Category: Features

August 2019 — Features, Musings & More

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Matt Marshall –
• Box Office: ‘Hobbs & Shaw’ Powers Past ‘The Lion King’ in Latest Fast and Furious Chapter – 8/4/19
• Box Office: ‘Good Boys’ Ends R-Rated Comedy Drought, ‘Hobbs & Shaw’ Drifts to Second – 8/18/19

Jared Mobarak –
• Posterized August 2019: ‘The Nightingale,’ ‘La Flor,’ ‘Genesis,’ and More – 8/2/19

Matthew Passantnio –
• Awards: Can Terrence Malick Find His Way Back to the Oscars With ‘A Hidden Life?’ – 8/21/19
• Circuit Q&A: Who Is Your Favorite Venice Film Festival Alumni? – 8/23/19

Christopher Schobert –
• Six of WNY’s must-visits for kids – 8/9/19
• Buffalo Film Seminars brings Mitchum, Mel Brooks, ‘Moulin Rouge’ to Amherst Theatre – 8/20/19

Jeff Simon –
• Why did America let TV take over presidential elections? – 8/1/19
• They call it ‘The lost Miles Davis record’ – 8/5/19
• A return to Woodstock with Dale Anderson, Jeff Simon and Jeff Miers – 8/9/19
• The creative new ‘sisterhood’ of Channel 2’s ‘Most Buffalo’ – 8/9/19
• Abbie Hoffman, Woodstock’s greatest mythologist – 8/15/19

Jordan M. Smith –
• Monday Memo: Direct Cinema Pioneer D.A. Pennebaker Dead at 94 – 8/5/19
• Monday Memo: IFC Center Announces Craft Ed. Seminars, 2019 TIFF Docs Revealed & iPic Entertainment Files Chapter 11 – 8/12/19
• Monday Memo: Independent Lens Drop Fall Lineup, The Obamas’ First Film Coming Soon & Camden’s 2019 Slate Announced – 8/19/19

July 2019 — Features, Musings & More

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M. Faust –
• Screwing with people’s heads a little: An interview with “Weird Al” Yankovic – 7/23/19

Adam Lubitow –
• Film: reflecting on Rutger Hauer’s work – 7/26/19
• FILM | “Wally Got Wasted” Screening and Q&A – 7/31/19

Jared Mobarak –
• Posterized July 2019: ‘Once Upon a Time In… Hollywood,’ ‘Midsommar,’ ‘The Farewell,’ and More – 7/5/19

Matt Marshall –
• Box Office: ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home,’ ‘Toy Story 4’ Hold Off ‘Crawl’ and ‘Stuber’ – 7/15/19
• Box Office: Disney’s Lion King Spells End for Harry Potter Record, ‘Endgame’ Dethrones ‘Avatar’ – 7/22/19
• Box Office: Disney’s ‘Lion King’ Hits $350M, Career-High ‘Hollywood’ Shines Bright for Tarantino – 7/29/19

Matthew Passantino –
• Top 5 Movies of 2019, So Far Movie Review – 7/1/19
• Top 10: Underrated Performances from 1999 – 7/14/19

Christopher Schobert –
• Recommended New Books on Filmmaking: Making ‘Alien,’ Chantal Akerman, Analyzing ‘Peterloo’ & More – 7/10/19
• Playtime has arrived: A family guide to Canalside’s Explore & More – 7/18/19
• Great Lakes Christian Film Fest is an outlet for faith-based projects – 7/30/19

Jeff Simon –
• Ideal books for summer’s short bursts of attention – 7/2/19
• Tanks, flyovers and a big, fat, inadvertent laugh – 7/5/19
• ‘Mad’ was satire you could bring home to show mom – 7/11/19
• If your TV isn’t fired up on Sunday nights, when is it? – 7/12/19
• Provocative film sheds light on Marshawn Lynch’s history of silence – 7/17/19
• Chappaquiddick- The 50th anniversary that’s painful to remember – 7/19/19
• ‘Big Little Lies’ finally showed us why you hire Meryl Streep – 7/22/19
• In world full of opinions, where are fresh ones? – 7/29/19

