatest impact. Fiction and film weren’t just to ingest, they were ways to spark discussion.
Brian’s reviews from 2017 (so far):
Trumped: Inside the Great Political Upset of All Time
The Most Hated Woman in America
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2
Dumb: The Story of Big Brother Magazine
Check out all of Brian’s reviews and interviews here. Click here to read his 2017 edition of “If I Had an Emmy Ballot.”
