In 1940, John Ford made the definitive film about American life during the Great Depression, taking John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath and adapting it into a poignant statement on a people attempting to rise to the challenges of economic collapse -- and often falling short. What made that work so timeless wasn't its attention to the larger economic and political issues at hand; it was the commitment to telling an effective small-scale story about this one family, keeping the big picture ever-present, but in the margins. The opposite side of the coin when trying to make a statement through your film is that the story takes a backseat to the sermon, and the movie becomes a series of bulleted talking points. For example: The Company Men. more ›

After Ben Affleck's career free-fall last decade, who would have predicted that he would have had such a remarkable artistic resurgence, much less that it would be driven by his work behind the camera rather than in front of it? In The Town, Affleck builds on the smart, unselfish directorial skill he demonstrated in Gone Baby Gone with yet another solid, Boston-based crime thriller. Only this time, he spends time on both sides of the lens -- and shows that his easy confidence in the director's chair is seeping into his performances as well. more ›

The pretty people are descending upon our city. A couple big movie shoots are in town, so if you're into that sort of thing, now's your chance for an Affleck or LaBeouf sighting. more ›

This review was written by guest poster Eric Nuzum, a local pop culture commentator and author of The Dead Travel Fast: Stalking Vampires from Nosferatu to Count Chocula. Here's the reason why there have been more than 600 vampire films produced in the past 85 years: Vampires are the perfect metaphor. Tradition says that vampires don't cast reflections. But vampires are, in fact, reflections of what terrifies or titillates us, as well as what we... more ›

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner are in town today, thanks to Affleck having agreed to be the commencement speaker at Falls Church High School. The WaPo explains that the actor agreed to lend an unusual amount of starpower to the high school graduation ceremony thanks to his friendship with Falls Church senior Joe Kindregan. Kindregan and Affleck met when the actor was filming 1998's Forces of Nature at Dulles Airport. Kindregan has ataxia-telangiectasia, a rare... more ›

Allen Witt, an engineer from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, said many of the displays seemed to stop after the mid-1980s. more ›

So much theater, so little time...that's what DC theater fans will lament as they view the hefty list of Beltway-bound openings this month. Enough introduction: let's leave room to showcase everything from Kushner to Capote. more ›

Perhaps the Representatives heard about it here - we posted on the event last Sunday. Sadly, we here at DCist couldn't pony up the $1,500 for a ticket to the event, but we hear that the coy twosome remained on opposite sides of the room all evening. more ›

(From DCist contributor Hemal Jhaveri) Is George Clooney going to the be the next Arnold? We, and every other media outlet, can only speculate. The Reliable Source gives us a heads up that the former ER doc will be hitting the Hill tonight:Washington's favorite celebrity hunk, George Clooney, is back in town. Tonight he'll be at a fundraiser at Lounge 201 on Capitol Hill for his father, Nick, who's running for Congress as a Democrat... more ›

(By DCist contributor Hemal Jhaveri) more ›