Film #144: The Tree of Life

The most special special effect in Terrence Malick's ultimate, unrelenting, devout cinematic achievement occurs at its outset: a valuable jewel-like dalliance of light and dark, color and blackness. It lingers, morphs, disappears and then returns to us at key moments.

I cannot help but open this piece by considering these apparitions. They happen so importantly. Why are they there? Why do

Film #144: The Tree of Life

The most special special effect in Terrence Malick's ultimate, unrelenting, devout cinematic achievement occurs at its outset: a valuable jewel-like dalliance of light and dark, color and blackness. It lingers, morphs, disappears and then returns to us at key moments.

I cannot help but open this piece by considering these apparitions. They happen so importantly. Why are they there? Why do

CINEMA GALLERY: 30 New Frames

I'm taking a tip from a few other websites (including Only The Cinema and The Dancing Image) and avoiding commentary on the shots I've selected. I like how they look without the words splitting up the images. It also leaves the viewer to guess, at least initially, as to which movies these scenes hail from. And I believe that, subconsciously, these varied frames, shunted together, form a unique

CINEMA GALLERY: 30 New Frames

I'm taking a tip from a few other websites (including Only The Cinema and The Dancing Image) and avoiding commentary on the shots I've selected. I like how they look without the words splitting up the images. It also leaves the viewer to guess, at least initially, as to which movies these scenes hail from. And I believe that, subconsciously, these varied frames, shunted together, form a unique

The Five Best Recent Trailers

This is saying a lot, since trailers blow these days. Hell, I've been waiting literally TWO DECADES for movie previews to change. Finally, there's a glint of light on the horizon. Each of these pieces signal inventive new voices in movie marketing--SMART voices, finally:

Intriguing. THE TREE OF LIFE (Terrence Malick, 2011)

Chilling. RED STATE (Kevin Smith, 2011)

Moving. BLUE VALENTINE (

The Five Best Recent Trailers

This is saying a lot, since trailers blow these days. Hell, I've been waiting literally TWO DECADES for movie previews to change. Finally, there's a glint of light on the horizon. Each of these pieces signal inventive new voices in movie marketing--SMART voices, finally:

Intriguing. THE TREE OF LIFE (Terrence Malick, 2011)

Chilling. RED STATE (Kevin Smith, 2011)

Moving. BLUE VALENTINE (

BREAKING NEWS about Terrence Malick's THE TREE OF LIFE. And what, exactly, is it like to select titles for a film festival crowd?

Upon seeing Anne Thompson's tweet about New York Film Festival selection committee member Todd McCarthy's incisive new post about what it's like to attack that laborious job, I was immediately reminded of my own odyssey as the Programming Director for the Dahlonega International Film Festival (now the Rome International Film Festival) back in the early 2000s. The festival's Executive Director,

BREAKING NEWS about Terrence Malick's THE TREE OF LIFE. And what, exactly, is it like to select titles for a film festival crowd?

Upon seeing Anne Thompson's tweet about New York Film Festival selection committee member Todd McCarthy's incisive new post about what it's like to attack that laborious job, I was immediately reminded of my own odyssey as the Programming Director for the Dahlonega International Film Festival (now the Rome International Film Festival) back in the early 2000s. The festival's Executive Director,