Many British directors have, by choice or necessity, turned to Hollywood. Filmmakers from Ridley Scott to Alan Parker and David Puttnam left their native land for the financing that would land their most ambitious visions on screen. Some might call this a sell-out, but it's arguable that some of thes

Eclectic, Elegant, Pathos, Pop, Witty

An army of animated characters has crawled out of the curious cerebral cortex of one disgruntled writer-turned-illustrator named Matt Groening. This malcontent is responsible for "The Simpsons," one of the most recognized and amusing series in the history of American television. The show revolutioniz

Citational, Clever, Funny, Profane, Quirky, Witty

Fade in: a scorpion writhing in the dust. Its jagged red tail repeatedly plunges into its own body in a last-ditch effort at dignity and self-preservation. As the camera pulls back, we see children huddled over the desert insect, poking it with a stick and jeering at its hopeless state. This is j

Pathos, Physical force, Pioneering, Power, Violent, Witty

Andrew Sarris served as film critic for the Village Voice for almost 30 years and as the editor of the English-language version of the influential French film magazine Cahiers du Cinema, but he is best known as the primary spokesman for the "politique des auteurs" -- or auteur theory. Prior to the

Clever, Contemplative, Pioneering, Witty