Film/TV

Top photo: Left to right, Sophia Lillis, Paul Bettany and Peter Macdissi in "Uncle Frank." (Courtesy Amazon Studios) Bottom photo: Left to right:,Haley Bennett, Gabriel Basso and Amy Adams in "Hillbilly Elegy." (Courtesy Lacey Terrell/Netflix)

Films 'Uncle Frank' And 'Hillbilly Elegy' Are Two Cluelessly Condescending Hollywood Trips To The Heartland

From streaming giants Amazon and Netflix, both movies feel like overcompensation measures from 2017, writes film critic Sean Burns.

The ARTery

Nov 24, 2020

Joy Buolamwini wearing a mask to test facial recognition software. (Courtesy 7th Empire Media)

Documentary 'Coded Bias' Unmasks The Racism Of Artificial Intelligence

Energized by a nearly all-female lineup of researchers and activists, the film condemns the ways racism and classism underpin big data’s design and applications.

The ARTery

Nov 18, 2020

A still from the animated short film "Daisy." (Courtesy Tom Weston)

Sheltering At Home, Families Get Creative With Entries For Boston International Kids Film Festival

One of the most uplifting signs at this year’s festival comes in the form of wildly creative shorts made by Boston area families who have gotten creative during the coronavirus...

The ARTery

Nov 17, 2020

Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Anthony Daniels and Peter Mayhew on the set of "Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back" directed by Irvin Kershner. (Photo by Lucasfilm/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)

Revisiting 1978's Misbegotten Variety Show 'The Star Wars Holiday Special'

In advance of “The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special” premiere, film critic Sean Burns reminisces on "a Hindenburg of kitsch horrors" which saw a holiday celebration on Chewbacca’s home planet.

The ARTery

Nov 16, 2020

Ibrahima Gueye (left) and Sophia Loren in "The Life Ahead." (Courtesy Netflix)

Her Meatiest Role In Decades, Sophia Loren Shines In Drama 'The Life Ahead'

Loren stars as Madame Rosa, a former streetwalker struggling to make ends meet, who forms a bond with a foulmouthed 12-year-old whose mother was murdered by her pimp.

The ARTery

Nov 13, 2020

A still from Alican Abacı's short documentary "Only One World Left." (Courtesy Boston Turkish Festival)

Struggle, Survival And Clashes With The Natural World Screen At Boston Turkish Film Competition

Increased pressure on natural resources comes up in several films streaming at the 15th annual Boston Turkish Festival’s Documentary and Short Film Competition.

The ARTery

Nov 11, 2020

A still from Federico Fellini's "La Strada." (Courtesy Janus Films)

Feeling Election Day Stress? Find Solace In Federico Fellini's 'La Strada'

"One of the greatest of all films, this haunting, heartfelt fable feels like a balm during these troubled times, its essential, insistent humanity arriving as a reminder right when we...

The ARTery

Nov 3, 2020

The MFA, pictured here in May, has placed it's film program on hold. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Film Festivals Mourn A Season Without The MFA Film Program

The MFA film program will remain closed through the end of this year with a hope of returning in 2021.

The ARTery

Nov 2, 2020

Campers watched horror films curated by the Coolidge Corner Theater in the snow. (Jenn Stanley/WBUR)

Horror Fans Camp Out In The Snow For A Halloween Film Marathon

Movie-goers braved a night in Medfield’s Rocky Woods Reservation for the Coolidge Corner Theater’s program of horror flicks.

The ARTery

02:15Oct 31, 2020

Victoria Pedretti (left) and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth in “The Haunting of Bly Manor.” (Courtesy Eike Schroter/Netflix)

On Halloween Night: A Five-Course Pairing Of Food And Fright

To celebrate All Hallows Eve, we have a curated list of streaming scary content paired with local treats from new area eateries.

The ARTery

Oct 29, 2020

Alan Kim (left) and Steven Yeun in "Minari." (Courtesy Melissa Lukenbaugh/A24)

IFFBoston's Fall Focus Film Series Goes Virtual With 10 Eclectic Selections

The series offers a mix of themes, from a heart-warming story about an immigrant family to an elderly pot farmer being undone by the mass-market forces of legalization.

The ARTery

Oct 27, 2020

Linda Black, left, with West Newton Cinema owner David Bramante. (Erin Trahan)

91-Year-Old Pens Love Letter To Her Favorite Local Movie Theater

Worried over the fate of the West Newton Cinema, a Cambridge woman decided to write a love letter to the theater.

