Life, the Movie: Why Documentary Filmmaking Should Return to, You Know, Documenting Stuff
If nonfiction films are determined to look, feel, and move like fiction, what’s the point of nonfiction filmmaking?
MZS
The Unloved, Part 134: The Better Angels
Our series on unloved films gets to A.J. Edwards’ Lincoln drama.
Out of the Ashes: Let the 2025 Oscars Be a Telethon for Wildfire Relief
In the wake of the California wildfires, it’s time for Hollywood to turn its biggest night into a chance to do good.
The Metaphor Years: Writing Lessons from “The Twilight Zone”
A look back at a show that never shied away from commenting on the world around it.
Somehow, James Gunn Always Gets You: An Appreciation of “Creature Commandos”
An appreciation of James Gunn in light of the conclusion of Creature Commandos.
Book Excerpt: Foreword to The Wes Anderson Collection: Asteroid City by David Bordwell
The foreword from Matt Zoller Seitz’s new book, written by David Bordwell.
Not Everything Needs to be for Sale: on the Integrity of the Watch Duty App
As the California wildfires rage on, one of the most necessary tools for keeping people safe chooses to maintain its autonomy.
What’s gone can never be replaced: thoughts on Los Angeles, disasters, and the present moment
A few thoughts on the LA wildfires, and what it is doing to American entertainment, culture, and our collective psyches.
The Unloved, Part 133: Here
An ode to Robert Zemeckis’ latest masterwork, written off mere months after its release earlier this year.
Appreciating the Brushstrokes: Pre-Computer Animation and the Human Touch
An ode to old-fashioned animation.
A Prophet is Without Honor in His Own Country; or, The Curious Case of Clint Eastwood
A piece on Clint Eastwood and the WB mishandling of his “Juror #2.”
The Unloved, Part 131: Dark City
Our “Unloved” series looks back at Alex Proyas’ dark sci-fi masterpiece, beloved by Roger.
A Master of Subtle Function: Cinematographer Dick Pope (1947-2024)
A tribute to the acclaimed cinematographer, responsible for many of Mike Leigh’s most striking depictions of the mundane.
“Megalopolis” and “Joker: Folie à Deux”; or, The Virtue of Burning Money
How many times in a filmmaker’s life do they get the chance to do something that makes no sense to anyone but them?
The Atlas of Cinema: In Praise of Adam Driver
In praise of one of the most daring and versatile actors alive.
