Tag: film criticism
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Good Times (1967)
American cinema lost one of its iconic filmmakers of the ‘New Hollywood’ era when William Friedkin passed away August 7. His most celebrated works stem from the 1970s, that great decade of commercial moviemaking when it seemed to audiences then (and especially now) that a new sense of filmmaking and the purpose of cinema was…
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Friend of the World (2020)
In Friend of the World, a low-budget short film available to stream online, the central dynamic is a philosophical showdown between a mad military general (or at least a self-professed one) and a young, optimistic filmmaker who both find themselves in an unenviable situation amidst the annihilation of nearly all life on earth. Left in…
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She’s Funny That Way (2014)
Peter Bogdanovich’s final feature is one of the more morose comedies ever made. Whether this is intentional or not remains to be debated. What is clear, however, is the strange mixture of ideas and genres that was so often Bogdanovich’s preference for comedy. He was enthralled with the idea of making old-fashioned screwball comedies set…
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The Cat’s Meow (2001)
The movie industry and its rich history remained a continuous source of inspiration for Peter Bogdanovich’s entire career. Beginning with his many interviews with various Hollywood legends, including John Ford, Howard Hawks and Orson Welles, Bogdanovich sought to pay tribute to these directors by imitating their style in more contemporary stories. Yet, for The Cat’s…
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The Thing Called Love (1993)
In The Thing Called Love, Peter Bogdanovich returns to two of his cinematic roots, country music and young people in love. These have remained mainstays throughout his career and rarely have they been personified better than in River Phoenix and Samantha Mathis. Indeed, one of the biggest strengths of this movie is the energy and…
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Noises Off (1992)
Noises Off is Peter Bogdanovich at his zaniest, but the picture is screwball without substance. The cast is more than capable and willing to give it their all, and the film garners lots of laughs. But the rush of energy that propels this movie forward moves so quickly that by the end, Noises Off has…
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Texasville (1990)
Befallen by hard times on both sides of the camera, Peter Bogdanovich received an opportunity to revisit a familiar place and he took it. Texasville, the sequel to Bogdanovich’s break-out hit The Last Picture Show, is based on Larry McMurtry’s sequel novel, but the tone and feeling of this picture is a far cry from…
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Illegally Yours (1988)
Illegally Yours is an exhausting and boring movie experience. The movie is exhausting because so much happens at once audiences are not able to follow, and boring because what does happen has been seen time and time again. Peter Bogdanovich, who directed the picture, spoke negatively about the filmmaking experience throughout his career and even…
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Mask (1985)
Mask is one of Peter Bogdanovich’s saddest movies, yet also the most uplifting. Despite attempts at various genres and styles, the intersection of tragedy and authenticity is where his greatest achievements lie, and Mask is a tremendous example. The message of the movie is quite familiar to anyone who has ever seen or read these…