Podcast appearances and mentions of jed dietz

Today is Midday at the Movies, our monthly focus on new films and film-industry trends with movie aficionados Jed Dietz, founding director of the Maryland Film Festival, and Max Weiss, film critic and Editor-in-Chief of Baltimore Magazine. As the weather cools down, the movie theaters are heating up with new releases such as Conclave, a thriller/drama directed by Edward Berger and Saturday Night, based on the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live in 1975 directed by Jason Reitman.Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Baltimore Public Media's New/Next Film Festival returns to the Charles Theatre October 3 - 6. This year's event has expanded to showcase more than 100 films from filmmakers near and far. Today on Midday we discuss the inspiration for this year's festival, review a few featured films and highlight contributions from the Maryland cinematic community. Guests for today's show include: Sam Sessa, Director of Events and Community Management for Baltimore Public Media Eric Hatch, Co-Founder and Director of Festival Programming Alexi Wasser, Director of the opening night film 'Messy' Max Weiss, Editor in Chief of Baltimore Magazine and film and pop culture critic Jed Dietz, Founder and Former Director of the Maryland Film Festival Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Summer is wrapping up, were box offices able to make up for low returns earlier in the season? Plus, we dig into a pair of comedies, the return of Michael Keaton in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and Between the Temples. Program guests are Jed Dietz, the founding director of the Maryland Film Festival, and Max Weiss, film critic and Editor-in-Chief of Baltimore Magazine.   (Photo Courtesy Warner Bros.) Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Today is Midday at the Movies, our monthly focus on new films and film-industry trends with movie aficionados Jed Dietz, founding director of the Maryland Film Festival, and Max Weiss, film critic and Editor-in-Chief of Baltimore Magazine. This week we talk summer films, including Twisters and Longlegs. What are your favorite movies of the summer?Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Today is Midday at the Movies, our monthly focus on new films and film-industry trends with movie aficionados Jed Dietz, founding director of the Maryland Film Festival, and Max Weiss, film critic and Editor-in-Chief of Baltimore Magazine. We dig into several films, including The Bikeriders, Thelma and Kinds of Kindness. We also discuss the Paramount merger with SkyDance, and what the move means for the movie industry. (Photo by Kyle Kaplan, Focus Features)Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Today is Midday at the Movies, our monthly focus on new films and film-industry trends with movie aficionados Jed Dietz, founding director of the Maryland Film Festival, and Max Weiss, film critic and Editor-in-Chief of Baltimore Magazine. We discuss some current releases, including Furiosa, and look at recent poor box office numbers across the United States.Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Today is Midday at the Movies, our monthly focus on new films and film-industry trends, with our regular movie aficionados, Jed Dietz, founding director of the Maryland Film Festival, and Ann Hornaday, film critic for the Washington Post. We discuss some of our favorite movies of the past year, and look ahead to a couple upcoming releases. We also look ahead to the 25th Maryland Film Festival in May. Organizers have yet to be announced the lineup of films, officials have teased some of the biggest-draw events.Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Today is Midday at the Movies, our monthly focus on new films and film-industry trends. Today we are joined by one of our regular movie aficionados, Jed Dietz, founding director of the Maryland Film Festival. We look back at the attendance numbers for 2023's movies. And though we are in a time of the year traditionally lacking many movie releases, there are plenty of good movies in theaters. We talk about "The Boy and the Heron," "Zone of Interest" and more.Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Today is Midday at the Movies, our monthly focus on new films and film-industry trends, with our regular movie aficionados, Jed Dietz, founding director of the Maryland Film Festival, and Ann Hornaday, film critic for the Washington Post. We will discuss some of the latest movies in theatres, including American Fiction, Poor Things and Ferrari.Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Today is Midday at the Movies, our monthly focus on new films and film-industry trends, with our regular movie aficionados, Jed Dietz, founding director of the Maryland Film Festival, and Ann Hornaday, film critic for the Washington Post. We will discuss Martin Scorsese's latest film, Killers of the Flower Moon. We also discuss Lady Bird Diaries, a stunning documentary intimately capturing the life of the First Lady during the consequential years (1963-1969) of the Lyndon B. Johnson administration.Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Today is Midday at the Movies, our monthly focus on new films and film-industry trends, with our regular movie aficionados, Jed Dietz, founding director of the Maryland Film Festival, and Ann Hornaday, film critic for the Washington Post. Jed Dietz and Ann Hornaday recap WYPR's New/Next Film Festival, where local filmmakers showcased their work. Plus, will music documentaries save theaters as movie production remains halted and new releases are delayed? And the latest from the picket line as workers in Hollywood continue to struggle for better pay.Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

It's Midday at the Movies, our monthly look at films and filmmaking. One of Tom's guests today is Jed Dietz, the founder and retired director of the Maryland Film Festival. The MFF's current directors late last year announced they were putting the popular annual film event on hiatus until 2024, while the board conducts what it calls "a planning process to re-envision its role as an arts and culture hub in Baltimore and for the entire region." In response to that announcement, Baltimore film advocates decided to mount an alternative festival. With sponsorship from Your Public Radio (this station's parent company), they began planning for the New/Next Film Festival, a weekend-long celebration of film culture that will take place August 18-20 at The Charles theater in Baltimore. According to festival organizers, the NNFF will present "emerging film work of international scope alongside a special emphasis on new and repertory work from the Baltimore film scene." Joining Tom and Jed in the studio today to discuss the New Next Film Fest is former Maryland Film Festival Director of Programming Eric Allen Hatch. Hatch is curating the films for the festival that will be screening at The Charles. Also with us in studio is Emma Hannaway, a Baltimore born-and-raised filmmaker who produced the award-winning local film, Strawberry Mansion, and who's working as an assistant producer of the New/Next Film Festival. For information on film schedules and to purchase tickets to the New/Next Film Festival, follow this linkEmail us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Today is Midday at the Movies, our monthly focus on new films and film-industry trends, with our regular movie aficionados, Jed Dietz, founding director of the Maryland Film Festival, and Ann Hornaday, film critic for the Washington Post. This month they discuss Tom Cruise and the summer blockbuster season, the death of actor Alan Arkin and popular films on streaming services. Also, we discuss Wes Anderson's latest film, "Asteroid City," and a new movie from director and writer Celine Song, "Past Lives." (Image courtesy A24)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Midday at the Movies, our monthly look at films and filmmaking.We're pleased to have two movie mavens join us again. Ann Hornaday is film critic for the Washington Post, Jed Dietz, the founder and former director of the Maryland Film Festival and Parkway Theater. We discuss the latest movies out in theatres, including You Hurt My Feelings, Master Gardener, Beau Is Afraid and Reality. We also reflect on the 15th anniversary of Iron Man. As Ann Hornaday writes in the Washington Post, the film had an artistic, authentic vision which would eventually lead superhero movies into a new era of corporate, milquetoast blockbusters. Plus, the latest on the writers' strike in Hollywood. Could directors be the next to join the picket line? (Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Midday at the Movies, our monthly look at films and filmmaking. Today, it's our annual Oscars edition, when we invite our guests — and you, our listeners — to tell us which films and film artists will (or should) bring home Oscar statuettes when they're awarded in Hollwood on Sunday, March 12. For a convenient one-page Oscars Ballot, click here. Joining Tom in Studio A today are Jed Dietz, founding director of the Maryland Film Festival, and a regular here on Midday at the Movies. Also back with us in studio is Max Weiss, pop culture and film critic and Editor-in-Chief of Baltimore Magazine.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's another episode of Midday at the Movies, our monthly conversation about films and filmmaking. Joining Tom in Studio A are our two movie-maven regulars: Ann Hornaday, film critic for the Washington Post and author of the best-selling moviegoers' guide, Talking Pictures: How to Watch Movies; and Jed Dietz, the founder and former director (retired) of the Maryland Film Festival and Parkway Theater.  