THE JUDGE is everything thats wrong with studio bids for Oscar consideration. A carefully calculated effort designed to hit all the perceived necessary tropes to qualify as both important and as quality. Alas, it is neither. True, there are excellent performances by Robert Downey, Jr., Robert Duvall, Vera Farmiga, and Billy Bob Thornton, but they… Read More »
Vikram Jayanti Explores THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY OF PHIL SPECTOR
Vikram Jayanti’s documentary about legendary music producer Phil Spector does the unthinkable. It presents Spector in all his eccentric, mean-spirited glory, yet still manages to humanize him. When I spoke with the director on September 10, 2010, the first thing I asked about was how he had pulled that off. Jayanti then went on to reveal how he… Read More »