NEW AND NOTABLE BOOKS – March 2020
PHANTOM LADY: HOLLYWOOD PRODUCER JOAN HARRISON, THE FORGOTTEN WOMAN BEHIND HITCHCOCK by Christina Lane (Chicago Review Press) Just when you think you know all there is to know about the principal figures of Hollywood’s golden age, along comes…
MALTIN MOVIE CLUB #2: LUCKY
Lucky (2017) is a remarkable film, a living testament to the talent and formidable screen presence of the late Harry Dean Stanton. It was written as a vehicle for the nonagenarian actor by his longtime assistant, Logan Sparks, and while…
BLOW THE MAN DOWN: LIKABLY QUIRKY FARE
Blow the Man Down marks the feature-film debut for two female friends who’ve been on the New York filmmaking scene for a decade. After an exceptionally long gestation period, Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy’s quirky tale won the Best…
MALTIN MOVIE CLUB #1: THE CONFIRMATION
Searching for good movies to stream at home? Look no further. We will be spotlighting films that flew under the radar and didn’t earn the praise or the turnout they deserved. Let’s begin with a 2016 movie that sneaked…
DISNEY BOOKS GALORE
MARC DAVIS IN HIS OWN WORDS: IMAGINEERING THE DISNEY THEME PARKS by Pete Docter and Christopher Merritt (Disney Editions) Walt Disney was stingy with compliments, but he called longtime animator Marc Davis his “renaissance man” and meant it.…
PIXAR SCORES WITH HEARTFELT ‘ONWARD’
With an uninspired title like Onward the newest offering from Pixar doesn’t do itself justice. Derived from director and co-writer Dan Scanlon’s experience growing up without knowing his father, this heartfelt film scores a direct hit on our emotions. Ian (voiced…
A SINGULAR VOICE: KELLY REICHARDT’S ‘FIRST COW’
Kelly Reichardt’s slowly paced films aren’t everyone’s cup of milk, but I thoroughly enjoyed her latest effort, First Cow. I’ve been a fan since her 2006 feature Old Joy, which like this one deals with friendship in a serene setting. Since then…
