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Thursday, June 20, 2013

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“World War Z” stars, from left, Brad Pitt, Abigail Hargrove and Mireille Enos.
Inside ‘World War Z’ »
Jaap Buitendijk/Paramount Pictures
Making ‘Art’ For ‘Monsters University’ »
McCarthy Goes Over the Top »
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Changes to a Blue Suit »
Anatomy of a Scene
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News & Features
Cross Cuts

Marriage, the Job

By A. O. SCOTT
"O.O.P.S"

In film and television, work and wedded bliss are now synonymous: the harder marriage is, the more romantic it seems.

Alfred Hitchcock (in foreground, pointing) directing “The Mountain Eagle” (1926), a silent feature presumed lost.

Hitchcock, Finding His Voice in Silents

By DAVE KEHR

Nine of Alfred Hitchcock’s earliest features, all silent, are coming to the Harvey Theater in Brooklyn.

Relative Unknown Chosen to Direct ‘Fifty Shades’

By BROOKS BARNES

Sam Taylor-Johnson will direct the film adaptation of the best-selling erotic novel “Fifty Shades of Grey.”

Melissa McCarthy in Beverly Hills in April.

Melissa McCarthy Goes Over the Top

By DAVE ITZKOFF

Rising celebrity means she can have roles rewritten for her; and it has made her a target for unexpected and shockingly personal criticism.

Art, a new character in

How Pixar Developed ‘Art’ for ‘Monsters University’

By MEKADO MURPHY

“Monsters University,” the prequel to “Monsters, Inc.,” has several new characters, including Art, a purple longhaired hippie-esque monster majoring in new-age philosophy.

A screenshot from the film

Lebanese Artist Explores ‘Human Face' of Conflict

By NINA SIEGAL

Akram Zaatari, who was selected to represent Lebanon at the 55th Venice Biennale, focused on an Israeli Air Force pilot’s act of conscientious objection with a quiet, evocative film.

Maxine Stuart, circa 1950s.

Maxine Stuart, 94, Dies; Acted on Stage, Film and TV

By MARGALIT FOX

Ms. Stuart had a recurring role on the soap opera “The Edge of Night” and starred in two nonfiction books by the writer Helene Hanff.

In Oscar’s Home, the Ritual of Picking Its Next President Gets Under Way

By MICHAEL CIEPLY

Don’t call it a “campaign” for president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. But the contenders are lining up and alliances are quietly being sealed.

Geiger counters check radiation levels in a range of cities in “Pandora’s Promise.”

A Rebel Filmmaker Tilts Conservative

By TOM ROSTON

“Pandora’s Promise,” a documentary advocating nuclear energy, has been screened at festivals that, its maker feels, support the opposing position.

“World War Z” stars, from left, Brad Pitt, Abigail Hargrove and Mireille Enos.

From Fish, Birds and Ants, Undead Hordes

By JEREMY EGNER

For “World War Z,” his zombie spectacular, the director Marc Forster sought to create legions of the undead that move together like a collective organism.

On Video
Harold Lloyd in “Safety Last!,” his classic 1923 silent comedy, which has been reissued by Criterion with three of his restored short films.

Man of Moment in the 1920s

By DAVE KEHR

A Criterion release of Harold Lloyd films, including the classic “Safety Last!” (1923), and the shorts anthology “Accidentally Preserved” celebrate comedy of the silent era.

Left: A bomb blast killed dozens of people at a hotel in Islamabad, Sept 20, 2008. Center: A Palestinian teenager with an explosive vest at an Israeli checkpoint, March 24, 2004. Right: A market after a bomb blast during a religious procession, Karachi, Pakistan, Dec. 28, 2009.

Can We Imagine the Life of a Terrorist?

By ROBERT F. WORTH

A steady proliferation of books and films try to make sense of what drives suicide bombers. But few get it right.

Ziad Doueiri's movie about suicide bombing has not been released in any Arab country.

The Effort to Stop ‘The Attack’

By NANA ASFOUR

Why Ziad Doueiri’s movie about a suicide bombing has not been released in any Arab country.

The actress and author Dagmara Dominczyk in Brooklyn for a reading from her new book, “The Lullaby of Polish Girls.”

A Modern Immigrant Finds the Spotlight

By ALEX WILLIAMS

The story of the actress and author Dagmara Dominczyk is, in some ways, a classic immigrant tale of bootstrap success and fame.

Laura Poitras makes films about a world changed since 9/11.

Player in Leaks Case, Out From Behind Camera

By NOAM COHEN

The documentarian Laura Poitras says her role in the leaking of American surveillance programs was “not something I was seeking out.”

Critic’s Notebook
Josephat Torner, from “In the Shadow of the Sun,” which explores the perilous lives of Tanzania’s 170,000 albinos.

Go Watch the Movie, Then Ponder the Message

By STEPHEN HOLDEN

The Human Rights Watch Film Festival presents a slate of films that explore conflict and societal change.