Today, Ann and Jed review some of the best films to showcase at last month's Sundance Film Festival; and they talk about a few surprising (and in one case, controversial) nominees for this year's Oscars. (The Academy Awards by the way, will be presented on Sunday March 12 at 8pm ET. The Oscars telecast will air live on ABC from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.) Ann and Jed also spotlight some of the best films screening locally. Plus, Ann shares her (and her Post colleagues') picks for the worst films of 2022 — so you can avoid them (or check them out!)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, we begin the hour with another installment of Midday at the Movies, our monthly convo about films and filmmaking. Tom's guest is one of our favorite film aficionados: Jed Dietz, the founder and former director of the Maryland Film Festival and Parkway Theater, who joins us on Zoom. (Our other regular movie maven, Washington Post film critic Ann Hornaday, was unable to join us today, but she'll return next month.) The Maryland Film Festival was in the news last month for reasons that have disappointed movie fans who look forward to the annual long weekend of screenings every spring. The Board of Directors of the festival announced on the festival website that the 2023 event will not take place until 2024, saving the organization some money, and giving time for the board and staff to do some thinking about the best way to adjust to the realities of a pandemic-impacted movie industry that has not recovered from the collective hit to the solar-plexus that COVID 19 comprised. We've talked a lot on this show about how movie-going habits have changed; streaming is having an obvious effect, and competition remains fierce. Join our conversation. We'd like to know your reaction to the news that the Maryland Film Festival has been postponed until 2024. What's your take on deciding whether to go to a theater or to stream the films you want to see?... And we'll also be talking about some of the many new films — from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and the #MeToo movement docudrama, She Said, to director Steven Spielberg's semi-autobiographical The Fabelmans — that are being released by year's end so they can be considered for the Oscars. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, we begin the hour with another installment of Midday at the Movies, our monthly convo about films and filmmaking. We're pleased to have with us again movie mavens Ann Hornaday, film critic for the Washington Post, who joins us in Studio A, and Jed Dietz, the founder and former director (ret.) of the Maryland Film Festival and Parkway Theater. Jed is with us on Zoom. Today, we spotlight several new films, including Till, the powerful drama about the events surrounding the 1955 lynching of a 14 year-old Black youth in Mississippi that shocked the nation and ignited the American civil rights movement; and Armageddon Time, a scathing critique of American society.Both films are showing in local theaters only. Other films mentioned in the conversation today are Todd Field's Tar, a drama starring Cate Blanchett as a fictional female orchestra conductor undergoing an emotional crisis; director Nina Menkes' new documentary about sexism in film, Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power. which Ann Hornaday discusses in her recent piece in the Post; and Alaska Daily, a new ABC series streaming on Hulu about a journalist (Hillary Swank) who seeks a fresh start working for a newspaper in Anchorage, Alaska, that's investigating the disappearance of young Native American women, The series was created by Tom McCarthy, the Oscar-winning creator of “Spotlight.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, we begin the hour with another installment of Midday at the Movies, our monthly look at films and filmmaking. We're pleased to have with us again movie mavens Ann Hornaday, film critic for the Washington Post, who joins us on Zoom, and Jed Dietz, the founder and former director of the Maryland Film Festival and Parkway Theater. He's with us in Studio A. Today, they spotlight several new films, including The Woman King; Don't Worry, Darling; and Catherine Called Birdy, and review some of the other new movies showcased at last month's Toronto International Film Festival.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to another edition of Midday at the Movies, our monthly look at films and filmmaking, with two of our favorite movie mavens: Ann Hornaday, a film critic with the Washington Post, and author of the bestselling filmgoers' guide,Talking Pictures: How to Watch Movies; and Jed Dietz, the founder and former director of the Maryland Film Festival and Parkway Theatre. Today they'll join Tom to help sort through the new crop of summer movies, from blockbuster action films and charming animations to thoughtful documentaries on the issues of the day. And we ask our listeners: What films are you watching this summer?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

