Raquel Stecher

From the early days of cinema, Black independent filmmakers have been making films outside the confines of the Hollywood system. Their films explored different forms of Black identity and important race issues while eschewing the harmful stereotypes that were commonly found in mainstream entertainment. These artists often worked with small budgets and limited resources and would source local Black communities for talent. Funding was hard to come by and theatrical releases weren’t a given. In ...

It's that time again! I've poured over countless publisher catalogs to find some classic film book gems so you don't have to. Here is another robust list of new and upcoming releases with something for every classic movie enthusiast.
Are you new to my list? Here are the details. The books include biographies, memoirs, scholarly texts, coffee table books and more from a variety of publishers. For any scholarly books I make sure the ones included are affordable. There are also some reissues add...

There’s something a little off about Aubrey Plaza. And that just happens to be why we all love her. As the unofficial queen of quirky independent films and the much-beloved star of Parks and Recreation, Plaza’s immense appeal comes from her deadpan humor, mischievous stare, sarcastic and cynical nature, and innate ability to go from funny to terrifying at a snap of a finger.
She’s got a deranged sense of humor, making her a prized guest on the talk show circuit. Just look her up on YouTube an...

Bank clerk Ruth (Nancy Carroll) is a prized date for a "hot Saturday". Fellow bank employees Archie (Grady Sutton) and Connie (Edward Woods) have their eye on Ruth. But they're about to face major competition with rich playboy Romer (Cary Grant). He's invited the bank employees and all their friends for a weekend party at his lakeside mansion. It's an opportunity for Romer to get some extra time with the beautiful Ruth who attends the party with Connie. When Ruth rejects Connie's advances, he...

The self-destructive artist is a common trope assigned to creative types who have become so fixated with their form of expression that it consumes them. However, artists work by various degrees of intensity and those truly devoted to their craft can range from simply well-disciplined to being unhinged. There is a polarity artists struggle with: the desire for human connection and the all-consuming drive for their work. This inner turmoil is rife with possibilities for storytelling. Two films ...

Written and directed by horror filmmaker Mickey Keating, Offseason imagines an isolated resort town as the center of tourism and paranormal activity.
When Marie (Jocelin Donahue) receives word that her mother Ava’s (Melora Walters) grave has been desecrated, she and her ex George (Joe Swanberg) travel to Block Island to meet with the cemetery caretaker. It’s the end of summer and the island has just been closed off to tourists. But Marie and George can’t wait until spring when the island re-o...

Camera Man

Buster Keaton, The Dawn of Cinema, and the Invention of the 20th Century

By Dana Stevens

Atria Books

Hardcover ISBN: 9781501134197

“I think I have had the happiest and luckiest of lives. It would be ridiculous of me to complain… I count the years of defeat and grief and disappointment, and their percentage is so minute that it continually surprises and delights me.” — Buster Keaton

You'd be hard-pressed to find a more beloved figure from film history than Buster Keaton. He's wowed ...

Costumes and decor add so much to the visual spectacle of film. How a costume designer dresses the actors and how a production designer styles the interiors can alter a story’s tone and mood. These designs can range from understated to provocative and they ultimately aid the filmmakers in creating a world that an audience can get lost in. While fashion and interior design are two separate art forms, they both use colors, textures, shapes, lines, layers and many other aesthetic elements to cre...

The Life and Words of James Coburn
by Robyn L. Coburn
“I take in all the impressions and information [about the character]. And when the time comes for action, I just let it go. It’s jazz acting. It’s like when Sarah Vaughan sings a song. She sings the lyrics, but she doesn’t sing it exactly the way it was written. It bears her style. That’s the way it is with roles. Each character has a style. Once you find out the character’s style it becomes really simple.. You don’t think about it. You ju...

Actresses have been at the forefront of fashion trends since the early days of cinema. Incorporating menswear into their wardrobes was a revolutionary idea, one that defied gender norms and gave women more freedom of expression. The 20th century saw radical changes in womenswear often influenced by what movie stars were wearing on screen. Women were entering the workforce and Greta Garbo wearing trench coats and pants and Marlene Dietrich shocking everyone in her tuxedo and top hat set the st...

Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs discusses Claudine, Cooley High and the #TCMFF reunion

What would you do for a million dollars? For Patricia O'Day (Marion Davies), she would go as far as live her life as a boy so that her family could inherit what was rightfully theirs. When Patricia's rich American uncle passes away, she and her father John (J.M. Kerrigan) are visited in Ireland by the uncle's proprietor. The uncle's will stipulates that the sole heir of the $1 million fortune is Patrick O'Day (Stephen Carr), Patricia's brother. Patrick has two months to travel to New York to ...

Thursdays | 13 Movies
Anna May Wong, the TCM Star of the Month for May, was the first major Chinese-American movie star in Hollywood. With her charisma and delicate beauty, Wong graced the silver screen in a career that spanned over four decades. She became an international celebrity and fashion icon donning her signature bangs, meticulously arched eyebrows and gracing magazine spre...

Waterloo Bridge (1940)
Bright and early on the final day of the festival, I headed over to the Chinese Multiplex for a special screening of Waterloo Bridge (1940).
The film was introduced by author Sloan De Forest. I'm a big fan of her books and it was great to finally see her in person (had a great chat with her afterwards!). Waterloo Bridge (1940) stars Vivien Leigh and Robert Taylor as two lovers from completely different social sets who get separated during WWI only to have a devastating ...