Film

Brooklyn Talent on a New Screen

By ANDY WEBSTER

The fifth annual BAMcinemaFest, Brooklyn’s celebration of independent cinema, kicks off Wednesday.

Movie Reviews
Movie Review | ‘Man of Steel’
Henry Cavill in

Part Man, Part God, All Hunk

By MANOHLA DARGIS

“Man of Steel” weaves the Superman story into the fabric of 20th-century America and surrounds it with epic-scale cosmic effects.

Movie Review | ‘The Bling Ring’
From left, Emma Watson, Claire Julien, Katie Chang and Taissa Farmiga in

Twinkly Totems of Fame, Theirs for the Taking

By A. O. SCOTT

“The Bling Ring” was inspired by the true story of affluent Hollywood teenagers who broke into celebrities’ homes to steal luxury items.

Movie Review | ‘This Is the End’
From left, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel and Danny McBride in

Whoa, the Apocalypse. We’re Still Buds, Right?

By A. O. SCOTT

In “This Is the End,” celebrity buddies find their relationships tested as biblical devastation arrives.

Movie Review | ‘20 Feet From Stardom’
From left, Jo Lawry, Judith Hill and Lisa Fischer in a new documentary that illuminates the role of backup singers.

Turning Up the Voices From the Background

By A. O. SCOTT

The documentary “20 Feet From Stardom” seeks to rewrite the history of pop music by focusing attention on voices at once marginal and vital.

Movie Review | ‘Call Me Kuchu’
David Kato, the first openly gay man in Uganda, in the film “Call Me Kuchu.”

Where Being Gay Is a Life-and-Death Struggle

By STEPHEN HOLDEN

The documentary “Call Me Kuchu” chronicles the struggles of the gay rights movement in Uganda, and its prime mover, David Kato, who was bludgeoned to death in January 2011.

Movie Review | ‘In the Fog’
Vladimir Svirski carrying Vlad Abashin in Sergei Loznitsa’s “In the Fog,” based on a novel of World War II by Vasil Bykov.

The Condemned Man and His Two Burdens

By MANOHLA DARGIS

Sergei Loznitsa’s “In the Fog” follows a suspected Nazi collaborator toward his fate in a Russian forest.

Movie Review | ‘The Guillotines’
Li Yuchun, left, and Ethan Juan as members of a deadly but besieged band of assassins in 18th-century China, in a film directed by Andrew Lau.

Elite Assassins Wield Spinning Blades That Slice Off Heads

By MANOHLA DARGIS

Andrew Lau, best known for the “Infernal Affairs” trilogy, goes back in time and dreams up new ways of killing in “The Guillotines.”

Movie Review | 'Berberian Sound Studio'
Cosimo Fusco and Toby Jones in “Berberian Sound Studio.”

In a Horror Flick, the Chilling Effect of Vegetables

By NICOLAS RAPOLD

In Peter Strickland’s “Berberian Sound Studio,” a shy British sound engineer tries to keep his sanity while working on the soundtrack for an Italian horror film.

More Reviews

More News & Features

Photos & Video
Video
Tobias Lindholm on 'A Hijacking'

The director Tobias Lindholm discusses his film.

Anatomy of a Scene Video: ‘Man of Steel’
Anatomy of a Scene Video: ‘Man of Steel’
By MEKADO MURPHY

Zack Snyder, the director of “Man of Steel,” narrates a scene from the film.

Slide Show
Melissa McCarthy, Pushing Boundaries

Images from the career of the actress.

Slide Show
Pixar’s Fuzzy Frat Boy

A look at the conception and birth of Art, a Pixar monster.

Video
This Week’s Movies: June 14, 2013

The New York Times critics on “The Bling Ring,” “20 Feet From Stardom” and “Man of Steel.”

Reactions to the Death of James Gandolfini

June 20, 2013

TimesTalks Luminato Festival Video: Atom Egoyan

June 16, 2013

‘Man of Steel’ Is Strongest Box-Office Draw

June 16, 2013

More Movies Posts in Artsbeat »

Photos & Video
Anatomy of a Scene: ‘Much Ado About Nothing’
Anatomy of a Scene: ‘Much Ado About Nothing’
By MEKADO MURPHY

Joss Whedon discusses a scene from his adaptation of “Much Ado About Nothing.”

Video
Anatomy of a Scene: ‘Before Midnight’

Richard Linklater, the director of “Before Midnight,” discusses a scene from his film featuring Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke.

Interactive Feature
Anatomy of a Scene

In this series, directors discuss ideas and techniques behind moments in their films.

Box Office Top 5

  1. Man of Steel
  2. This Is the End
  3. Now You See Me
  4. Fast & Furious 6
  5. The Purge
More Box Office Data »
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Summer Movies

Baz Luhrmann's "Gatsby," J. J. Abrams's "Star Trek," breakthrough performances, movie listings and more.

Times Pulse

The most popular movies among NYTimes.com readers.
  1. Man of Steel
  2. This Is The End
  3. The Bling Ring
  4. Much Ado About Nothing
  5. Set it Off 2
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The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made

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