Sean Burns

Brian De Palma and Al Pacino on set of "Scarface." (Courtesy A24)

Documentary On Brian De Palma Is A Long Overdue Celebration Of An American Artist

The captivating film from directors Noah Baumbach and Jake Paltrow cedes the floor to the filmmaker who has been overshadowed by the heavy hitters he came up alongside in the...

Local Coverage

Jun 17, 2016

Vangelis Mourikis, Yorgos Pirpassopoulos, Yiorgos Kendros, Sakis Rouvas, Panos Koronis and Efthymis Papadimitriou in "Chevalier." (Courtesy Strand Releasing)

'Chevalier' — A Comedic Saga Of Middle-Aged Men And Manlihood

Set aboard a luxury yacht somewhere on the Aegean Sea, Athina Rachel Tsangari's latest film finds six well-to-do dudes vacationing together, leading to an alpha-male competition with increasingly absurd results....

Local Coverage

May 26, 2016

On Monday night at the Brattle Theatre, the IFFBoston presents a special 20th anniversary screening of the landmark documentary “High on Crack Street: Lost Lives in Lowell.” (Courtesy IFFBoston)

An Impressively Eclectic Selection At This Year's Independent Film Festival Boston

Throughout the week, IFFBoston will offer 25 narrative features, 38 documentaries and 50-something shorts. Film critic Sean Burns tells us his picks.

Local Coverage

Apr 27, 2016

Oscar 2016: ARTery Writers Spotlight The Year In Movies

The ARTery had a pretty good time at the movies this year, particularly at "Spotlight." Here's what Joyce Kulhawik, Tom Meek, Sean Burns, Erin Trahan, Ed Siegel and Greg Cook...

Local Coverage

Feb 26, 2016

George Clooney in "Hail, Caesar!." (Universal Pictures via AP)

All Hail The Coen Brothers — And Their Terrific New Comedy, 'Hail, Caesar!'

The Coen Brothers' new comedy "Hail, Ceasar!" may have something deeper brewing beneath its slapstick exterior.

Local Coverage

Feb 8, 2016

Garrett Hedlund as Thomas in "Mojave." (Courtesy EPK)

William Monahan Revives The Pseudo-Intellectual Alpha Males No One Wanted Back In 'Mojave'

Dorchester's own William Monahan stepped into the director's chair for "Mojave" -- a film that both sends up and embraces every chest-beating trope in that old alpha "He-Man of Letters"...

Local Coverage

Jan 28, 2016

Still from Brian de Palma's "Body Double" (Courtesy Brattle Theatre)

'Sex & Death & Venetian Blinds': The Brattle Revisits '80s And '90s Noir

Unlucky tough guys, bad news dames, long shadows, convoluted plots and endless cigarettes are in abundance at The Brattle Theatre this month.

Local Coverage

Jan 5, 2016

Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel in "Youth." (Courtesy of Gianni Fiorito/20th Century Fox Film Corporation)

With 'Youth,' A Film About 2 Men Out Of Ideas, Sorrentino Shows He Certainly Isn't

"There’s a reckless energy with which it lunges from one ga-ga visual flourish to another, consistency and coherence be damned," says movie critic Sean Burns.

Local Coverage

Dec 11, 2015

A scene from the Rasmussen's latest film, "The Inhabitants," filmed in the Noyes-Parris House in Wayland. (Courtesy Rasmussen brothers)

Cambridge Brothers On How They Got Into Filmmaking And Their Latest, 'The Inhabitants'

The brothers, who recently released "The Inhabitants," caught the filmmaking bug early, and say they see the industry changing as more and more art-house releases head directly from festivals to...

Local Coverage

Nov 12, 2015

Qi Shu stars in Hou Hsiao-Hsien's 2015 film, "The Assassin." (Courtesy IFFBoston)

IFFBoston's Fall Focus Gives Us A 5-Night Taste Of Its Expanding Ambitions At The Brattle

IFFBoston and The Brattle have teamed up to bring five of this upcoming season’s most idiosyncratic and anticipated titles to town for early screenings from Sunday, Oct. 25 through Thursday,...

