Email Author Melissa Levine

2006 Stories by Melissa Levine

• Way Down in the Hole

  published August 10, 2006

  Countless are the creative souls who struggled with mental illness, as are the novels and films dedicated to them. Again and again, we've... More >>

• 13 Million Yogis Can't Be Wrong

  published August 3, 2006

  It's no secret that documentaries have finally gained some currency in the American media. With the help of Michael Moore, Morgan Spurlock, and a... More >>

• Jingle Hell

  published June 29, 2006

  It can't be easy making films about war. It's so inherently dramatic that, as a setting for art, it's overdetermined; it drips with meaning even... More >>

• Letter-Box Edition

  published June 29, 2006

  It may not be an "iconic manifestation of civilization," as documentarian Ken Burns proclaims, but the New York Times crossword puzzle is... More >>

• Lovely, Not Amazing

  published April 13, 2006

  In Nicole Holofcener's first feature, 1996's Walking and Talking, the writer/director warmly portrayed an adult female friendship, nudging... More >>

• Nowhere Man

  published April 13, 2006

  The brain is a beguiling thing. One evening, you're talking to a friend on the phone. Sometime later, you find yourself in a subway car, passing... More >>

• Naomi Then and Now

  published April 13, 2006

  Ellie Parker (Strand) This extremely raw portrait of an actress trying -- and failing -- to make it in Hollywood... More >>

• Now You See Them

  published March 23, 2006

  Breasts: A Documentary (First Run) Honest, compassionate, and funny, this documentary is remarkable for the bravery of... More >>

• Free for All

  published March 9, 2006

  If you plan to see The Libertine, an artful and brooding period piece about a scandalously debauched earl of the English Restoration, a few... More >>

• The Great Cash-In

  published March 2, 2006

  Walk the Line (Fox) No matter what a junkie does with his spare time -- say, redefine country music, or forge one of... More >>

• Take This Woman

  published February 16, 2006

  It happens so often these days. A comedy opens with clever jokes, endearing characters, and an enjoyably brisk pace, all of which put you at ease.... More >>

• Bull@$#*%

  published February 2, 2006

  Here's the first thing that's audacious about What the Bleep!?: Down the Rabbit Hole, the second installment in what has become a franchise... More >>

• Like Star Trek With Worms

  published February 2, 2006

  Dune: Extended Edition (Universal) On paper it sounds insane: A mammoth sci-fi epic directed by David Lynch, based on an... More >>

• Now Dirtier Than Ever

  published January 26, 2006

  The Aristocrats (Lions Gate) The single joke around which Paul Provenza's documentary revolves has a standard beginning... More >>

• Rogues' Gallery

  published January 5, 2006

  When your movie critics' tastes range from Jane Austen to Rob Zombie, there's bound to be some turbulence come award time. Perhaps not... More >>

• Little Misses

  published January 5, 2006

  Amid Hollywood's zillion-dollar explosions and computer-enhanced trickery, plenty of quieter, better films sneaked into theaters virtually... More >>

• Failure to Adapt

  published January 5, 2006

  Hollywood served up no shortage of literary adaptations in '05, but only one of them -- see Thumbsucker, as soon as possible -- was... More >>

• The Penguin Factor

  published January 5, 2006

  Until this year, nature documentaries generally found their homes at PBS and Animal Planet, enjoying modest audiences made up of children and... More >>