Boston Phoenix film contributor Gerald Peary’s almost-a-decade-in-the making chronicle of twentieth-century American film criticism, “For the Love of the Movies,” provides glimpses of the faces and fracases of that storied time, suggestive of a much larger history that could run to volumes, footnoted endlessly, hyperlinked furiously, contested perpetually. I offer a “Recommended” rating for subject matter alone; having studied and practiced in the dark with film crickets for well over a decade, I’ve got my own hunches and recollections and perspectives on the subject. I can’t imagine a non-practitioner getting much from “For the Love”; there’s too much implied and left unsung about the supposed passions for it to make much sense to the non-pro. And any documentary that gives short shift to the essential syncopations of Manny Farber leaves me rolling eyes skyward. Among the critics under consideration: Roger Ebert, Andrew Sarris, Jonathan Rosenbaum, Michael Wilmington, Gene Siskel, Richard Corliss, Kenneth Turan, B. Ruby Rich, Wesley Morris, Janet Maslin, Leonard Maltin, Stuart Klawns, Harry Knowles, Owen Gleiberman, David D’Arcy, Lisa Nesselson and Karina Longworth. Narrated by Patricia Clarkson. Movie City News’ Michael Wilmington will appear at the Friday 7:45 showing. 80m. HDCAM. (Ray Pride)
Ray Pride is Newcity’s Senior Editor and Film Critic. He is a contributing editor of Filmmaker magazine.
Ray’s history of Chicago Ghost Signs is planned for publication next year. Previews of the project are on Twitter and on Instagram. More photography on Instagram.
Reading Pictures: Movies In Black-And-White Almost nothing has been written about Walter Hill or his great work. A new book, which the director cooperated with, is "A Walter Hill Film" by critic Walter Chaw. There's much I learned even as a lifelong student of Hill's work: "The Warriors." "Streets of Fire." "48 HRS."
Chicago Salvation: Life, Movies And Uptown's Hurricane Billy A maker of hard-to categorize films, William Friedkin forged a career in his own way, fueled by arrogance, boastfulness, bravado, confidence, self-assurance and moral questioning, a Chicago working-class autodidact who grew up poor in Uptown.
Talking Screens, September 2-8, 2022: $3 Movies, For A Day | 10 Remarkable Films | Ozon Makes Fassbinder Lite National Cinema Day. In Chicago: "The Creepshow: A Stephen King Film Festival"; ten remarkable films in "The Story of Film: A New Generation—A Film Series"; Chicago Film Society presents "Foolish Wives"; and a five-picture run for Pier Paolo Pasolini begins with "Mamma Roma." Plus, a pair of female-led Mexican wrestling movies. New films this week: "Peter Von Kant," "The Good…
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