Donald J. Levit: In Memoriam

We received some sad news this week. Donald J. Levit, one of our longtime valued critics at ReelTalk Movie Reviews, passed away on January 8. We will miss his thorough, perceptive and well-written reviews. 
 

Donald’s impressive academic background helped make his reviews a learning experience for our readers. He earned a B. A. from Duke and a Ph.D. from Chicago. His varied residences also gave him knowledge of other cultures that enhanced his unique critiques. Although born in Nashville and raised there and in Brooklyn, he lived in many other places in the U.S. He also resided for a time in the Caribbean and, for twenty-two years, in Spain. During his later years, he called New York City his home.

Phil Hall, one of Donald’s friends, writes, “Don was a generous and insightful man, a charming raconteur and a lovely soul. I will miss him very much. I met Don in 1998 when he came to a weekly retro film series screening that I was programming in New York City. He enjoyed the show and came back the next week, and for the following weeks. We got to know each other better and I recommended that he write about films. I secured him a brief gig with Film Threat before connecting him with ReelTalk Reviews, where he offered erudite insight on current and contemporary cinema.”

 

Donald loved music, documentaries, independent films and movies from countries all over the world. His contributions to ReelTalk Movie Reviews increased the breadth and depth of our cinema coverage.

 

A member of the Online Film Critics Society, Donald listed his movie reviews on Rotten Tomatoes at this link. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/critic/donald-j-levit

 

Because The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble was Donald’s final review, it seems fitting to conclude with his profound last paragraph.

 

War, malnutrition, poverty, disease, hopelessness are rife in this present era of displacement such as Earth has never before witnessed. The instinctive joy of and in music is no miracle cure-all, but after the ninety-six minutes of MUSIC OF STRANGERS, one may recall Robert Kennedy: “I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?” We need be strangers no more.     

May you rest in peace, Donald J. Levit.

Man on a Mission

Author Phil Hall is on an important mission, and he reveals all about it in his new book, In Search of Lost Films. It’s no surprise that Hall would become interested in finding lost movies. He’s a distinguished film critic with impeccable research credentials that make this offering as well as his previous books -- including The Greatest Bad Movies of All Time and The History of Independent Cinema -- so enlightening and worthwhile.   

Movies disappear. Why, oh why?

So many lost. We ought to try

to find as many as we can.

That’s why I am a Phil Hall fan.

His book appears the place to start

helping locate some true lost art.

Hall’s love of cinema shines through all his writings, and In Search of Lost Films is no exception. This latest book explains why so many films throughout the world have disappeared. Hall also describes a number of these films and discusses the difficulty of evaluating the work of stars like Theda Bara and Lon Chaney because so many of their films are missing. But my favorite part of the book lists the various (and sometimes strange) places where certain lost films have already been discovered.      

As usual, Hall’s writing style is reader friendly and chock full of fascinating details for movie fans.

I predict that besides being a great read, In Search of Lost Films will motivate many readers to join Phil Hall’s vital mission. Personally, I’ve already started looking closer at storage areas, closets and yard sales for suspicious-looking film canisters!  

Publisher: BearManor Media (http://www.bearmanormedia.com)

Release Date: August 8, 2016

Cinema Stanzas Released on Kindle Today

I am very excited to announce that my new book Cinema Stanzas: Rhyming About Movies has been released on Amazon Kindle today. Thanks so much to Denise Cassino of BestsellerServices.com for publishing this unique Ebook. And to Phil Hall for writing a wonderful Foreword, to Ronald Hull for permission to add his supportive quote to the cover image, and to those many readers who have been enthusiastic about my film poems. 

Cinema Stanzas: Rhyming About Movies showcases the film poems I have incorporated into my reviews of various movies ranging from big blockbusters like Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Martian and The Revenant to small independent films such as The Lives of Hamilton Fish, In the Dark and With Child. Genres represented in Cinema Stanzas include: drama, comedy, horror, mystery, musicals, thrillers, romance, sci-fi and action. 

Some rhymes in this book are a bit harsh, but no poets were harmed physically during its creation! Cinema Stanzas: Rhyming About Movies is meant to be a fun resource for fans of both movies and poetry.    

For more information about Cinema Stanzas, please click on this Kindle link http://tinyurl.com/z7tmat2  

   

Celebrity Banter

Happiness is being interviewed by Phil Hall! He asked me about my radio show, how I happened to become a film critic, and the status of movies today. Fun questions, for sure. Below is a link to the entire interview posted at Celebrity Banter yesterday.
http://celebritybanter.com/hollywood/a-few-minutes-with-betty-jo-tucker 

Thanks so much, Phil, for your interest and support.

Here's Looking at You, Kid

In connection with this week’s Movie Addict Headquarters show about Ingrid Bergman, I conducted a survey via e-mail and Facebook to find out which Bergman film is the most popular.

Question: What is your favorite Ingrid Bergman film/performance and why?

Response Results:

40% CASABLANCA

20% NOTORIOUS

15% GASLIGHT

10% MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS

5% each: FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS, SPELLBOUND, AUTUMN SONATA, and TV’s A WOMAN CALLED GOLDA.

"Casablanca" responses were the most passionate. For example, here’s film critic Phil Hall’s reply:

The answer is easy: CASABLANCA. The entire film is based on Bergman’s character—she is the woman who drives Humphrey Bogart and Paul Henried to go above and beyond what the average man would do under extraordinary circumstances. In order to inspire such actions, you would need a performer who goes far beyond physical beauty into emotional beauty, and that’s where Bergman’s performance shines. I would go so far to say that she was among the greatest performers in the history of film acting.

Thanks to everyone who particpated in our Ingrid Bergman survey.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/movieaddictheadquarters

Saluting Independent Films

“Movie Addict Headquarters” will salute independent films during the month of June. Each Tuesday at 4 p.m. Eastern Time on BlogTalkRadio, guests will be interviewed about their indie films or books concerning this important art form. Below is the exciting schedule for Independent Film Month.

Tuesday, June 2 – Co-writers/co-stars Nicole Stuart and Jack Sundmacher visit MAHQ to give listeners a preview of CAPTAIN, their dark comedy gem about inspiration and writer’s block.

Tuesday, June 9 – Author and film critic Phil Hall drops by to discuss his new book, The History of Independent Cinema, and director Tom Seymour tells listeners about London Betty, his amusing indie crime romp.

Tuesday, June 16 – The astonishing Tanna Frederick talks about starring in Henry Jaglom’s Irene in Time, an independent film emphasizing the impact fathers have on the lives of their grown-up daughters.

Tuesday, June 23 – Director/writer Andrew Lawton reveals why he created Wake, an emotionally powerful short film that’s more touching than most full-length, big budget mainstream movies.

Tuesday, June 30 – Filmmaker Misha Zubarev talks about 18 and Out, an independent movie with a strong social message.

During the live shows, listeners are invited to call in or to participate in a chat. An archived segment will also be available.

CALL-IN NUMBER: 646-478-5668
HOST: Betty Jo Tucker
CO-HOST: Jazz Shaw
PRODUCER: Nikki Starr
LINK: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/movieaddictheadquarters