And now it's Midday at the Movies, our monthly look at films and filmmaking, with two of our favorite film aficianados: Ann Hornaday, a film critic with the Washington Post, and author of the bestselling filmgoers' guide,Talking Pictures: How to Watch Movies; and Jed Dietz, the founder and former director of the Maryland Film Festival and Parkway Theatre. Ann and Jed discuss some of the newly- and soon-to-be released films that moviegoers in growing numbers are returning to the movie theaters to see, including Top Gun: Maverick, Cha Cha Real Smooth, and director Baz Lurhman's Elvis, an exuberant new take on the life of the legendary rock-n-roll singer. ________________________________________________ Tom also mentions a series of public events happening this weekend in observance of Juneteenth, a federal holiday celebrating the end of slavery and the liberation of Black culture. Here are some of those weekend events we want to let you know about: The Historic Hosanna School Museum Hosts Annual Upper Bay Juneteenth Festival in Darlington on Saturday from 12-6pm. Hosanna School Museum was the first of three Freedmen's Bureau schoolhouses erected in Harford County.  The building was used as a school, community meeting place and church. In 1879, Harford County School Commissioners assumed operation of the school and Hosanna remained an active schoolhouse for African American children until 1946. Juneteenth Community Walk on Saturday, at 10:30 at the Pennsylvania Avenue AME Zion Church On Sunday:  Freedom Day Festivalat 11:00am-6:00pm at German Park and a Juneteenth Festival at the Dovecote Café in Reservoir Hill Juneteenth Festival Sunday from 3-7pm at the Eubie Blake National Jazz and Cultural Center AFRAM Festival inDruid Hill Park on Saturday and Sunday. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Time now for another edition of Midday at the Movies, our monthly look at films and filmmaking. Jed Dietz, the founder and former director of the Maryland Film Festival and Parkway Theatre, joins Tom to talk about the Cannes Film Festival, running May 17-28 in France, where one of the showcased new films is Top Gun: Maverick, the long-awaited sequel to the 1986 blockbuster action film. Tom Cruise returns in his starring role as the cocky test pilot and flight instructor. The film opens locally on May 27. Jed and Tom also review some of the best new theatrical and streaming releases, including the HBO series Julia, based on Julia Child's extraordinary life and her groundbreaking public TV show The French Chef, which essentially invented food television. And we note with sadness the passing of Vangelis, the acclaimed Greek musician and movie-score composer (Chariots of Fire, Bladerunner), who died Tuesday while being treated for COVID-19. He was 79. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's Midday at the Movies, our monthly look at films and filmmaking. Tom is joined again today by two of our favorite movie mavens: Ann Hornaday is film critic for the Washington Post and author of Talking Pictures: How to Watch Movies, now available in paperback; she joins us on our digital line. And joining us on Zoom is Jed Dietz, the founder and retired director of the Maryland Film Festival, which is about to begin its first IN-PERSON festival since 2019. On today's program, we're also joined by the MD Film Festival's Artistic Director Christy LeMaster,who helps usspotlight some of the many short films, docs and features being showcased this year. The Festival opens on April 27 and runs through May 1 at the Parkway. Check out the Festival schedule here. Among the films highlighted today is HBO Max's new limited series, We Own This City, a 6-part dramatization of reporter Justin Fenton's best-selling book about the Baltimore Police Department's infamous Gun Trace Task Force scandal. A special Festival screening of the first episode of the series, on Thursday at 7pm, will be followed by a community panel discussion, including executive producers and writers George PelecanosandDavid Simon (The Wire), writer D Watkins, and reporter Justin Fenton, author of the book We Own This City. We get a sneak preview of Episode One of host and series co-writer D Watkins' official We Own This City Podcast, (which drops Monday), in which he interviews actor Jon Bernthal, the actor who portrays GTTF's Sgt Wayne Jenkins in the HBO Max series. We also discuss Navalny, the new documentary by director Daniel Roher about jailed Russian dissident and Vladimir Putin rival Alexei Navalny. The doc is being screened at MFF at 9:30 Thursday night. