“August Wilson captures our humor, our vulnerabilities, our tragedies, our trauma. And he humanizes us. And he allows us to talk.” Viola Davis

Minghella was born on the Isle of Wright, an island off the south coast of England..

It’s the time of year for baseball, my favorite American sport. And we’ll finally have real people attending the games.

In the mid-20th century, many wonderful dancers appeared in films but, film critics and film historians, when challenged, almost unanimously, listed Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly…

Since our beginnings, the crux of American civilization has been the public school. In each community, the public schools bring together…

In recommending films that depict extraordinary events in sports, I followed three criteria…

Lumet was born in Philadelphia but was raised in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. His parents were veterans of the Yiddish theater…

Often, in a crisis, when we least expect it, we face a situation that requires us to take risks and be courageous…

Krzysztof Kieslowski (1941–1996) is widely recognized as one of the greatest filmmakers of the latter half of the twentieth century…

When Ruth Gordon, at age 72, won the Oscar for her role in Rosemary’s Baby, she opened her acceptance speech by saying, “I can’t tell you how encouraging a thing like this is.”…

For two decades Taylor Sheridan struggled to be an established actor and failed. At age forty, he found his calling as a screenwriter and director…

A longtime curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York explained to me  the key to understanding  great paintings: “Know the artists. Where are they from? What kind of lives did they have? And  understand the background and the context that inspired each painting.”…

    To my dear subscribers, I wish all of you  a healthy, happy, and fulfilling New Year. And, on this momentous day, I'd like to share some meaningful quotes:  Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. --Albert Einstein Be at war with your vices, at...

You probably noticed: there are countless lists of recommended films to see during the holidays. It’s part of every season when families get together and imbibe. For many, seeing a movie after exhausting celebrations is a wonderful way to utilize the time…

Some of these wrongful convictions are driven by politics and religion; some by incompetent legal representation, especially for indigents; others are the result of shoddy, careless police work. But, the most egregious of these wrongful convictions are deliberate…

From President Roosevelt’s address to Congress on December 8, 1941: “Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, Members of the Senate and of the House of Representatives. Yesterday, December 7th 1941—a date which will live in infamy…

Unfortunately, as the United States expanded, settlers began to occupy Indian land. And then, with discovery of valuable timber and mineral resources…

There have been hundreds of books, articles, and films depicting great acts of courage by men in world history. But fewer stories about courageous women…

Have you heard of Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, commonly known as “The Dardenne Brothers? Most haven’t. Here are but a few of their awards: 

On November 11, 1918, World War I ended. In subsequent years most of the Western world has remembered this day with ceremonies honoring  the fallen and the wounded.

Defining “Jazz” has perplexed musicians for a long time. An oft quoted definition by Louis Armstrong is, “If you have to ask what jazz is, you’ll never know.” There is one thread that defines most jazz: it’s improvisational. Classical music adheres to the written musical score; jazz musicians interpret and vary the melodies differently as they interact with each other. They are less focused on the contributions of the composer, if there is one, and more on the contributions of the performer. A jazz musician can interpret and improvise the melodies and harmonies different ways never repeating the composition twice.

On November 25, 1947, heads of the top Hollywood studios met at the Waldorf Astoria in New York and decreed that actors and writers…

Journalist Daniel Fienberg wrote the following in the The Hollywood Reporter: “The limited film series stole the spotlight in last month’s Emmys. It’s time to give pride of place to the limited film series.” 

Many historians believe the sixties was the most transformative decade in American history.  Here are some events that happened in those ten short years…

Film lovers are enormously grateful that the hugely talented John Dahl got to make two  Neo-Noir films that  today are considered masterpieces of this genre…

A few weeks ago I recommended several outstanding films from the Italian Neorealism period. These were films made shortly after the end of World War II…

Barry Levinson is an actor but known mostly as an exceptional writer and director. He was nominated by the Academy for…

Italian Neorealism started out of necessity. When World War II ended in May 1945, the major cities of Italy were mostly destroyed…

Since the beginning, Hollywood has produced films depicting the hardships and tragedies of working people. These films were generally successful because they told a universal story: the human experience…

These filmmakers became adept in dodging  ruthless government censors and making films that were on the edge but didn’t violate Iranian laws…

There has been no dearth of films about troubling marriages. In selecting seven representative films, I know I will disappoint some viewers with my omissions…

The American West was explored by Lewis & Clark between 1803 and 1806. Their heroic achievements were followed by a huge emigration from around the world…

Benjamin Crisler, The New York Times film critic, wrote in 1938: The three unique and valuable institutions the British have that we in America do not have are the Magna Carter…

These six films not only have a lot of heart and soul but they are films that will make you feel good. Just what we need today…

Probably the biggest upset in Academy Award history occurred when Humphrey Bogart won Best Actor in 1951 for his role in The African Queen…

July 4th weekend, like most joyous weekends, is an opportunity for family and friends to get together…

The marvelous PBS Passport streaming platform offers extended access to PBS’s quality programming and library…

"The secret of film  is that it's an illusion." George Lucas Like a good wine,  an acquired taste may be required to appreciate a foreign language film. But it's worth the effort. A foreign language film will open your eyes to wonderfully stimulating cultures and...

Films about the environment can often be boringly pedantic. To prove their point these films tend to throw a lot of facts and figures that do a good job putting the viewer to sleep…

So, what is a “docudrama?” It’s a film or video that re-enacts actual events. A good docudrama strives for historical accuracy, but…

BroadwayHD is a digital platform not many viewers know about. But, it’s something very, very special…

From time to time we  need to be uplifted. These days we need it more than ever…

What sets movies apart from other art forms like theater, paintings, and music, is that movies can transport you to adventurous places…

Streaming a film series is a marvelous way to kill time when you are confined…

In these terrible days, everyone is encountering some degree of stress and cabin fever…

As early as 1914, the outbreak of World War I, German planners determined that transmitting messages by wireless to their far-flung military installations  was the  way to go…

For most people, these days, long distance travel is no longer an option…