Books & the Arts

The Lost Weekend The Lost Weekend

Billy Wilder didn't have it in him to tell the story behind Don Binam's alcoholic binge as it appeared in the novel--that he'd had a homosexual affair in college.

Jan 5, 2009 / Books & the Arts / James Agee

Norma Rae Norma Rae

While no flying nun, Salley Field is no less than heavenly as a wife and mother, organizing her fellow workers in a Southern textile factory.

Jan 5, 2009 / Books & the Arts / Robert Hatch

All Quiet on the Western Front All Quiet on the Western Front

Eye-deep in hell during World War I.

Jan 5, 2009 / Books & the Arts / Alexander Bakshy

The Bridge on the River Kwai The Bridge on the River Kwai

A brutal tale that, ironically, sent thousands of moviegoers on their way whistling a happy tune.

Jan 4, 2009 / Books & the Arts / Robert Hatch

Saving Private Ryan Saving Private Ryan

It was said that the opening scenes of the D-Day invasion were so realistic that veterans hospitals across the country became filled with vets suffering from flashbacks after seein...

Jan 3, 2009 / Books & the Arts / Stuart Klawans

Sunset Boulevard Sunset Boulevard

Silent screen star Norma Desmond gets one more close-up.

Jan 3, 2009 / Books & the Arts / Manny Farber

Hoop Dreams Hoop Dreams

...are made to be broken, as Arthur Agee and William Gates learned the hard way over the five years their lives on and off the court were filmed.

Jan 3, 2009 / Books & the Arts / Stuart Klawans

Ninotchka Ninotchka

Ten years before Joe McCarthy, Ernst Lubitisch makes an anti-Communist comedy, the difference being that Ninotchka was funny.

Jan 3, 2009 / Books & the Arts / Franz Hoellering

2001: A Space Odyssey 2001: A Space Odyssey

Stanley Kubrick's exploration of nearly every popular sci-fi theme has since become firmly rooted in our cultural landscape

Jan 3, 2009 / Books & the Arts / Robert Hatch

Dr. Strangelove Dr. Strangelove

Stanley Kubrick's chilling black comedy satirized fanatical cold war militarism.

Jan 3, 2009 / Books & the Arts / Robert Hatch

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