Jan 23 WATCH: La La Land sweeps as Oscar picks are announced By Elizabeth Flock Favorites for nominations this year include the breakout musical, "La La Land," the affecting drama, "Manchester by the Sea," and the coming-of-age film, "Moonlight," all three of which performed well in the Golden Globes. "Moonlight," which follows a boy as… Continue reading
Jan 23 For the film ‘Paterson,’ poet Ron Padgett wrote four original poems By Elizabeth Flock This poem is one of four that American poet Ron Padgett wrote specifically for the new Jim Jarmusch film “Paterson,” which follows a poetry-writing bus driver (played by Adam Driver) who shares a name with his city of Paterson, New… Continue reading
Jan 13 Watch 6:38 How a veteran at retelling true stories took on ‘Patriots Day’ By PBS News Hour “Patriots Day” recounts the 2013 Boston marathon bombing and subsequent manhunt. Although the film is not a documentary, it aims to stay very true to the real events. For director Peter Berg, it’s his third film based on a story… Continue watching
Dec 29 Watch 9:10 The most spellbinding movies of 2016 By PBS News Hour What were the best films of 2016, and who delivered the most captivating performances? Jeffrey Brown sits down with Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post and Mike Sargent of Pacifica Radio to discuss their top picks. Continue watching
Dec 29 What were your favorite books, films and TV shows of 2016? By Dave Berndtson What outstanding works of literature, television, art, and film captured your attention in 2016? Our arts correspondent, Jeffrey Brown, spoke this week with leading voices in the arts about some of the most compelling contributions in these fields. Now we… Continue reading
Dec 25 Watch 5:58 Preserving the history of America’s first black filmmakers By PBS News Hour In the early part of the 20th century, black filmmakers were forced to work outside the white Hollywood mainstream -- and produced around 500 films, mainly for black audiences. To preserve this history, the company Kino Lorber released a five-disc… Continue watching
Nov 04 Watch 6:48 In 1980s Miami, the triple crisis of growing up black, gay and poor By PBS News Hour Based on a true story, the new movie “Moonlight” follows Chiron, a boy growing up black, gay and poor in 1980s Miami. The film documents Chiron’s identity struggle in three acts, featuring a different actor for each. It’s a landscape… Continue watching
Oct 31 Watch 5:26 The nightmare zombie movie that started with a dream By PBS News Hour Two years ago, two best friends with Down syndrome came up with an idea that would change their lives. With the dream of making a zombie movie, Sam Suchmann and Mattie Zufelt raised nearly $70,000 in a Kickstarter campaign, and… Continue watching
Oct 20 Watch 3:02 This casting director likes you for your idiosyncrasies By PBS News Hour The first thing that casting director David Rubin does when he reads a screenplay is to forget the writer’s character descriptions. Instead, he’s on the lookout for an actor’s authenticity, as well as diversity. Rubin offers his Brief But Spectacular… Continue watching
Aug 31 Watch 10:26 As a past accusation comes to light against filmmaker Nate Parker, will viewers want to watch? By PBS News Hour A new film, “The Birth of a Nation,” tells the story of Nat Turner, a historical figure who led a bloody slave rebellion in 1831. But lately this highly anticipated movie has been in the news because of revelations that… Continue watching