I love St. Patrick’s Day. It’s so inclusive. By that I mean that though it’s a bona fide religious holiday, you don’t need to be particularly pious to enjoy it. Beyond its religious significance, Wikipedia aptly describes March 17th as a celebration of Irish history and identity, including “…prominent displays of the color green, feasting, copious consumption of alcohol, religious … More Details

This was the not the first title I had in mind for this piece. But when I dug into Clint Eastwood’s life and career, it seemed particularly apt – and not even close to an overstatement. Just consider this: Over a career spanning over half a century, he’s been involved in over ninety film productions, and directed thirty films. Having … More Details

When Christian Bale won his Oscar for “The Fighter” (2010), I was hardly surprised, but nor was I elated. And I had to ask myself why. This now hugely successful movie star is prodigiously talented, blazing with intensity and intelligence- not to mention killer good looks. Still- with apologies to all the self-proclaimed “Baleheads” out there, on an emotional level … More Details

As we head into the Independence Day weekend, I wanted to suggest some classic titles scattered over the decades that each in their way evoke our country’s unique character. Some of these movies are overtly patriotic, portraying seminal moments and figures in our colorful history, while others delve into more complex, troubling periods and events which have also helped shape … More Details

Whether portraying the folly or glory of armed conflict, outstanding war films place the best and worst of our shared humanity in stark relief: on the good side lies our capacity for courage and sacrifice in the interest of a cause bigger than ourselves; on the other, we confront our innate barbarity and impulse toward aggression, which thousands of years … More Details