Betsy Sherman

Film Review: “The Lady in the Van” — Distilled Alan Bennett

February 8, 2016
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The Lady in the Van is quite enjoyable, but has a significant flaw.

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Film Review: Acknowledging Jean Epstein — Brilliant Maverick Filmmaker and Critic

January 29, 2016
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Jean Epstein’s body of work is full of pleasures and surprises: this vigorous director broke ground for filmmakers and cinematic movements to come.

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Book Review: “The Comedians” — A Compelling History of America’s Jesters

December 28, 2015
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I loved this book, and it will hold a cherished place on my comedy book-shelf.

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Film Review: “Victor Frankenstein”—Fans of the Monster Will be Gravely Disappointed

November 28, 2015
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Yet another cinematic variation on Mary Shelley’s novel—and this one too often opts for slick jolts of adrenaline over credibility.

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Book Review: Bill Griffith’s Indelible “Invisible Ink”

November 20, 2015
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Bill Griffith, the creator of Zippy the Pinhead, dives deep into his personal life in his extraordinary new graphic memoir.

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Film Review: “Stray Dog”—A Red Neck Hero

October 20, 2015
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Stray Dog shows us again and again, through its protagonist’s words and actions, that you can’t judge a book by its cover, or its red neck.

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Film DVD Review: 1931’s “The Front Page” — Restored

October 6, 2015
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The improved viewing experience of the 1931 version of The Front Page enhances the stature of director Lewis Milestone as an early-talkie innovator and shows off the crack ensemble cast.

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Film Review: “Call Me Lucky” — An Extraordinary Portrait of Satirist Barry Crimmins

August 21, 2015
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A labor of love that’s more than merely that, Call Me Lucky is one of the few great movies to come out so far this year.

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Film Review: Boston MFA’s French Film Festival — The Beautiful Idiosyncrasy of “P’tit Quinquin”

July 23, 2015
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The film proffers a winning combination of goofy humor and social critique.

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Film Review: “I’ll See You in My Dreams” — Highly Pleasurable

May 22, 2015
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Happily, Blythe Danner is the central figure in an immensely pleasurable indie film that blends the integrity of an art film with the cozy accessibility of the mainstream.

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