There are many pleasures to be found in silent comedy. There’s the energy of the Keystone Kops, the mix of slapstick and emotion of Charlie Chaplin, and the stone-faced absurdity of Buster Keaton. But one of the most underrated pleasures in silent comedy can be found in the films of an underappreciated actor: the escalation… Read more »
Bite-Sized Blogs
Reclaiming Her Narrative: Non-Fiction Storytelling in Stories We Tell and Shirkers
The last few years have seen more attention being paid to female directors. Whether it’s multiple theaters having retrospectives honoring Dorothy Arzner, the latest triumph from Ava DuVernay, or exciting debuts from artists such as Nia DaCosta and Mati Diop, women in the film industry are slowly but surely getting some of the recognition… Read more »
The Environments of Hayao Miyazaki
There are many things that make the animated films of legendary writer/director Hayao Miyazaki beloved. They include his penchant for narratives that focus more on relationships than conflict, complex three-dimensional female characters, and beautiful imagery. But if I had to pick one thing that made his films truly unique, it would have to be the… Read more »
A Brief Appreciation of Van Johnson
I fell in love with Van Johnson on a summer day in 2008. It wasn’t a moment I was expecting, but as I watched an underrated romantic comedy called Three Guys Named Mike, I felt my eyes lighting up the moment a freckle-faced scientist named Mike Lawrence appeared on the screen. Lost in a book… Read more »
Holly Golightly and the Poor Old Slob
Cat (played by Orangey, trainer Frank Inn) is one of the most popular characters in Breakfast at Tiffany’s (Blake Edwards, 1961), possibly more well-liked than Holly Golightly’s (Audrey Hepburn) love interest, Paul Varjak (George Peppard). Cat watches Holly’s parties from above, preferring to perch himself on a high shelf, using men’s shoulders as stepping stones… Read more »
“As Trustworthy as the World Almanac:” All About Eve’s Influence on The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant
There are several ways you could measure the success of All About Eve (1950). You could measure it in terms of critical reviews, which were positive. You could measure it in terms of how many Oscars it won — 6, including Best Picture. But you can also measure its success in terms of its impact… Read more »