Jordan M. Smith –
• Monday Memo: Threats to Press Freedom, Exhibitors Speak Out & John Cooper Announces Departure From Sundance – 7/01/19
• Monday Memo: New Academy Members, Doclisboa Co-Director Heads to Sheffield & DOC NYC Expands For 10th Anniversary – 7/08/19
• Monday Memo: Doc Engagement Creating Space for Change, Alamo Drafthouse to Revive Video Store, and New Senses of Cinema – 7/15/19
• Monday Memo: Mental Health in the Doc Industry, 71st Emmy Nominees & Martin Bell’s Restored Street Docs Return – 7/22/19
• Monday Memo: POV Shorts Season 2, News & Doc Emmy Noms, Grierson Awards Short List & More – 7/29/19

June 2019 — Features, Musings & More

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Adam Lubitow –
• We’re past the ‘Endgame’ now – 6/5/19

Matt Marshall –
• Box Office: ‘Godzilla: King of the Monsters’ Wins Weekend Battle Over ‘Rocketman,’ ‘Ma’ – 6/2/19
• 15 Years Later, ‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’ Remains Wizarding World’s Best – 6/4/19
• Box Office: ‘Men in Black: International’ Continues Sequel Summer Slump with $28.5M Debut – 6/17/19
• Box Office: Pixar’s ‘Toy Story 4’ Debuts with $118M as Fourth-Biggest Animated Opener – 6/23/19
• Box Office: ‘Toy Story 4’ Tops Second Weekend of Doll Mania Over ‘Annabelle Comes Home’ – 6/30/19
• 15 Years Later, Sam Raimi’s ‘Spider-Man 2’ Ranks as Marvel’s Greatest Superhero Sequel – 6/30/19

Jared Mobarak –
• Posterized June 2019: ‘The Last Black Man in San Francisco,’ ‘Our Time,’ ‘The Chambermaid,’ and More – 6/7/19

David Palmer –
• The Best (and Worst) of 2019 Movies So Far – 6/30/19

Matthew Passantino –
• What Is Your Favorite Hitchcock Scene? – 6/16/19

Christopher Schobert –
• Extra Points: Jobs, Buffett … Keanu? Why the ‘John Wick’ Star Should Be Your Business Role Model – 6/28/19

Jeff Simon –
• I’ll take ‘Truth without Math,’ Alex – 6/7/19
• Two Buffalo institutions collaborate on bang-up movie book – 6/14/19
• Sunday peak TV’s bad boys Vs. empowered women – 6/14/19
• Return of Christine Baranski corrects three-year mistake – 6/19/19
• Pauline Kael roars back in readers’ memories – 6/21/19
• The 21st century vocabulary for abuse – 6/25/19
• This weekend’s ‘The Loudest Voice’ on Showtime begins with a bang – 6/28/19

Jordan M. Smith –
• Monday Memo: DOC NYC’s 40 Under 40, Schmeer Fellowship’s Diversity in the Edit Room Program & LEAVING NEVERLAND Wins in Court – 6/3/19
• Monday Memo: YouTube Controversy, Sheffield Doc/Fest Previews, Pride Month Cinematic Celebrations & More – 6/10/19
• Monday Memo: Scorsese’s ROLLING THUNDER REVUE Drops, Docs As Ads, Realities of True Crime Docs & More! – 6/17/19
• Monday Memo: Will Cinema Survive The Future? + Streaming Fatigue, AFI Docs, and a Wang Bing Dossier – 6/24/19

May 2019 — Features, Musings & More

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Adam Lubitow –
• Sharing rarities – 5/1/19
• Preview: The Reel Mind Theatre and Film Series – 5/10/19

Matt Marshall –
• Box Office: ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Tops $600M Domestic, Sinks ‘Titanic,’ ‘Star Wars’ Worldwide – 5/5/19
• Box Office: ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Dethrones ‘Black Panther,’ ‘Detective Pikachu’ Battles for 2nd – 5/13/19
• Box Office: ‘John Wick: Chapter 3’ Hits Franchise-High $57M, ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Topples ‘Avatar’ – 5/19/19
• Box Office: Disney’s ‘Aladdin’ Flies High Over Memorial Day, ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Tops $800M – 5/27/19

