Back in 2024, I was contacted by two Romanian film professors, Andrei Rus and Doru Nitescu of the Universitatea Nationala de Arta Teatrala si Cinematografica “I.L.Caragiale.” They had translated David’s and my textbook, Film History: an…
Kristin here– Last autumn I was contacted by Nick, aka The Voice of Nick, asking for my consent to his creating an audio-book of The Frodo Franchise. This was quite a surprise—a pleasant one of course. Naturally I gave him the go-ahead. I…
The Youth of Maxim (Grigoriy Kozintsev and Leonid Trauberg) Kristin here: As usual, this end-of-the-year entry has come out early in the next year. I was out of the country for six weeks recently, returning on December 27. It takes awhile…
Kristin here– Loyal readers of this blog checking back at intervals in the hope of finding a new entry will not have found one for quite some time now. Indeed, the last entry was posted in March, and just over half a of silence. This lack…
Kristin here: Students and faculty in the film-studies division of the Department of Communication Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are known for aesthetic analysis of films and historical study of the film industry. One aspect…
I dimly remember hearing in late 2020 that the sequel to Moana (2016) was going to be Moana: The Series, streaming on Disney+ rather than a theatrical feature. David and I liked Moana very much, but in those of Covid and non-theater-going,…
Story of Floating Weeds (Yasujiro Ozu) Kristin here: This surprisingly popular series started with what we assumed to be a one-off entry. In 1907 David and I saluted the birth of the Classical Hollywood Cinema in 1917 as a full-fledged new…
Kristin here: Last week I returned from a nearly month-long trip, first in London and then joining a tour of Egypt. This was my second trip to London this year. The first, in June, served as a vacation after the intense activities of the…
After David’s memorial service in May (a video recording of which is permanently on Vimeo with no password necessary), some people on my Facebook page asked if a collection of photographs of David could be made available. There was a slide…
The Zone of Interest (2023) Yes, another entry on A24. I didn’t expect for this topic to continue as a series, but the indie studio keeps doing intriguing and unusual things that most studios wouldn’t try. I first dealt with A24 because I…
A crowd lined up for a screening at the 2024 Wisconsin Film Festival (Source: Wisconsin Film Festival Facebook) KT here: About a month ago, August 17 to be precise, Variety published an essay by Owen Gleiberman. In it he decries the fact…
Back on February 10, less than three weeks before his death, David blogged about the positive reception that Perplexing Plots had had including a nomination for an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America. He didn’t live to learn…
David shopping during his first trip to Hong Kong, 1995 Kristin here: By now many of you have watched the recording of David’s May 18th memorial service, linked in the previous entry. Some have written to tell me how moving it was and how…
KT here: A memorial service for David was held on May 18, 2024. Although many friends and family members traveled to be present, the service was also streamed live for those who could not. For those who were unable to do either, a…
The Shepherdess and the Seven Songs (2020). Since David’s death, this blog has not been updated. I do, however, plan to occasionally re-post old entries if they become relevant to current events in the world of film. I also hope to post…
Kristin here: The speed with which the news of David’s death, early on the morning of February 29, 2024, spread has amazed me. I expected many responses: condolences, tributes, and most of all stories of how he had affected people’s lives.…
The Green, Green Grass of Home (1982). David’s health situation has made it difficult for our household to maintain this blog. We don’t want it to fade away, though, so we’ve decided to select previous entries from our backlist to…
Kathleen Kennedy on the 1 January 2013 cover. Kristin here: David’s health situation has made it difficult for our household to maintain this blog. We don’t want it to fade away, though, so we’ve decided to select previous entries from our…
Dragnet Girl (1933). Kristin here – Due to health problems, we have been reposting older entries lately and will continue to do so. Still, I could not skip this year’s contribution to the inexplicably popular series of ten-best lists for…
David’s health situation has made it difficult for our household to maintain this blog. We don’t want it to fade away, though, so we’ve decided to select previous entries from our backlist to republish. These are items that chime with…
Cracking Contraptions: The Tellyscope. David’s health situation has made it difficult for our household to maintain this blog. We don’t want it to fade away, though, so we’ve decided to select previous entries from our backlist to…
Die Hard (1988). David’s health situation has made it difficult for our household to maintain this blog. We don’t want it to fade away, though, so we’ve decided to select previous entries from our backlist to republish. These are items…
DB here: On 2 November, Lignan University of Hong Kong conferred upon me an honorary doctorate. My health situation kept me from attending, but I sent a statement of thanks. I’m grateful for the honor, and for Professor Darrell Davis for…
Patricia Highsmith (from Loving Highsmith, 2022). DB here: Crime fiction, whether in words or pictures, is a bigger category than we might initially think. There are whodunits, hardboiled detective stories, police procedurals, suspense…
DB here: Hardcore Wes Anderson admirers will be happy to learn of the latest entry in the series of massive auteur monographs devoted to the work of the director. After a synoptic volume, The Wes Anderson Collection, there followed one…
The Maltese Falcon (1941). DB here: The traditional opposition between Art and Entertainment still holds some sway. Art, some believe, is the realm of higher significance and profound emotion, while entertainment yields mere diversion and…
Wreck-It Ralph (2012). Kristin here: Way back in 2006, I posted a long piece on the increasing prominence of animated features being released each year. This was in the infancy of the blog, and the entry shows it–few photos, inserted as…
Poker Face, Ep. 10 (“The Hook”). DB here: Charlie Cale, an easygoing but tough young woman from New Jersey, has a unique gift. She can detect when someone is lying. She has exploited this in a career as an itinerant poker player, but after…
Asteroid City (2023). DB here: Asteroid City tells two stories. One ends more or less happily, the other more or less sadly. The first one takes place in roadside America, 1955. In a minuscule town made famous by an asteroid crater, five…