Movie Criticism

One-Eyed Jacks, a quintessential western. The only film directed by the iconic actor Marlon Brando. Not a financial or critical success at the time, however now with attention rekindled by a re-master by Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese my belief it's one of the finest westerns ever made is fortified by the most film knowledgeable in the industry. The film is not listed among the top 100 westerns by my peers in Western Writer's of America. I take umbrage with that conclusion, as it's at or near the top of my list.

The 10 best Bond movies...ever? It doesn't get much more subjective than this. Or much more fun!

Movies under the Influence charts the entangled histories of moviegoing and mind-altering substances from early cinema through the psychedelic 1970s. Jocelyn Szczepaniak-Gillece examines how the parallel trajectories of these two aspects of American culture resulted in them being treated and regulated in similar ways. Rather than looking at drug use within film, she regards cinema and intoxicants as kindred experiences of immersion that have been subject to corresponding forces of ideology and power.

Some movies are iconic. Others are merely entertaining. In Rewind: A Half-Century of Classics, Cult Hits, and Other Must-See Movies, veteran journalist and longtime film buff Rick Anderson reflects on fifty classic films created within a fifty-year period, from 1945-1995. This book provides a historical perspective on these films and the people who made them. Why do these movies work? Or, in some cases, why didn't they work better? The author looks back at well-known films such as Rear Window, The Third Man, Apollo 13, and Sounder. And many other popular but less-renowned works also are ...

We've all heard that you learn more from failure than you do from success. Which means that all those hours spent watching crappy movies wasn't a waste of your precious and ever-dwindling life span; it was an education! And Better Living Through Bad Movies can show you how to extract the profound, life-affirming lessons from films like Battlefield Earth, Coyote Ugly, and Indecent Proposal.

Beginning with the iconic La Voyage Dans La Lune (1902) and ending with Richard Linklater's groundbreaking Boyhood (2014), The Movie Book chronicles more than 100 of the best films ever made - from comedies and dramas to animations, documentaries and what brings cinema to life. Discover everything about your favourite movies as well as celebrated classics and the films you need to see through iconic quotes, biographies, movie memorabilia and narrative timelines. Essential for anyone with a passion for cinema, The Movie Book is ready for its close-up.

Warren Beatty guarded his privacy even before he became a movie star, when he burst onto the screen in 1961 as the earnestly handsome all-American boy in Splendor in the Grass. When he started acting, Beatty kept secret the fact that actress Shirley MacLaine, already a star, was his older sister. Over time, he has cultivated a mystique, giving few interviews and instructing others not to talk about him. Until now.

Funny, insightful, provocative and engaging, Scott Telek’s movie writing is never boring. Culled from the acclaimed website he ran from 2015 to 2013, these reviews bring attention to under-appreciated cult gems and call out hidden themes in films we think we know. Telek’s point of view on film focuses less on whether a movie is “good” and considers everything equally as a work of creative art, however misguided it may be. He will frequently divert into discussion of the social issues raised by a film or simply pepper his reviews with jokes. His love of the bizarre, subversive, ...

Unearth the terrifying and true tales behind some of the scariest Horror movies to ever haunt our screens, including the Enfield poltergeist case that was retold in The Conjuring 2 and the serial killer who inspired Hannibal Lector in The Silence of the Lambs. Behind the Horror dissects these and other bizarre tales to reveal haunting real-life stories of abduction, disappearance, murder and exorcism.

Transforming Harry: The Adaptation of Harry Potter in the Transmedia Age is an edited volume of eight essays that look at how the cinematic versions of the seven Harry Potter novels represent an unprecedented cultural event in the history of cinematic adaptation.

Released in 2004, iconic teen comedy Mean Girls remains as relevant now as ever. But what made an adaptation of a parenting guide by SNL writer Tina Fey so successful? And why, two decades later, can we all just not stop quoting it? Drawing on revealing interviews with the director, cast and crew, Jennifer Keishin Armstrong takes us behind the scenes of the film’s genesis, production and release.

Fans of Scott Telek’s film writing have come to expect an irreverent, insightful and often outrageously funny take on films from the good to the very, very bad. The tradition continues in this fourth volume, archiving 43 movie reviews in the horror genre, all beginning with the letter D. It turns out the letter D is a good one for horror, as it contains the words “Dead,” “Don’t,” “Demon” and “Dracula.” And if you were trapped on a desert island with these movies (as well as fresh water, food and a TV and DVD player!) you would actually be doing pretty well, as many fine ...

When it comes to superheroes of the silver screen, nobody knows more than the masterminds behind the wildly popular Comicstorian YouTube channel. This definitive guide to comic book films divulges behind-the-scenes secrets and the hidden history behind these must-see movies including how, after very rocky beginnings, they shot to the top with DC and Marvel as two of the most important franchises in the industry.

Reflections on life and reviews of movies.

A history about the invention of the motion picture and the mysterious man behind it—detailing his life, work, disappearance and legacy. The year is 1888, and Louis Le Prince is finally testing his 'taker' or 'receiver' device for his family on their front lawn. The device is meant to capture 10 to 12 images per second on film, creating a reproduction of reality that can be replayed as many times as desired. In an otherwise separate and detached world, occurrences from one end of the globe could now be viewable with only a few days delay on the other side of the world.

Movie Nightcap continues its series of exclusive episodes known as the Reserve Collection. In this high octane follow-up, hosts Jill Tighe, Abe Saffer, and Nate Fisher bring you more antics, more beer, and of course, more movies. For Volume 2, the hosts further explore the world of beer and movies and sit down with artists from both industries. We hope you enjoy this collection of episodes that is equal parts comedy, education, and passionate conversation.

Come and join international best-selling author Mark Williams on a James Bond odyssey as he continues to explore the phenomenon that is James Bond, this time with the Bond film that made number nine on the list: On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

This audiobook is a tour guide to the best art, music, movies, and literature of Western Civilization. In just a few hours you will become an intermediate level scholar of great paintings, and music...The emphasis is on ancient Greece, ancient Rome, Bible art, Renaissance art, Catholic counter reformation, and the Victorian age for paintings.