Jared Mobarak –
• Posterized May 2019: ‘The Souvenir,’ ‘John Wick: Chapter 3,’ ‘The Third Wife,’ and More – 5/3/19

Matthew Passantino –
• Circuit Q&A – What’s the Best Palme d’Or Winner Since 2000? – 5/21/19
• Circuit Q&A – What’s Your Favorite Performance From a Musical Biopic? – 5/28/19

Christopher Scobert –
• A geek must-list for kids: ‘Star Wars’ Night, Spidey and more – 5/16/19
• Wildlife sanctuaries to explore with the family – 5/17/19

Jeff Simon –
• A springtime eruption of grandeur between book covers – 5/6/19
• An open letter to CBS News’ big shots – 5/9/19
• Old-school action movies are a guilty pleasure now – 5/10/19
• As dramatic as May finale season gets – 5/16/19
• Tim Conway, the last of TV’s supremely gifted skit demolitionists – 5/20/19
• It was a TV series finale week for the ages – 5/21/19
• Great cast, crew unite behind Milch in ‘Deadwood’ – 5/30/19

Jordan M. Smith –
• Monday Memo: The Doc Biz Financial Divide, Dronepocalypse & Sheila Nevins’ Big Move to MTV – 5/13/19
• Monday Memo: TELL NO ONE Shakes Up Poland, New Execs at Kartemquin & Film Independent, Sheffield Doc/Fest & AFI DOCS Lineups – 5/20/19

April 2019 — Features, Musings & More

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Adam Lubitow –
• Film | “Sicily: Land of Love & Strife” – 4/3/19
• Preview: Salam Film Series – 4/19/19
• Film preview: ‘The Exploits of Elaine’ – 4/23/19

Matt Marshall –
• Box Office: ‘Shazam!’ Rises to $53M, ‘Pet Sematary’ Remake Stays Alive with $25M – 4/7/19
• Box Office: ‘Shazam!’ Powers Past Newcomers, ‘Little,’ ‘Hellboy’ and ‘Missing Link’ – 4/14/19
• Box Office: ‘The Curse of La Llorona’ Takes Easter Weekend, ‘Captain Marvel’ Tops $400M – 4/21/19
• Box Office: ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Annihilates ‘Infinity War,’ ‘Force Awakens Records with $350M – 4/29/19

Jared Mobarak –
• Posterized April 2019: ‘High Life,’ ‘Her Smell,’ ‘Long Day’s Journey Into Night,’ and More – 4/5/19

David Palmer –
• 2019 Summer Box Office Predictions – 4/20/19
Christopher Schobert –
• Locally shot suspense-thriller ‘Photographs’ to premiere at Aurora Theatre – 4/9/19

Matthew Passantino –
• Circuit Q&A – What’s Your Favorite Movie Turning 25 This May? – 4/30/19

Christopher Schobert –
• Recommended New Books on Filmmaking: The Best Movie Year Ever, Orson Welles, Sam Peckinpah & More – 4/17/19
• ‘Avengers’ screenwriter Christopher Markus returns home for Q&A, ‘Endgame’ screening – 4/30/19

Jeff Simon –
• An all-star birthday party for Joni Mitchell and others – 4/4/19
• Relive Woodstock 50 years after the fact, minus the mud – 4/12/19
• The Trump story we need, and won’t get, in Howard Stern’s book – 4/15/19
• TV games on Thrones, Wall Street and Broadway – 4/23/19
• James Holzhauer, the contestant who took the fun out of ‘Jeopardy’ – 4/27/19
• When voters and audiences give way to ‘fans’ – 4/30/19

