Story Archives of 'Film'

Film critics are in trouble. The century-old profession grew up alongside cinema, and the thoughtful reviews and theoretical writings from high-profile critics shaped how we understand the movies. But as journalism struggles financially and more reviewers are getting laid off or fired, critics wonder what’s to come of their profession.

That’s where film critic Gerald Peary stepped in. He’s been writing about film for over 25 years, and has been a weekly columnist and reviewer for The Boston Phoenix since 1996. He’s now stepped behind the camera for the first time to direct a film about his colleagues.

It’s called For The Love of Movies, and it looks at the past, present, and future of film criticism. It screens tonight at The Music Hall in Portsmouth. We're joined by the film’s producer, Amy Geller, and writer and director Gerald Peary.

Boston Phoenix: Gerald Peary: No Respect?

Los Angeles Times: Roger Ebert: Back to the future of film criticism

Huffington Post: David Sterritt: Do Film Critics Have a Future? Who Cares?

Life In Hell: How To Be a Clever Film Critic

The balconied buildings and moss-dripped trees of New Orleans are a natural for horror films and, of course, for vampires. Last weekend, the pale winged monsters descended on the city's annual vampire film festival.

Fifty terrifying films from eleven countries made for four days of blood and gore in the big easy. So maybe you couldn't shape-shift and fly down. Why not program your own film festival this weekend? All you need is a mountain of popcorn and a stack of scary movies.

Since we're all about digging beneath the surface here on Word of Mouth, we asked horror film buff Bryan White to uncover some chilling films that go beyond Nightmare on Elm Street and The Shining. Bryan is the mastermind behind the blog Cinema Suicide and he's here in the studio to help us plan a truly frightening DIY film fest.

The Sentinel, dir. Michael Winner, 1977

The Fog, dir. John Carpenter, 1980

Trick 'r Treat, dir. Michael Dougherty, 2008

(Photo by Perttu Raivio via Flickr/Creative Commons)

Female Sexual Dysfunction is a term of some debate, and not one frequently discussed on public radio. But its origins and the race to treat it are examined by filmmaker Liz Canner in a documentary called Orgasm, Inc.

Liz Canner was originally hired by a pharmaceutical company focused on creating a Viagra equivalent for women. That gig turned into a nine-year exploration of how female sexuality has been treated by the medical profession, and the origins –and profitability -- of disease. Liz Canner joins us with more, in advance of tonight’s screening at The Music Hall in Portsmouth.

Two New Hampshire film festivals offer star-powered movies and locally grown features.

From the water problem to water as metaphor. Our story begins in a former woolen mill on the banks of the Sugar River in Newport, NH. To get there, I drove past The Dollar Store and strip malls, the spray-painted signs advertising cord wood and coal, and onto South Main Street, where space for rent signs fade in store front windows.

Newport is one of the American towns where Sturm, Ruger and Co. has been manufacturing guns since 1949. Firearms magnate William Ruger, Jr., meticulously restored the old mill to house his extensive collection of antique cars. Bill Ruger then turned over an entire floor - 20,000 square feet – of the mill bulding to H20: Film on Water. It’s a collection of films, video, photographs and contemporary installations linked to the Connecticut River waterways.

The Newport Mill is the main exhibition space. I visited the grand brick building on a sparkling fall afternoon. The windows were blackened. Muffled sounds of buoy bells, sparse lighting, and the movement of projected films created a sense of dark immersion.

Cynthia Reeves runs the contemporary art gallery Cynthia Reeves in New York City, and Spheris Gallery in Hanover. A decade ago, she started Great River Arts based in Bellows Falls, Vt. To mark its ten-year anniversary, Cynthia opened up a juried competition centered on water. Her team pared more than 200 submissions down to 75 works of video, photography and site-specific works to create H20: Film on Water.

There’s a great variety of work. One film evokes Hurricane Katrina, another, the effect of oil on water. Some are direct, others more subtle. On Saturday, the top three juried H20: Film on Water videos will be awarded at the mill in Newport. The exhibition, and Saturday’s awards event are free and open to the public.

Boston Globe: Shimmering downriver: Exhibition’s four venues celebrate sight, sound of water

Keene State College's Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery is also hosting an exhibition on water titled Downstream: Current Works on Water By Six Artists.