Richard Schickel, whose celebrated and prolific career spans 50 years, has been the film critic for Time and Life magazines, has written more than 20 books and has produced, written and directed numerous documentaries....
Richard Schickel, whose celebrated and prolific career spans 50 years, has been the film critic for Time and Life magazines, has written more than 20 books and has produced, written and directed numerous documentaries.
In addition to his new book, “Clint Eastwood, A Retrospective,” Richard Schickel is the author of definitive biographies of Elia Kazan, D.W. Griffith and Walt Disney. All told, he has written, co-written or edited 37 books. He has produced, written and directed an equal number of documentaries. His most recent film is “The Eastwood Factor,” premiering on Turner Classic Movies in May. His five hour history of Warner Bros, “You Must Remember This” premiered on “American Masters” in Sept, 2008, and his film about director Ron Howard ran on TCM later that year.
Among his other recent titles are “Spielberg on Spielberg,” "Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin,” “Scorsese on Scorsese,” “Woody Allen: A Life in Film” “Watch the Skies,” a history of 1950s Science Fiction. His reconstruction of Samuel Fuller’s “The Big Red One” won several awards in 2004. He reviewed movies for “Time” from 1972 through 2008. His latest film is "Eastwood Directs: The Untold Story" (2013).
He holds an honorary doctorate from the American Film Institute and has been awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship, the British Film Insitute Book Prize, the Maurice Bessy prize for film criticism, thee National Board of Review’s William K. Everson award and the Telluride Film Festival’s Silver Medal for his contributions to film history.
Richard Schickel / TruthdigJul 23, 2013
By what measure of magical thinking does the occasional death or ripped-off limb seem a sensible price to pay for the queasy entertainment offered at water shows? Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Richard Schickel / TruthdigJul 9, 2013
"The Lone Ranger" is too long and more than a little bit incoherent, but you will see some things in the movie that you will not have seen anywhere else. Dig deeper
Richard Schickel / TruthdigJun 26, 2013
I read in the press that this movie can never, ever recoup its cost, but it does have its charms. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Richard Schickel / TruthdigJun 18, 2013
"20 Feet From Stardom" is a joyous documentary about the lives and careers of backup singers. It has been a long time since I’ve had so much fun at a movie. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Richard Schickel / TruthdigJun 12, 2013
It’s understandable that the book has been a constant temptation to moviemakers It’s also understandable that it has never been turned into a fully successful film. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Richard Schickel / TruthdigJan 4, 2013
The film year is, alas, a "disappointment." The very idea of making a 10 Best list seems either laughable or a task comparable in difficulty to translating the Rosetta Stone. Dig deeper ( 7 Min. Read )
Richard Schickel / TruthdigDec 27, 2012
There are times when a cast of dozens, working intensely, is actually superior to a cast of hundreds working routinely. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Richard Schickel / TruthdigDec 20, 2012
I think the message of "Amour," if it may be said to have one, is that love is sometimes -- probably rarely -- eternal.I think the message of "Amour," if it may be said to have one, is that love is sometimes — probably rarely — eternal. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Richard Schickel / TruthdigDec 16, 2012
So far, I have not seen any negative reviews of "Zero Dark Thirty" and it is with some reluctance that I'm about to write one. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )
Richard Schickel / TruthdigDec 6, 2012
What makes "Hyde Park on Hudson" a good deal more than delightful is its lightly touched seriousness of purpose. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )
Richard Schickel / TruthdigNov 26, 2012
He was never dark or monstrous as this film makes him seem Rather the opposite There was something -- well -- childlike about him There was something—well—childlike about him. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )
Richard Schickel / TruthdigNov 10, 2012
Lincoln is inherently a static and talkative subject that Spielberg has triumphed over not through avoidance, but by embrace. Lincoln is inherently a static and talkative subject that Spielberg has triumphed over not through avoidance, but by embrace. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )
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