Jordan M. Smith –
• Monday Memo: Remembering Agnès Varda, CPH:DOX Award Winners & Thoughts on PBS’s ‘Women, War & Peace II’ – 4/1/19
• Monday Memo: Spring 2019 Pure Nonfiction Lineup, Full Frame Award Winners & 90th Issue of Senses of Cinema Released – 4/8/19
• Monday Memo: Peabody Nominees, Newly Announced Follow Focus Grant & Disney+ Streaming Service – 4/15/19
• Monday Memo: Peabody Award Winners, Cannes Lineup, Climate Story Lab & POV Spark Announced – 4/22/19
• Monday Memo: THE JINX Back In The Spotlight As Tribeca & Hot Docs Kick Off – 4/29/19

March 2019 — Features, Musings & More

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M. Faust –
• Frost/Nixon at the Irish Classical Theatre – 3/6/19

Adam Lubitow –
• Film preview: ‘Cat Video Fest 2019’ – 3/8/19

Matt Marshall –
• Box Office: ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ Soars Again Over Tyler Perry’s Madea Finale – 3/3/19
• Box Office: ‘Captain Marvel’ Dominates 2019 with a Higher Further Faster $153M Opening – 3/10/19
• Box Office: ‘Captain Marvel’ Remains Miles Ahead of ‘Five Feet Apart,’ ‘Wonder Park’ – 3/17/19

Jared Mobarak –
• Posterized March 2019: ‘Us,’ ‘Transit,’ ‘Black Mother,’ and More – 3/1/19
• ‘Giant Little Ones’ Director Keith Behrman on Defying Labels and Finding Authenticity in Adolescence – 3/2/19

George Sax –
• Angels in America at Second Generation Theatre – 3/13/19

Christopher Schobert –
• Road Trip / Toronto for families – March 2019 Buffalo Spree
• Let’s roll, Buffalo: Queen City Roller Girls skate to a milestone – 3/28/19
• Meet the faces of Queen City Roller Girls – 3/28/19

Jeff Simon –
• Jeff Simon’s List of the BPO’s Best Recordings – 3/7/19
• BPO’s New Record of Respighi Works Is a Beauty – 3/7/19
•: TMZ gets to the real heart of R. Kelly/Gayle King interview – 3/14/19
• ‘Billions’ gets language and ego to do what ‘Game of Thrones’ does with slaughter and nudity – 3/15/19
• Why I think we shouldn’t permit mass murderers anonymity – 3/19/19
• Jeff Simon’s thoughts on network TV’s crime fantasies, while considering J. Edgar Hoover – 3/26/19
• A ‘sandwich from hell’ made me miss Anthony Bourdain even more – 3/26/19
• The final seven satiric blasts from ‘Veep’ – 3/29/19

Jordan M. Smith –
• Monday Memo: New Doc Development Opportunities, Post-Sundance Doc Distro Report, and Lineup Announcements from Tribeca & Hot Docs – 3/11/19
• Monday Memo: Barbara Hammer Dead at 79, POV Announces 32nd Season & New Streaming Service OVID.tv Launch Date Set – 3/18/19
• Monday Memo: Doc Focused OVID Launches, Means TV Announced & The D-Word Turns 20 – 3/25/19

February 2019 — Features, Musings & More

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M. Faust –
• The Movies of 1979 at the North Park – 2/27/19

Matt Marshall –
• Box Office: ‘Glass’ Scores a Third Win for Shyamalan Over Weak Super Bowl Weekend – 2/3/19
• Box Office: ‘The Lego Movie 2’ Builds Much Smaller Opening than 2014 Original – 2/11/19
• Box Office: ‘Alita: Battle Angel’ Dismantles Lego Sequel Over Presidents Day Weekend – 2/17/19

Jared Mobarak –
• Posterized February 2019: ‘Hotel by the River,’ ‘Birds of Passage,’ ‘Cold Pursuit,’ and More – 2/1/19

Christopher Schobert –
• Bringing the kids to ‘Harry Potter’ at Shea’s? 5 things to knowBringing the kids to ‘Harry Potter’ at Shea’s? 5 things to know – 2/22/19

