Reviews:
Films of the Year 2007
Beginning in 2007, editor Rob White of Film Quarterly gave me the opportunity of writing a year-end roundup of my favorite films. I took pleasure in the job and for the most part still agree with judgements I made. The “Films of the Year” articles also serve as a time capsule. The first of the four years of reviews begins below in a PDF for 2007. The subsequent years follow it. University of California Press, which kindly granted permission, asked that I also provide a link to their website.
Link to Univ. of Cal. Press here.
Films of the Year 2008
Link to U. of C. Press here.
Films of the Year 2009
Link to U. of C. Press here.
Films of the Year 2010
Link to U. of C. Press here.
Essays:
“Consciousness and Society in Portrait of the Artist“
I once hoped to write a book about James Joyce, but managed only a couple of essays. Here’s one, from Approaches to Joyce’s Portrait, ed. Thomas Staley and Bernard Benstock (Univ. of Pittsburgh Press, 1976).
“Nature and History in The Years”
After my book on Virginia Woolf, I turned mostly to writing about film. But I published one essay about Woolf, in Virginia Woolf: Revaluation and Continuity (California, 1980), edited by Ralph Freedman. It gave me the opportunity to discuss a novel I hadn’t treated in my book, and to put emphasis on Woolf’s politics.
“Remaking Psycho”
I’ve long been on the advisory board of Hitchcock Annual, a periodical currently edited by Sidney Gottlieb. For the 1999-2000 issue, I wrote this essay about Gus Van Sant’s controversial remake of Psycho.
“The Trial: Orson Welles vs. the FBI“
In Film Comment, Jan.-Feb 1991, I published this essay, based on FBI files I had requested through the Freedom of Information Act.
