January 16, 2025 2:13 pm

Roger Ebert Reviews

See You Friday, Robinson

In the late ’90s, while doing some globe-trotting research for a book on Iranian cinema (which only culminated with the release this week of my In the Time of Kiarostami: Writings on Iranian Cinema), I went to England to interview one of that cinema’s legendary characters. I took a train to Sussex from London, then […]

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The Ten Best Films of 2022

What a year. The array of filmmaking on the list below should be shown to anyone willing to suggest that 2022 was somehow inferior in the history of cinema. And these excellent films don’t even include some of the most popular flicks of the year like the critically acclaimed “Top Gun: Maverick” or “Avatar: The Way of Water” (although

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Stars Shine Brightly at the 5th CCA Black Celebration of Cinema and Television

The atmosphere at the Critics Choice Black Celebration of Cinema and Television event on Monday evening, December 5, can be summed up as joyous. The recognition event honors outstanding work in film and television and pays tribute to those who have paved the way so others may soar. Honorees and presenters gathered for the star-studded event

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Avatar: The Way of Water

James Cameron wants you to believe. He wants you to believe that aliens are killing machines, humanity can defeat time-traveling cybords, and a film can transport you to a significant historical disaster. In many ways, the planet of Pandora in “Avatar” has become his most ambitious manner of sharing this belief in the power of cinema.

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Angelo Badalamenti (1937-2022)

“Today, no music,” David Lynch declared during his daily weather report posted today on YouTube, where he typically accompanies the Los Angeles forecast with a song currently spotlighted on his mental playlist. It wasn’t long after that news began to circulate online regarding Lynch’s longtime cherished collaborator, Angelo Badalamenti, one of the all-time greatest composers

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Everything Everywhere All at Once Leads Chicago Film Critics Nominations

The Chicago Film Critics Association, a group that includes several writers from this site, announced their nominations for the best in film from 2022, led strongly by Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert’s “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” which notched a stunning 12 nominations, nearly doubling the second-highest total. “EEAAO” not only appeared in Best Picture,

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National Treasure: The Edge of History Struggles to Solve Puzzle of Its Existence

The era of weaponized nostalgia has been very good for Disney, a company that loves to recycle its most beloved (and even its largely forgotten) properties into new products designed largely to appear to stressed-out adults who wish they could be kids again. Remember when Nicolas Cage solved historical puzzles in the two “National Treasure”

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Ebertfest Film Festival 2023 Passes On Sale December 12th

Passes for the 23rd Roger Ebert’s Film Festival, or “Ebertfest,” will go on sale Monday, December 12th, at the official sites of Ebertfest and its main venue, The Virginia Theatre, 203 W. Park Avenue, Champaign, Illinois. They can also be purchased by calling the theater box office at 217-356-9063. The festival, co-founded by Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Roger Ebert and his wife

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