If the filmmakers are going to delve into the Jazz Fest vaults, how is it possible to show only a few seconds of Professor Longhair and nothing of James Booker, the Meters, the Neville Brothers? Not good.
Gerald Peary
Film Review: The Documentary “The Will to See” — Muckraking, Fierce and Absorbing
Again and again, we are taken in The Will to See to places where regular reporters never venture, and certainly not filmgoers.
Book Review: “The Swells” — Expertly Cruising Through Satiric Waters
Is it possible that adventurous readers have a better feel for the virtues of this zany, demanding satire than fuddy-duddy critics?
February Short Fuses – Materia Critica
Each month, our arts critics — music, book, theater, dance, and visual arts — fire off a few brief reviews.
Arts Feature: Best Movies (With Some Disappointments) of 2021
Our demanding critics choose the best films (along with some disappointments) of the year.
Film Review: “West Side Story” — An Unnecessary Remake
Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story is fairly entertaining, fairly decent, but that’s about it.
Film Review: “Bergman Island” — Isle of Frustration
Bergman Island is a curious, intelligent film that suffers from a disappointing breakdown.
October Short Fuses – Materia Critica
Each month, our arts critics — music, book, theater, dance, and visual arts — fire off a few brief reviews.
Film Commentary: Dorothy Davenport — Neglected American Female Cineaste
The Road to Ruin is a practically unknown film begging for discovery, and to be championed as a startling example of pre-Code cinema. And as a keystone for creating a directorial reputation for “Mrs. Wallace Reid.”
June Short Fuses – Materia Critica
Each month, our arts critics — music, book, theater, dance, and visual arts — fire off a few brief reviews.