Listen In as Betty Jo Tucker, A.J. Hakari and I Discuss the December Movie Releases

Posted on November 25, 2014 at 6:38 am

Thanks to Betty Jo Tucker for inviting me back on her show — this afternoon we will be discussing the big holiday season releases, including “Unbroken,” “Inherent Vice,” and “Into the Woods.”

Check Out Movies Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with Betty Jo Tucker on BlogTalkRadio with Movie Addict Headquarters on BlogTalkRadio
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Robert Elisberg’s Review of My Book: 101 Must-See Movie Moments

Posted on November 9, 2014 at 3:59 pm

Many thanks to my old friend Robert Elisberg for a wonderful review of my book in the Huffington Post. 101 Must-See Movie Moments

What makes the book such fun is that most books on movies give a fairly general overview of the films its covering, Nell hones in on the specifics. Or rather, on one specific. She does discuss each film, of course, to sort of set the stage, though not as a mere recap but rather going into depth with behind-the-scenes tales, and an explanatory sense of why the movie is so worth attention — but then singles out that one special moment that (as the title says) always gets overlooked at the expense of others, or was so wonderful in a movie you might never have even heard of.

In some ways, the book could have been titled, “Remember That Scene Where…”

That’s the fun of the book, how it brings the joy of the movie-going experience to life. There’s nothing dry about her writing or appreciation of films. (Don’t forget, I did say she’s giddy about watching movies, sometimes two or even three in a day — after having met with corporate shareholders to analysis their situation earlier in the day.) And so what we get here is picking that one unique scene that helps put the whole movie in perspective, and help explain why it works so well. Why we love that film, or why we should see it. Through the focus of one great moment.

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What Do Critics Think About Watching Film That Is Not What the Makers Intended?

Posted on October 19, 2014 at 8:00 am

Thanks to Indiewire for including me in their survey of critics about how important it is to watch a movie as it was filmed. If it was made on film stock, is it unfair to the artists’ vision to watch a digital version?

Here was my answer:

Copyright Walt Disney Studios
Copyright Walt Disney Studios

I remember hearing a Lionsgate executive explaining ruefully that they put so much effort and imagination into every inch of the screen for the “Lord of the Rings” movies only to find that people wanted to be able to watch them on their phones. “We’ll sell it to them, if that’s what they want,” he said, “but we are not happy about it.” If possible, it’s best to see films the way they were shot. But, just as we don’t view paintings in the studios where they were created, we have to recognize that some art will be viewed in a manner other than the way the filmmakers envisioned. And I have wonderful memories of digitally restored films. The first movie I watched on Blu-Ray was “Pinocchio,” which I thought I knew very well. But there were highlights in the Blue Fairy’s hair I had not seen before. I ran to my book of Disney animation art, and it was there. So, unlike watching LoTR on a Smartwatch, I felt I was seeing it the way the artists did.

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