Local Coverage

Oct 23, 2015

John Travolta and Karen Gorney dance in a nightclub scene to disco music in the 1977 release of "Saturday Night Fever." (HO/AP)

Harvard Film Archive Reminds Us That 'Saturday Night Fever' Is More Than A Dance Contest

Behind the white suit and disco dance moves, "Saturday Night Fever" is a mass of grim and gritty themes. The Harvard Film Archive screens the '70s film Monday night.

Local Coverage

Sep 21, 2015

"Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid" movie poster. (Somerville Theatre)

'Pat Garrett And Billy The Kid': Peckinpah's Unfinished Masterpiece

Peckinpah's last Western, his final word on a genre he helped to define, is the greatest movie you almost never got a chance to see, says Sean Burns.

Local Coverage

Aug 10, 2015

Robin Williams and Shelley Duvall in Robert Altman's 1980 film, "Popeye." (Courtesy Flickr/Kevin Dooley)

Harvard Film Archive Revisits Robert Altman's 'Popeye'

As part of their "The Complete Robert Altman" series, Harvard Film Archive presents the oft-overlooked "Popeye," starring Robin Williams and Shelley Duvall.

Local Coverage

Jul 30, 2015

Kitana Kiki Rodriguez in "Tangerine." (Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures)

With Refreshing Vitality, Sean Baker Sprinkles Sugar On 'Tangerine's' Raucous Misadventures

Shot on iPhone 5's, Sean Baker's "Tangerine" finds startling beauty in the often squalorous surroundings.

Local Coverage

Jul 16, 2015

Pam Grier as Jackie Brown in the 1997 film. (Courtesy)

'Jackie Brown' And Other Counterculture Heroes Revived At The Brattle

The Brattle Theatre’s "Sunshine Noir" series (June 5-11) features “Jackie Brown,” which Sean Burns says proves to be “a humanist anamoly” in Tarantino’s storied career.

Local Coverage

Jun 4, 2015

Archival photo of Caroll Spinney puppeteering Big Bird. (Courtesy Robert Furhing)

'I Am Big Bird': The Man And Mechanics Under The Yellow Feathers

Directed by Dave LaMattina and Chad N. Walker, "I Am Big Bird" is a loving portrait of the man who has been inside that giant bird suit ever since “Sesame...

Local Coverage

May 13, 2015

Jean-Luc Godard Says 'Goodbye To Language' — In 3D, No Less

The latest from the legendary director of "Breathless" features everything from his dog romping to homicidal Germans in a Mercedes. It opens at the Kendall on Friday.

Local Coverage

Mar 20, 2015

'Twin Peaks' At The Brattle: Still Something To Shout About

"Twin Peaks" has had its ups and downs critically, but it's riding a high at the Brattle Theatre retrospective of David Lynch films.

Local Coverage

Feb 27, 2015

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Documentary On Brian De Palma Is A Long Overdue Celebration Of An American Artist

'Chevalier' — A Comedic Saga Of Middle-Aged Men And Manlihood

An Impressively Eclectic Selection At This Year's Independent Film Festival Boston

Oscar 2016: ARTery Writers Spotlight The Year In Movies

All Hail The Coen Brothers — And Their Terrific New Comedy, 'Hail, Caesar!'

William Monahan Revives The Pseudo-Intellectual Alpha Males No One Wanted Back In 'Mojave'

'Sex & Death & Venetian Blinds': The Brattle Revisits '80s And '90s Noir

With 'Youth,' A Film About 2 Men Out Of Ideas, Sorrentino Shows He Certainly Isn't

Cambridge Brothers On How They Got Into Filmmaking And Their Latest, 'The Inhabitants'

IFFBoston's Fall Focus Gives Us A 5-Night Taste Of Its Expanding Ambitions At The Brattle

Harvard Film Archive Reminds Us That 'Saturday Night Fever' Is More Than A Dance Contest

'Pat Garrett And Billy The Kid': Peckinpah's Unfinished Masterpiece

Harvard Film Archive Revisits Robert Altman's 'Popeye'

With Refreshing Vitality, Sean Baker Sprinkles Sugar On 'Tangerine's' Raucous Misadventures

'Jackie Brown' And Other Counterculture Heroes Revived At The Brattle

'I Am Big Bird': The Man And Mechanics Under The Yellow Feathers

Jean-Luc Godard Says 'Goodbye To Language' — In 3D, No Less

'Twin Peaks' At The Brattle: Still Something To Shout About