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Matthew Kennedy

Matthew Kennedy Matthew Kennedy is the author of Marie Dressler: A Biography (McFarland, 1999), Edmund Goulding's Dark Victory: Hollywood's Genius Bad Boy (University Press of Wisconsin, 2004), and Joan Blondell: A Life Between Takes (University Press of Mississippi, 2007). He is also a film critic for Bay Area Reporter and has contributed articles to Performing Arts magazine, San Francisco Chronicle and glbtq, the online encyclopedia of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer culture. He has been seen teaching cultural anthropology at the City College of San Francisco and film history at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. For more blather, please visit matthewkennedybooks.com.

in issue 66

America’s Film Vault: A Reference Guide to the Motion Pictures Held by the U.S. National Archives, by Phillip W. Stewart

in issue 65

Books: A Great Big Girl Like Me: The Films of Marie Dressler, by Victoria Sturtevant

in issue 64

Books: Frankly, My Dear: Gone with the Wind Revisited, by Molly Haskell

Books: Joseph P. Kennedy Presents: His Hollywood Years, by Cari Beauchamp

in issue 63

Oh Mary, Don't Ask: The Boys in the Band on DVD — "In the ensuing post-Stonewall civil rights struggles, The Boys in the Band became crazy Aunt Betty locked in the attic when guests came over."

in issue 62

The First-Class Jewels: An American in Paris and Gigi — Two golden-age musicals get the deluxe treatment

in issue 60

Books: Pictures at a Revolution: Five Movies and the Birth of the New Hollywood

in issue 55

A Very Special Favor: More Strange Drag from the Hudson Closet — "Never mind that Hudson was a gay man playing a straight man playing a gay man in love with a man who was really a woman."

in issue 52

The Hip Hooray and Bally Hoo: Busby Berkeley Explodes on DVD — Come and meet those dancing feet, and pianos, and buildings, and . . .

David Lean's Problem Child: Gorgeous but Flawed Ryan's Daughter on DVD — For maximum effect, see it when you're 13

in issue 51

Men in Love: On Brokeback Mountain — Ang Lee expertly limns the catastrophes of the closet

Ann-Margret in Wonderland: But Bates and the Brits Are at Home in
The Return of the Soldier, on DVD
— "Her English accent wanders around her mouth like a playful ice cube."

in issue 50

Renoir on the Seine: Boudu Saved from Drowning on DVD — Criterion's Renoir-fest continues with this classic

in issue 49

Two by Jacques Becker: Casque d'or and Touchez pas au grisbi on DVD — Criterion resurrects a French master

in issue 48

Tears for Queers: Different from the Others, Michael, and Sex in Chains on DVD — Kino's unusual series spotlights German silent gay-themed cinema

Dinner Is Served: The Return of MGM's Witty '30s Romp — Cukor's all-star gala remains a tasty dish

"She Loves Too Much": The Ravishing Leave Her to Heaven on DVD — Kino's unusual series spotlights German silent gay-themed cinema

in issue 47

Doing What Moves Them at the Moment: Five of Cassavetes' Best on DVD — The master of improv gets his due courtesy of Criterion's extras-laden box set

in issue 44

On Commies, Stoolies, and Assorted Lowlife: Pickup on South Street on DVD — Widmark and Peters sizzle, but Thelma Ritter steals the show

Love, Friendship, RemembrancePeyton Place puts time in a bottle — drink up!

Wish Upon a Star! — Robert Wise's Musical Mess on DVD — Or a turkey returns

in issue 42

Recent DVDs: Christ in Concrete, The Garden of Eden, Mau Mau Sex Sex, Ordinary Sinner, Breaking the Cycle — Five DVDs for every taste, though some are more appetizing than others

in issue 41

Angela's Lashes: Charles Busch's Die Mommie Die! — Stage vet Charles Busch does glam for camp movie

in issue 40

Making History: D. W. Griffith on DVD — A weighty package of early films by the cinematic titan

in issue 39

Ho-hum Intrigue in Barcelona: Gaudi Afternoon — It's little wonder this yawner didn't get a theatrical release

in issue 38

Two by Sturges: Sullivan's Travels and The Lady Eve — Criterion serves up two more deep-dish DVDs from yesteryear

Books: The New Dictionary of Film and Joan Crawford: The Essential Biography

in issue 37

DVD Sampler: Cuban Story, The Vanishing, The Joke, Salesman, and Strange Illusion — In DVD land, the world's your oyster — pearls included (sometimes)

in issue 35

Gregory La Cava’s My Man Godfrey on DVD — The Criterion Collection offers another scrumptious golden-era DVD

Closely Watched TrainsClosely Watched Trains and The Shop on Main Street on DVD — Czech out these two favorites from Czech cinema’s Age of Camelot

in issue 34

A Divine Wallow: All That Heaven Allows and Written on the Wind on DVD — Criterion Collection serves up two Sirk beauties

My Son Divine — The life of the Pink Flamingos star, as told by his mother

in issue 33

Actors Talk: Profiles and Stories from the Acting Trade — Dennis Brown's collection of conversations, career recaps, and anecdotal gems

in issue 32

The Nashville Chronicles: The Making of Robert Altman's Masterpiece — Jan Stuart's chronological account

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New book from the
editor and writers of
Bright Lights Film Journal

Action! Interviews with Directors
from Classical Hollywood to
Contemporary Iran

(Anthem Art and Culture),
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Bert Cardullo (Introduction),
Jonathan Rosenbaum (Foreword).
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Robert Bresson
Roger Corman (with Bruce Dern
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Allan Dwan
Clint Eastwood
Douglas Sirk
Robert Wise
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Lars von Trier
Michael Haneke
Allie Light
Melvin and Mario van Peebles
Otto Muehl
The Brothers Quay
Barbara Kopple
Federico Fellini
Abbas Kiarostami
François Truffaut
Caveh Zahedi
Peter Bogdanovich and
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