Jeff Simon –
• ‘The Black Dahlia’ haunts American movies still – 2/1/19
• It’s amazing how ancient stupidities refuse to die – 2/4/19
• Finally lending an ear to a great American composer – 2/12/19
• Reality TV is savior of America’s ecology of fame – 2/18/19
• Brilliant writers look into male toxicity – 2/22/19

Jordan M. Smith –
• Monday Memo: Award Winners from Sundance, Slamdance & Rotterdam – 2/4/19
• Monday Memo: Open City Launches Assembly Lab, True/False Lineup Drops & CPH:FORUM Projects Revealed – 2/11/19
• Monday Memo: BAFTAs, Berlinale and a Quartet of New Releases – 2/18/19
• Monday Memo: Oscar & Independent Spirit Award Winners, Beyond Award Season – 2/25/19

January 2019 — Features, Musings & More

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M. Faust –
• Dick Miller’s Buffalo moment – 1/30/19

Adam Lubitow –
• Film preview: Black History Month at the movies – 1/25/19
• Gently down the stream – 1/30/19

Matt Marshall –
• Box Office: ‘Aquaman’ Swims Past $250M, ‘Escape Room’ Solves a Decent 2019 Start – 1/6/19
• Box Office: ‘The Upside’ Unseats ‘Aquaman’ as DCEU King Crosses $1 Billion Worldwide – 1/13/19
• Box Office: ‘Glass’ Cracks $40M, ‘Dragon Ball Super: Broly’ is Anime’s Biggest Hit Since 2000 – 1/20/19
• Box Office: ‘Glass’ Remains on Top with $19M, ‘Aquaman’ Sinks ‘Dark Knight Rises’ Worldwide – 1/27/19
• What Does a ‘Black Panther’ SAG Awards Victory Mean for the Best Picture Oscar Race? – 1/28/19

David Palmer –
• 2019 Oscar Nominations and Reactions – 1/22/19
• Sundance + Oscars + SAG Awards – podcast with David Palmer and Matt Passantino – 1/27/19

Matthew Passantino –
• Sundance + Oscars + SAG Awards – podcast with David Palmer and Matt Passantino – 1/27/19

Jeff Simon –
• What happens to great movies when you’re too comfortable? – 1/4/19
• It’s movie award season; image, reality collide like crazy – 1/9/19
• HBO’s ‘True Detective’ gives Mamie Gummer a chance for extraordinary acting – 1/18/19
• When columnists led journalism’s way – 1/27/19
• The big winner on Oscar night will be weirdness – 1/29/19

Jordan M. Smith –
• Monday Memo: New Doc Crediting Guidelines, Sundance Previews, SXSW & Berlinale Lineups, Dueling Fyre Fest Docs and more! – 1/21/19
• Monday Memo: 2019 Oscar Nominees, Jonas Mekas Dies at 96, Stranger Than Fiction Replaced by Pure Nonfiction, Sundance Kicks Off, and more! – 1/28/19

December 2018 — Features, Musings & More

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Adam Lubitow –
• Roundup: The top movies of 2018 – 12/25/18

Matt Marshall –
• Box Office: ‘Ralph Breaks the Internet’ Reloads, Illumination’s ‘The Grinch’ Steals Second Place – 12/2/18
• Box Office: ‘Ralph Breaks the Internet,’ ‘The Grinch’ Repeat Before ‘Spider-Man’ Swings Again – 12/9/18
• Box Office: ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ Takes December Animation Opening Record – 12/16/18
• Box Office: DC’s ‘Aquaman’ Overpowers Newcomers ‘Mary Poppins Returns’ and ‘Bumblebee’ – 12/23/18
• Box Office: ‘Aquaman’ Reigns After Christmas with $51M, Wrapping Up Record-Breaking 2018 – 12/30/18
• Best of 2018: Several Stars are Born and Witches and Widows Lead an Illustrious Year – 12/31/18

Jared Mobarak –
• Posterized December 2018: ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,’ ‘Cold War,’ ‘The House That Jack Built,’ and More – 12/6/18
• The Film Stage’s Top 50 Films of 2018 – 12/21/18
• The Best Movie Posters of 2018 – 12/27/18

