Phil Hall
Tomatometer-approved critic
Phil Hall is a contributing editor for Film Threat and the author of the books "The Encyclopedia of Underground Movies," "Independent Film Distribution" and "The History of Independent Cinema." His film journalism has appeared in the New York Times, New York Daily News, Wired Magazine, HotWired.com, American Movie Classics Magazine, Video Librarian, Tower Records Pulse! Magazine and the Organica Quarterly.
Favorite films:
New York City
http://www.filmthreat.com
Movies reviews only
| Rating | T-Meter | Title | Year | Review |
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Olympia Part One: Festival of the Nations (1938) |
Landmark documentary. - HotWired's Pop
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| Posted Apr 09, 2021
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Olympia Part Two: Festival of Beauty (1938) |
It remains fascinating. - HotWired's Pop
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| Posted Apr 09, 2021
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1917 (2019) |
The adventure turns into a grotesque exaggeration of Murphy's Law - anything that can go wrong happens tenfold. - Cinema Crazed
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| Posted Jan 19, 2020
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Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound (2019) |
Here is something that you don't see every day: a documentary that gets its facts wrong. - Cinema Crazed
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| Posted Dec 05, 2019
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The Other Side of the Wind (2018) |
The cinematic equivalent of throwing spaghetti against the wall - sadly, nothing really sticks, leaving the viewer with a wasted pasta of a movie. - Cinema Crazed
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| Posted Nov 12, 2018
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The Fifth Horseman Is Fear (1965) |
Disturbing and very different. Seek this one out. - Film Threat
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| Posted Jan 09, 2018
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Darkest Hour (2017) |
With a blubbery voice and a penchant for cutesy physical movements, Gary Oldman does a smashing impersonation of Benny Hill's Mr. Scuttle, but the resemblance to Britain's wartime leader isn't quite there. - Cinema Crazed
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| Posted Dec 21, 2017
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Manhattan (1979) |
It feels like a mean-spirited parody of Annie Hall. - Cinema Crazed
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| Posted Dec 14, 2017
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The Post (2017) |
Streep, as usual, is all hand gestures and eye flutters, speaking softly while carrying a big shtick. - Cinema Crazed
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| Posted Dec 06, 2017
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The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017) |
This film is one holiday gift that deserves to go back to the Returns Department. - Cinema Crazed
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| Posted Nov 30, 2017
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I Love You, Daddy (2017) |
Horrendous - Cinema Crazed
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| Posted Nov 11, 2017
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The Shining (1980) |
Anyone coming to this work for the first time should be forewarned that the will generate more giggles (and perhaps a yawn or two), but there is absolutely nothing here to fear. - Film Snobbery
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| Posted Dec 21, 2016
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La La Land (2016) |
A one-note bore. - Cinema Crazed
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| Posted Dec 21, 2016
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Dolemite (1975) |
Who needs CGI idols when you have this fresh, profane dynamo of a superstar? - Cinema Crazed
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| Posted Dec 01, 2016
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Snowden (2016) |
Deserves respect for attempting to offer a user-friendly consideration of what Snowden tried to achieve. - Cinema Crazed
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| Posted Dec 01, 2016
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I Am JFK Jr. (2016) |
The elusive and celebrated young man seemed to be something of a bore. - Cinema Crazed
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| Posted Dec 01, 2016
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Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans (2015) |
A fascinating view of a doomed film. - Cinema Crazed
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| Posted Dec 01, 2016
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Gleason (2016) |
A moving portrait of a brave man's struggle against ALS. - Cinema Crazed
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| Posted Dec 01, 2016
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Burden of Peace (2014) |
Impressive documentary on Guatemala's reformist Attorney General Claudia Paz y Paz - Cinema Crazed
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| Posted Dec 01, 2016
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Gun Crazy (1950) |
Artistically ambitious B-movie classic. - Film Snobbery
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| Posted Dec 01, 2016
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The Bowery Boys Meet the Monsters (1954) |
Highly amusing low comedy, one of the best in this long-running series. - Film Snobbery
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| Posted Dec 01, 2016
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Jackie (2016) |
Natalie Portman falls back on excessive Acting 101 shtick that seems aimed for generating film awards rather than seriously trying to decipher the soul of a beloved figure. - Cinema Crazed
Read More
| Posted Dec 01, 2016
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Gigi (1958) |
Lovely to behold, but the story has dated very badly. - Examiner.com
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| Posted Jul 01, 2016
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When Bette Met Mae (2014) |
Entertaining documentary on the unlikely meeting of two silver screen icons. - Examiner.com
