Few writers intertwined word and film better than Richard Matheson. The prolific author, who died Sunday at age eighty-seven after a long illness, was a multimedia writer before anyone coined the term. Perhaps most famous for the apocalyptic vampire tale…
Dads of Steel
“Man of Steel” takes flight on Friday, placing Superman (Henry Cavill) between two strong father figures just in time for Father’s Day weekend. Finding equilibrium between his extraterrestrial roots and his adoptive home on Earth has always been tricky for…
Thanks, Whedon fans!
My Shakespeare piece tied to Joss Whedon’s “Much Ado About Nothing” has 1,000 “likes” on Word and Film’s Web site! Must be the Whedon fans out there. (I have to say, “The Avengers” is my go-to background viewing when on…
Much Ado About Shakespeare
My latest piece on Word and Film is out today, looking at unusual Shakespeare adaptations in light of Joss Whedon’s black-and-white take on “Much Ado About Nothing.” Although a rose by any other name might smell as sweet, if you’re…
The Literary Ethan Hawke
Ethan Hawke, whom I’ve liked since “Dead Poets Society,” returns with the much-buzzed-about “Before Midnight.” Here’s a look at his other works with literary roots. (I do like him and “Gattaca” a lot, but it didn’t make my list because…
Baz Luhrmann’s “Great Gatsby”
Just as I suspected: An interview with Baz Luhrmann practically bursts into 3D with rainbow colors. I like the idea of Leonardo DiCaprio as Gatsby.
Jessica Chastain: Cinematic Chameleon
She’s only been in feature films since 2008, but Jessica Chastain (“Zero Dark Thirty”) dazzles critics with her quicksilver abilities. I like her off-screen wit too. Here’s my piece on Word and Film today.