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's Midday at the Movies, our monthly look at films and filmmaking, and Tom is joined again by two of our favorite movie buffs: Ann Hornaday, the film critic for The Washington Post and author of the best-selling movie-goers guide, Talking Pictures: How to Watch Movies; and Jed Dietz, the founder and former director of the Maryland Film Festival and the historic Parkway Theatre. Today, on this special Oscars edition, Ann and Jed discuss the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science's top contenders and their own predictions for which films, which actors and which filmmakers will take home the gold on Oscars night, Sunday, March 27. And we welcome your predictions as well! Give us a call: 410.662.8780. email: midday@wypr.org or Tweet us @MiddayWYPR. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's Midday At the Movies, our monthly look at films and filmmaking, and Tom is joined again by two of our favorite movie buffs: Ann Hornaday, the film critic for The Washington Postand author of the best-selling movie-goers guide, Talking Pictures: How to Watch Movies; and Jed Dietz, the founder and former director of the Maryland Film Festival and the historic Parkway Theatre. They'll discuss the continuing impact COVID-19 is having on Hollywood production and brick-and-mortar movie box office revenues. A new survey shows that more than half the American public is not yet comfortable returning to live screenings. They'll also talk about the best of last month's 2022 Sundance Film Festival, including the documentary We Need to Talk About Cosby, now streaming on Showtime, and the critically acclaimed feature Jockey, opening February 11 at Baltimore's Charles Theater and regional cinemas. Plus, they'll spotlight the powerful new documentary, Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America, now playing in select theaters. Seen any great films recently? Let us know!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's another edition of Midday at the Movies, our monthly look at films and filmmaking. Tom is joined once again by two of our favorite film aficianadoes: Ann Hornaday, the movie critic for The Washington Post and author the best-selling filmgoers' guide, Talking Pictures: How to Watch Movies; and Jed Dietz, the founder and former director of the Maryland Film Festival. Today, Ann and Jed remember the extraordinary, groundbreaking contributions of Sidney Poitier, the first Black actor to win an Academy Award, who died January 6 at the age of 94. Then they size up the Golden Globe Awards, which have lost some of their luster in recent years. And they review some of the best films of 2021 and the best new theatrical and streaming releases of 2022. Among the movies they discuss today are The Power of the Dog,Licorice Pizza, The Tragedy of Macbeth, Don't Look Up, The Lost Daughterand Red Rocket. ________________________________________________________________ And this note about an event this weekend honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. On Sunday afternoon at 1:00, Jews United for Justice and a consortium of synagogues and other Jewish organizations are presenting on online program called The Enduring Relevance of “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” with the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, Taylor Branch, the activist Tara Huffman, Tre' Murphy of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and students from the Baltimore School for the Arts. For more information on this event, click here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We begin today with another edition of Midday at the Movies, our monthly look at films and filmmaking. We're joined again by two of our favorite movie aficionados: Ann Hornaday, film critic for The Washington Post and author of the great movie-goers guide, Talking Pictures: How to Watch Movies, and Jed Dietz, the founder and former director of the Maryland Film Festival and Parkway Theater. Our guests discuss a new survey showing American moviegoing crowds have still not returned in pre-COVID numbers to their local moviehouses — and the numbers suggest that a sizeable percentage of them might never return. We also consider a few of the best new holiday-season releases, including Belfast - at the Charles and area theaters only - director Kenneth Branagh's semi-autobiographical memoir of growing up amid the sectarian violence of Northern Ireland in the 1960s; The Humans, an indie gem from director/playwright Stephen Karam (based on his Tony Award-winning play) that's now streaming on SHOWTIME; and The Power of the Dog,director Jane Campion's powerful western drama starring Benedict Cumberpatch, now showing at the Parkway and streaming on Netflix. Ann Hornaday joins us on our digital line. Jed Dietz joins us on Zoom.  