Category Archives: Film

Superman at 75

Posted on October 19, 2013 by Ted Hicks

Superman, created by two Jewish kids in Cleveland, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, first appeared in the June 1938 issue of  Action Comics #1. In the 75 years since then, this “strange visitor from another planet” has gone through many … Continue reading →

Posted in Comics, Film, Home Video, TV | 3 Comments

New York Film Festival Diary – #1

Posted on October 1, 2013 by Ted Hicks

Since moving to New York in 1977, the New York Film Festival has been the big annual film event for me. At my first festival, the 15th NYFF in ’77, I remember seeing Handle with Care (d. Jonathan Demme), The … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Home Video | 1 Comment

“Enough Said” — Sweet, Funny, & Sad

Posted on September 26, 2013 by Ted Hicks

The title of director/writer Nicole Holofcener’s 2001 feature, Lovely & Amazing, is an apt description of her new film, Enough Said, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus and James Gandolfini. Holofcener’s films, which include Walking and Talking (1996), Friends with Money (2006), and … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Home Video, TV | 2 Comments

My “Butler” Problem

Posted on September 3, 2013 by Ted Hicks

Lee Daniels’ The  Butler – Sunday, August 18 at AMC Loews Lincoln Square. Director: Lee Daniels. Writer: Danny Strong. I had something quite different in mind when I first thought of writing about this film. Though I recognized that the film … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Home Video, TV | 2 Comments

Civil Rights Roundtable — a Time Capsule from 1963

Posted on August 30, 2013 by Ted Hicks

August 28th marked the 50th anniversary of what was originally called the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. In the years since then, the name has lost “Jobs and Freedom,” and most people, myself included, have always thought of … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Film, Home Video, TV | 3 Comments

“Born in Chicago” — Black & White Blues

Posted on August 9, 2013 by Ted Hicks

************************************************************************************** I recently saw Born in Chicago, a fascinating documentary that lays out how black blues musicians in Chicago during the 1960s, including Howlin’ Wolf (above left), Muddy Waters (above right), Willie Dixon and many others, influenced and mentored hungry … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Home Video, Music | 1 Comment

“The Conjuring” — Ooga Booga Not So Much

Posted on July 25, 2013 by Ted Hicks

According to its opening weekend box-office of $41.5 million, The Conjuring was the number one movie in America last week. Having seen the film, I can only conclude that this represents a triumph of marketing over actual content. In addition … Continue reading →

Posted in Film | 4 Comments

Famous Monsters & Me — Pt. 3: Pulp Fiction

Posted on July 20, 2013 by Ted Hicks

As I’ve already established in the first two installments of “Famous Monsters & Me” (posted last year on May 17 and December 11), at an early age I developed an intense love of science fiction and horror in all its forms … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Film | 6 Comments

“Sing Me the Songs That Say I Love You” — Fare Thee Well

Posted on July 3, 2013 by Ted Hicks

“A Celebration of Kate McGarrigle,” a tribute concert honoring the music and memory of the Canadian singer-songwriter was held at Town Hall in New York City on May 12 and 13, 2011. She had been diagnosed with cancer in 2006, … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Home Video, Music | 4 Comments

James Gandolfini and Richard Matheson — Jersey Boys

Posted on June 27, 2013 by Ted Hicks

It was quite a shock to hear last Thursday that James Gandolfini had died the day before, June 19th, in Italy of a heart attack — much too young at age 51. And then to learn a few days later … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Film, Home Video, TV | 5 Comments