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| Posted Jul 01, 2016
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Nicholas and Alexandra (1971) |
Opulent and well-acted, although fidelity to history is occasionally frayed. - Examiner.com
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| Posted Jul 01, 2016
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To Have and Have Not (1944) |
A victory of style and star power over substance. - Cinema Crazed
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| Posted Jul 01, 2016
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In Cold Blood (1967) |
Visually striking, with two astonishing lead performances, but it never quite plumbs the emotional depths of the Truman Capote source material. - Examiner.com
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| Posted Jul 01, 2016
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True Grit (1969) |
Maybe it is not great cinema, but it is great entertainment. - Examiner.com
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| Posted Jul 01, 2016
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Art Bastard (2016) |
An invigorating celebration to a one-of-a-kind genius. - Examiner.com
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| Posted Jul 01, 2016
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Hockney (2014) |
The artist comes across as an affable raconteur, and his personal input gives this film a sense of humor and irony that is most absent in Wright's lamentable attempt to share the Hockney experience with the audience. - EDGE Boston
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| Posted Apr 22, 2016
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Carol (2015) |
Cate Blanchett's is so broad and unsubtle that "Carol" feels like a "Carol Burnett Show" parody. - Examiner.com
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| Posted Jan 12, 2016
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Beyond the Walls (2012) |
Sensitive drama about a doomed gay romance. - Examiner.com
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| Posted Jan 07, 2016
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Forbidden Zone (1980) |
Uneven, to put it mildly, but audacious in its daring to be different. - Examiner.com
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| Posted Jan 07, 2016
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Terror by Night (1946) |
A fun entry in the Basil Rathbone-Nigel Bruce series. - Examiner.com
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| Posted Jan 07, 2016
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Jason and the Argonauts (1963) |
Great old-fashioned fun, spiced with imaginative Ray Harryhausen's special effects. - Examiner.com
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| Posted Jan 07, 2016
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Destroy All Monsters! (1968) |
A zany kaiju classic. - Examiner.com
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| Posted Jan 07, 2016
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Moana (1926) |
Extraordinary cinematography is not enough to save the viewer from boredom. - Examiner.com
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| Posted Jan 07, 2016
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Mad Monster Party? (1967) |
Witty, sophisticated and delightful animated parody. - Examiner.com
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| Posted Jan 07, 2016
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Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) |
It is easy to assume that Lucas sold the franchise to the Xerox Corporation - because the new film is nothing more than a weak photocopy of the 1977 classic and its 1980 follow-up. - Examiner.com
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| Posted Jan 07, 2016
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Monkey Business (1931) |
A comic commotion on the ocean, via the fabulous four Marx Brothers. - Examiner.com
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| Posted Jul 24, 2015
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Seance on a Wet Afternoon (1964) |
Highly effective psychological thriller, with a stunning star turn from Kim Stanley. - Examiner.com
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| Posted Jul 24, 2015
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If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium (1969) |
Pleasantly amusing. - Examiner.com
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| Posted Jul 24, 2015
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Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974) |
Alice doesn't exist as a real person - she is more of a series of nonstop acting exercises for Ellen Burstyn. - Examiner.com
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| Posted Jul 24, 2015
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Heartland (1979) |
An intelligent and invigorating production, blessed by an extraordinary performance from Conchata Ferrell. - Examiner.com
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| Posted Jul 24, 2015
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The Outrageous Sophie Tucker (2014) |
Sophie Tucker was a great talent that deserves a great film. This isn't it. - EDGE Boston
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| Posted Jul 24, 2015
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Pandas: The Journey Home (2014) |
The film is an ideal introduction on species protection to younger viewers. - EDGE Boston
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| Posted Jul 24, 2015
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Up the Sandbox (1972) |
A Babs boo-boo. - Examiner.com
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| Posted May 29, 2015
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Sunset Edge (2015) |
An intriguing, if somewhat lo-fi, indie thriller. - EDGE Boston
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| Posted May 29, 2015
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Macbeth (1948) |
An eccentric, iconoclastic consideration of Shakespeare's tragedy. - Examiner.com
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| Posted May 22, 2015
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Victory at Sea - Feature Length Edition (1960) |
An invigorating (though encapsulated) consideration of the World War II naval battles. - Examiner.com
Read More
| Posted May 22, 2015
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