In Praise of the Messenger: Janus Films & The Criterion Collection
William J. Becker, co-owner of Janus Films, was instrumental in bringing art house and foreign cinema to American audiences. We reflect on his influence.
Don’t Say Cheese! The Smiles of Buster Keaton and Humphrey Bogart
Some celebrities like Buster Keaton and Humphrey Bogart are recognized for not smiling—and when they do, it comes across as, well, unnatural.
Forming a Critical Sense of Race with Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing”
Interpretations of the film may differ by race, media scholar Kelli Marshall finds.
Animated Gifs: A Throwback to Cinema’s Beginnings
Animated gifs function like early cinema in several ways.
![By Unknown; distributed by Epoch Film Co. [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](https://daily.jstor.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Birth_Of_A_Nation_1050x700-600x400.jpg)
“Birth of a Nation”: 100 Years Later
The Birth of a Nation—1915's blockbuster hit and the most popular movie of its day—was released 100 years ago this month.
Interview with Godzilla
The awesome destructive power of the beast is widely understood to be a metaphor for nuclear weapons. Is this too facile an idea?