The ARTery

02:48Oct 23, 2020

A still from Wayne Wang's film "Coming Home Again." (Courtesy Outsider Pictures)

Community Takes Center Stage At 12th Boston Asian American Film Festival

The communal selection process helps make the festival representative of the Asian American experience it aims to understand and showcase through film.

The ARTery

Oct 23, 2020

Rashida Jones and Bill Murray in "On the Rocks." (Courtesy Apple)

Bill Murray Is At His Best In Sofia Coppola's 'On The Rocks'

Murray stars with Rashida Jones as a father and daughter who embark on a harebrained scheme to spy on her husband, and what follows is a farce played at half-speed...

The ARTery

Oct 22, 2020

Sacha Baron Cohen in "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm." (Courtesy Amazon Studios)

'Borat Subsequent Moviefilm' Highlights Humanity In A Country Sickened By Plague And Politics

This time around, Sacha Baron Cohen wants you to actually care about the characters, and it’s surprising how much tenderness he manages to wring out of his mustachioed buffoon.

The ARTery

Oct 21, 2020

Singer and activist Harry Chapin. (Courtesy Greenwich Entertainment)

New Documentary Highlights Enduring Activism Of Singer Harry Chapin

The 93-minute documentary directed and co-produced by Rick Korn follows the singer-songwriter’s drive to end world hunger and poverty.

The ARTery

Oct 16, 2020

The West Newton Cinema in August. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Local Independent Movie Theaters Are Taking The Pandemic Month By Month

While optimism still buoys owners and employees, the pandemic has taken a heavy toll on cinemas.

The ARTery

Oct 15, 2020

Left to right: Caitlin Fitzgerald, Alan Metoskie, Alex Sharp, Jeremy Strong, John Carroll Lynch, Sasha Baron Cohen and Noah Robbins in “The Trial of the Chicago 7.” (Courtesy Niko Tavernise/Netflix)

Aaron Sorkin's 'The Trial Of The Chicago 7' Dramatizes Aftermath Of 1968 Democratic National Convention Riots

The film tells the oft-told tale of eight anti-war activists who were railroaded by the Nixon administration on trumped-up conspiracy charges during a six-month trial that turned into a media...

The ARTery

Oct 15, 2020

A still from the documentary "Totally Under Control." (Courtesy NEON)

Documentary 'Totally Under Control' Recounts Bungled Response To COVID-19

Shot in secret over the past few months, the film is a sober, step-by-step recounting of the Trump administration’s response during the pandemic.

The ARTery

Oct 14, 2020

A still from
Erica Stockwell-Alpert's short film "Firstborn." (Courtesy Nightstream)

Virtual Extravaganza Nightstream Combines The Efforts Of 5 Film Festivals

The five fests rallied their resources to book a program of 41 feature films, almost 200 shorts and more than 20 live events available to home viewers from Oct. 8...

The ARTery

Oct 7, 2020

Radio Boston

Films 'Uncle Frank' And 'Hillbilly Elegy' Are Two Cluelessly Condescending Hollywood Trips To The Heartland

Documentary 'Coded Bias' Unmasks The Racism Of Artificial Intelligence

Sheltering At Home, Families Get Creative With Entries For Boston International Kids Film Festival

Revisiting 1978's Misbegotten Variety Show 'The Star Wars Holiday Special'

Her Meatiest Role In Decades, Sophia Loren Shines In Drama 'The Life Ahead'

Struggle, Survival And Clashes With The Natural World Screen At Boston Turkish Film Competition

Feeling Election Day Stress? Find Solace In Federico Fellini's 'La Strada'

Film Festivals Mourn A Season Without The MFA Film Program

Horror Fans Camp Out In The Snow For A Halloween Film Marathon

On Halloween Night: A Five-Course Pairing Of Food And Fright

IFFBoston's Fall Focus Film Series Goes Virtual With 10 Eclectic Selections

91-Year-Old Pens Love Letter To Her Favorite Local Movie Theater

Community Takes Center Stage At 12th Boston Asian American Film Festival

Bill Murray Is At His Best In Sofia Coppola's 'On The Rocks'

'Borat Subsequent Moviefilm' Highlights Humanity In A Country Sickened By Plague And Politics

New Documentary Highlights Enduring Activism Of Singer Harry Chapin

Local Independent Movie Theaters Are Taking The Pandemic Month By Month

Aaron Sorkin's 'The Trial Of The Chicago 7' Dramatizes Aftermath Of 1968 Democratic National Convention Riots

Documentary 'Totally Under Control' Recounts Bungled Response To COVID-19

Virtual Extravaganza Nightstream Combines The Efforts Of 5 Film Festivals