As we remember and thank those who have served our country and defended our freedom, these movies help us begin to understand their contribution. The Messenger One of the finest young actors working today, Ben Foster, stars with Woody Harrelson and Samantha Morton in this powerful story of an injured soldier assigned to visit the …

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  Every element of Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar” was really happening in front of the camera. Well, they didn’t actually go into space and explore other planets, but they did build every piece of equipment and they did seek out landscapes around the world that would seem like other planets. The spaceship they built is now …

Continue reading “Interstellar at the Smithsonian’s Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum”

This week’s lush romantic drama “Beyond the Lights” features a touching cover of the Nina Simone classic “Blackbird.” Before you enjoy the new version, here’s the original.

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 …

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I really enjoyed this essay by Meredith Haggerty at Medium about the way that romantic comedies have dealt with money issues through the years. Of course, all movies reflect the economic environment of their eras — the eras in which they are made as much as the eras they are depicting. The most astute reviews …

Continue reading “Are Romantic Comedies About Love or Money?”