Airport (1970)****
Impeccably crafted soap opera/disaster flick that's a mite too long but star power, production values and a few stellar performances make that irrelevant. Highly influential film, for better AND worse, extremely entertaining.

In Time (2011)***
Imaginative alternate reality actioner about haves versus have nots only instead of money it's life time as the separating factor. Cleverly filmed on an apparently extremely low budget, it's fun, intriguing and mostly able to suspend your disbelief until you notice that Amanda Seyfried is running all over the place with no difficulty in 6 inch heels.

Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)**
Not really anything like any of the previous incarnations of the Star Trek series and probably something that would horrify Gene Roddenberry, this is a nearly non-stop modern action pic complete with gratuitous babe-bikini shots, gaping plot holes, psychopathic attitudes toward murder except when the one being murdered is close to you and/or of your tribe and a penchant for not only justifying revenge but reveling in it. A couple of well done CGI set pieces.

The Ghost Writer (2010)***
Fine Hitchcock-ian thriller from Roman Polanski. A bit too long and a bit too dark, photographically speaking, but entertaining.

Impromptu (1991)***
George Sand woos Frederic Chopin amidst the backdrop of superstar artists of the early 19th century behaving badly on retreat at a fawning patron's villa. Smart and sassy stuff.

How To Be Gracious - Esquire:
"You simply must attend. Stand when someone enters the room, especially if you are lowly and he is the boss, and even if the reverse is true. Look them in the eye. Ask yourself: Does anybody need an introduction? If so, before you say one word about business, introduce them to others with pleasure in your voice. If you can't muster enthusiasm for the people you happen upon in life, then you cannot be gracious. Remember, true graciousness demands that you have time for others."

via kottke

'I Thought I Was Bulletproof': William Friedkin Looks Back on the '70s - NYTimes.com:
"'Certainly I regret that it wasn’t a critical or a commercial success. The zeitgeist was changing. It came out a week after "Star Wars,” and “Star Wars” really changed the way people think about, What is a movie? Right to this day, and beyond. All these films about the Avengers and the Transformers, video games and comic books, that’s what, for the most part, Hollywood cinema has become. That just automatically opened the floodgates to people wanting pure entertainment that could be seen by people of all ages, basically. Would my film have worked if there was no “Star Wars”? I don’t know. But without “Star Wars,” I think American film would be different today.'"

Sir Ben Kingsley: 'Without a mask, I haven't got a clue' - Telegraph:
“'I have a dear friend, Tony Palmer, who made a documentary on the life of Richard Burton,' he says in his precise, measured tones. 'It featured some interviews, in many of which he was a little the worse for wear. But the spine of the documentary was a mosaic of his performances. Put them together, pull back, and there’s Burton. I think, when I leave the planet and the equivalent of Tony tries to construct something similar, then fragments of my roles, those bits, would form a composite portrait of me. Without a mask I haven’t got a clue. Give a man a mask and he’ll tell you the truth.'”

North West Frontier (1959)**
A miscast, though quite lovely, Lauren Bacall sticks out like a sore thumb in this overlong train actioner set in British ruled India.

The Cable Guy (1996)**
Jim Carrey tries hard but the story and script go off the rails eventually. Poorly directed by Ben Stiller.

Undernews: America's copyright laws kills music:
"Among countless other undesirable things, this means that American record companies that aren’t interested in reissuing old records can stop anyone else from doing so, and can also stop libraries from making those same records readily accessible to scholars who want to use them for noncommercial purposes. Even worse, it means that American libraries cannot legally copy records made before 1972 to digital formats for the purpose of preservation—not unless those records have already deteriorated to the point where they may soon become unplayable."

Moneyball (2011)**
A lot of Brad Pitt, and I mean a LOT, in an overlong sports flick which makes darn sure you "get" its point. It's a lot of first world problems so it's hard to care too much.

Life of Pi (2012)***
When it's at sea, it is riveting and compelling, but all good sea survival tales have to have an ending...and a beginning. A difficult book to adapt to a film and Ang Lee opts for the literal approach which makes for a good film but not a great one.

Loud Family - Scott Miller:
"I wish it weren't true, but as much as it pains me to write these words, Scott passed away on April 15, 2013. He was a wonderful, loyal friend as well as a brilliant musician, and I will miss him for the rest of my life."

We all will, Sue.

Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)*
Technically impressive with seamless old school special effects, but unless you enjoy watching a group of human beings who seem to do nothing but drink and pass out while living in a pile of garbage, skip it.