John Farr

One of the more fascinating aspects of cinema history lies in identifying those films (and filmmakers) whose true quality and contribution only get recognized well after the fact.

This is a somewhat rarer phenomenon than releases which are wildly popular in their time, but like a product cheaply made,...

Just last Friday, iconic star Audrey Hepburn would have turned 83.

We never got to see her in old age: she's been gone nearly twenty years now, struck down prematurely by cancer. For me and millions of other fans, she will remain eternally young and fresh.

At a time...

Jack Nicholson's own story rivals any of his films.

Born in New York City, he grew up in New Jersey. He grew up thinking his grandparents were his parents, and his mother, his older sister.

When years later, he learned the truth, he realized he had no clue who his...

This weekend marks the centennial of the Titanic disaster, an event that's been recreated in countless films, including the 1997 James Cameron epic that's back in theaters. (Personally I never much cared for the film in two dimensions; I doubt I'll like it more in three. And yes, I know...

Calling all Anglophiles: the Criterion Collection has a treat in store.

Their essential new DVD set, "David Lean Directs Noel Coward", brings together pristine transfers of four legendary film collaborations between famous English playwright/personality Noel Coward and a young film editor named David Lean.

Talk about a heaven-sent collaboration....

First, let's acknowledge that I laughed as hard at Bridesmaids as most anyone else. It was a consistently diverting, often very clever romp, and I thought Kristen Wiig and the rest of the cast were, on the whole, first-rate.

That said, even with the extra smarts and wit...

For social gatherings at home built around screening movies (and yes, folks -- movies can still be a communal experience), outstanding rock documentaries and concert films are virtually guaranteed crowd pleasers, particularly if your home theater set-up includes a quality sound system.

And no surprise, there are a host...

Though my own hit rate on Oscar predictions was just a bit over fifty percent, I was still smiling at the end credits.

Coming off last year's debacle hosted by zombie-like James Franco and the impossibly chirpy Anne Hathaway, it was gratifying to see the Academy finally pull off a...

Thinking ahead to Sunday, what's my overall impression? Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but this seems like a pretty lean year.

Unquestionably, there are a few memorable films in the running, but also a lot of filler -- some nominees that simply make you scratch your head in wonderment.

No doubt: it's been a very good year for both these stars.

And much as I admire Jean Dujardin's sublime performance in The Artist, my hunch is that the industry will favor one of its own on Oscar night.

So who will it be -- George or Brad?

I'm saving...

As we kick off Oscar month tomorrow, we also honor the birthday of Clark Gable, who picked up a statuette at the seventh Academy Awards ceremony in 1935.

He got it for a movie he did not want to do -- a comedy called It Happened One Night -- and...

With Martin Luther King's birthday just past us, and Black History month coming up, the time seems right to celebrate those invaluable films that shed light on the black community's long struggle for equal rights in this country.

Even for those of us who think we know the story...

Next week marks the 108th anniversary of Cary Grant's birth.

Have people forgotten Cary Grant? He's been gone a quarter of a century now, and his last movie was made forty-five years ago.

Personally, I don't believe so. He was too good, too much of an original to fade away...

Robert Duvall, one of our finest living screen actors, turns 81 tomorrow.

Born to a career military officer from Virginia and his wife, an amateur actress and descendant of General Robert E. Lee, Duvall's childhood was peripatetic, as his father was transferred frequently to various bases around the country.

I just know many of you out there are scrambling to catch up on your holiday gift giving. This article's for you.

You'd think with all the talk of streaming that DVDs would be quickly going the way of the Edsel. But not so fast, my friends.

Speaking as someone...

Should we call him "Spartacus"? Or "Champion"? Both names certainly fit the man.

Kirk Douglas turns 95 tomorrow, and he is still very much with us. (Over the past couple of years, I've spotted him and his beloved wife Anne twice in New York City, once in a restaurant and...

Just when you start believing there's no hope for anything daring and original coming out of Movieland, something gets released that surprises you.

The Artist is one such movie -- and what's new about it is that it's old.

Or rather -- it's a silent film -- not...

Earlier this month, Burt Lancaster would have turned 98, an improbable age for most of us to reach. Yet this actor's unique persona always exuded such robust vitality, you'd be forgiven for thinking that of all people, he just might make it.

If any star was larger than life,...

Brett Ratner's recent anti-gay slur wasn't the first thing he said that sounded just plain stupid.

Did anyone notice his quote in the recent puff piece about him in the New York Times ("Forget the Art House; He's Making Blockbusters," 10/30/11)?

Ratner, all ready to foist the lame...

Believe it or not, in a pop culture filled with mindless reality shows and slick formula franchises, there are still a few players out there whose work offers a glimmer of hope that originality and intelligence can prevail.

Tilda Swinton is one such player.

It is heartening that at 50,...