By Craig Leask Note: The racial terms used in this article are included solely as reference to their use in book titles and poem lyrics as they were used in Christie’s book in 1939. The name Alfred Hitchcock became synonymous as the “Master of Suspense”, a well-earned title obtained through his direction of over 50…
By Alan Hurst George Segal had a pretty terrific run in films in the late sixties through the seventies, acclaimed initially for his dramatic work and then finding a nice groove as a solid comic performer. He passed away yesterday at the age of 87, still working as part of the long running ensemble on…
By Alan Hurst Ann-Margret had been in films for about 10 years when she met with Mike Nichols about a role in his next film, Carnal Knowledge. It was to be a film that focused on two men (Jack Nicholson and Art Garfunkel) over a period of about 20 years, following them from their days…
By John H. Foote Da Five Bloods, Spike Lee’s fine haunting film for Netflix about four veterans returning to Vietnam years after the war, is among the year’s very best films, and among the best films Lee has ever made. It began streaming on Netflix in May of last year to excellent reviews, and it…
By John H. Foote There have been so many, narrowing it down to ten was a nightmare, but I felt rather do a massive extended list I would practice discipline and stick with 10. Yes it was difficult, yes I could have done a list of thirty. Here are the greatest travesties of the Academy…
By John H. Foote Well aware of her talent as an actress, I was still not prepared for the staggering perfection of Natalie Portman’s performance as Jacqueline Kennedy in Jackie. Portman, it seemed to me, did more than merely act the role but rather slipped under the skin to acquaint herself with the very soul…
By John H. Foote Though I have always admired many of the films of Mike Nichols, I think he peaked with his first two films. Though he directed many fine films, did he ever again reach the heights he did with Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) and The Graduate (1967) for which he won…
By John H. Foote Had anyone in the seventies suggested to me that one day Clint Eastwood would be a two-time Academy Award Best Director winner, with two more nominations and two nominations for Best Actor, I would have thought them insane and laughed in their face. Eastwood an artist? Stone faced Dirty Harry (1971)?…
By Alan Hurst This year marks the 40th anniversary of Natalie Woods tragic death. She was one of the biggest female stars of the sixties and, before that, one of the better child/teen actors of the late forties and fifties. But she is now more famous for the circumstances surrounding her death by drowning in…
By John H. Foote As Dr. Martin Dysart in Equus, Richard Burton delivered arguably his greatest film performance, though his work as George in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) certainly must be considered in that conversation. In Peter Shaffer’s breathtaking Equus, Sidney Lumet’s probing camera strips Burton free of everything but his face and…