David Palmer –
• Avengers: End Game + Captain Marvel Trailer Reviews Kevin Hart + Mowgli Review – CineChat podcast – 12/9/18
• Top 10 Best Films of 2018 – 12/28/18
• Top 10 Worst Films of 2018 – 12/29/18
• Best & Worst Films of 2018 – CineChat podcast – 12/31/18

Matthew Passantino –
• Avengers: End Game + Captain Marvel Trailer Reviews Kevin Hart + Mowgli Review – CineChat podcast – 12/9/18
• Top 10 Movies of 2018 Movie Review – 12/25/18
• Best & Worst Films of 2018 – CineChat podcast – 12/31/18

Christoper Schobert –
• Recommended New Books on Filmmaking: Howard Hughes, Tintin, ‘Isle of Dogs,’ Beastie Boys & More – 12/10/18
• From ‘Mary Poppins’ to ‘Mary, Queen of Scots,’ Hollywood holiday movies are here – 12/19/18
• The Film Stage’s Top 50 Films of 2018 – 12/21/18
• Christopher Schobert’s Top 10 Films of 2018 – 12/25/18

Jeff Simon –
• Maybe the greatest Elvis work has finally been released – 12/5/18
• After 25 years, ‘Schindler’s List’ is as important as ever – 12/7/18
• Really, finding the Oscars host shouldn’t be a problem – 12/11/18
• Some books, records for last-minute gifts – 12/19/18
• How did Weatherly and Carlson turn into such blockheads? – 12/21/18
• ‘The most delicious martini’ I ever had – 12/27/18

Jordan M. Smith –
• Monday Memo: 2019 Sundance Film Festival Lineup Announced – 12/3/18
• Monday Memo: MINDING THE GAP Tops 2018 IDA Awards – 12/10/18
• Monday Memo: Director Bill Siegel Dies at 55 – 12/17/18
• The Best Documentaries of 2018 – 12/23/18

November 2018 — Features, Musings & More

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M. Faust –
• Johnny Gruesome – 11/20/18

Adam Lubitow –
• Bring some corn for poppin’ – 11/14/18

Matt Marshall –
• Box Office: ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ Rocks a $50M Weekend, ‘Nutcracker’ and ‘Nobody’s Fool’ Trail – 11/4/18
• Box Office: ‘The Grinch’ Steals Plenty of Green, ‘Spider’s Web’ and ‘Overlord’ Open Light – 11/11/18
• Box Office: ‘Fantastic Beasts 2’ Loses Some Magic, ‘Widows’ and ‘Instant Family’ Start in Teens – 11/18/18
• 4K UHD Review: Disney’s ‘Wreck-It Ralph’ Levels Up with Gamers of All Generations – 11/25/18
• Box Office: ‘Ralph Breaks the Internet,’ ‘Creed II’ Pack a Major Punch Over Thanksgiving Weekend – 11/25/18

Jared Mobarak –
• Posterized November 2018: ‘Creed II,’ ‘The Favourite,’ ‘If Beale Street Could Talk,’ and More – 11/2/18

Matthew Passantino –
• Homecoming: Season 1 TV Review – 11/2/18
• Michelle Williams for Best Supporting Actress – 11/19/18

Christopher Schobert –
• A ‘Harry Potter’ primer from ‘Sorcerer’s Stone’ to ‘Fantastic Beasts’ – 11/15/18

Jeff Simon –
• Jeff Simon: Holiday season for books is here already – 11/8/18
• Netflix, for some, is a never-ending holiday – 11/23/18
• Bernardo Bertolucci — a great filmmaker, an overrated one, or both? – 11/26/18
• Is posthumous jazz a problem or a glorious resurrection? – 11/30/18

Jordan M. Smith –
• Monday Memo: Sundance Institute & Kartemquin Announce Grantees – 11/5/18
• Monday Memo: Cinema Eye Honors Noms, Critics’ Choice Doc Awards & AMAZING GRACE at DOC NYC – 11/12/18
• Monday Memo: Independent Spirit Noms and an Independent Criterion Channel – 11/19/18