Some other notable new releases we didn't have time to talk about: Cmon C'mon, a movingdrama about the relationship between a troubled journalist and his young nephew, shot in moody black and white by director Mike Mills, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Woody Norman, and now playing at the Charles and local theaters; House of Gucci,director Ridley Scott's lavish tale of decadence, betrayal and murder in the family of the legendary designer, starring Lady Gaga, Adam Driver and Al Pacino, now at the Parkway and other local theaters; Get Back, director Peter Jackson's 3-part, 8-hourdocumentary about The Beatles, now streaming on Disney Plus; and West Side Story, director Steven Spielberg's long-awaited remake of the 1957 hit Broadway musical (later an Oscar-sweeping 1961 film) featuring music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a new screenplay by Tony Kushner. The film opens in theaters (only) on December 10. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's Midday at the Movies, our monthly look at films and filmmaking, with Ann Hornaday, film critic for the Washington Post and author of the best-selling movie-goers' guide,Talking Pictures: How to Watch Movies;and Jed Dietz, the founding director of the Maryland Film Festival and Parkway Theater. How are independent movie houses faring as COVID numbers go down? Have you headed back to theaters yet? And what does the tragedy on the set of the film Rusttell us about how movies are being made during the pandemic? We'll have tips on new films to check out, too, from Dune (Part One)and King Richard to The French Dispatch, Souvenir II and Belfast, plus two new documentaries, Attica and Julia. Ann Hornaday joins us on our digital line; Jed Dietz joins us on Zoom. Let us know what films you've been watching! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on Midday, it's Midday at the Movies, our monthly look at films, filmmaking and the movie industry. Tom guests are our movie-maven regulars, Washington Post film critic Ann Hornadayand Maryland Film Festival founder and former director Jed Dietz. We'll discuss the question of whether pandemic-weary filmgoers feel it's safe to return to movie theaters. And we get Ann and Jed's takes on some of the current cinema, including the re-release of Sankofa, Ethiopia-American filmmaker Haile Gerima's 1993 masterpiece about slavery, now on Netflix; Nuclear Family, independent director Ry Russo-Young's new autobiographical documentary series on HBO Max about her same-sex parents and the unexpected complications they faced in raising their family; The Eyes of Tammy Faye, director Michael Showalter's dramatic adaptation of the documentary about the disgraced televangelist, played by Jessica Chastain; and The Card Counter, writer-director Paul Schrader's latest portrait of alienation and redemption starring Oscar Isaac, and now showing at the Charles and area theaters. Ann Hornaday joins us on our digital line; Jed Dietz is on Zoom. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We begin today with another edition of Midday at the Movies, our monthly look at films and the filmmaking industry. Tom is joined once again (on Zoom) by our movie regulars: Ann Hornaday, a film critic for the Washington Postand author of the bestselling movie-goers' guide, Talking Pictures: How To Watch Movies,and Jed Dietz thefounding director of the Maryland Film Festival, and the restored Parkway Theater. We'll talk about the ongoing argument over streaming vs theatrical film releases, and the lawsuit filed against the Walt Disney Company by actor Scarlett Johansson for the studio's decision not to limit the release of her latest action film, Black Widow, to theaters. We also discuss the ethical and artistic concerns raised by the undisclosed use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology to generate some of Anthony Bourdain's voice in Roadrunner, Morgan Neville's new documentary about the late chef and host of CNN's "Parts Unknown" series. And some summer movie nods to David Lowery's fantastical The Green Knight, with Dev Patel as a medieval knight confronting a supernatural challenge, and Tom McCarthy's Stillwater,a complex and somewhat muddled drama about truth and justice, starring Matt Damon and Abigail Breslin. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's another edition of Midday at the Movies, our monthly look at films and filmmaking. With COVID restrictions being lifted as the summer movie season gets underway, we take stock of the re-opening cinema scene and spotlight some of the new summer films that may entice reluctant movie lovers back to theaters for that "silver screen" experience. Zooming in from hither and yon today are our good friend Ann Hornaday – she's a film critic for the Washington Post and the author of the bestselling movie-goers' guide,Talking Pictures: How To Watch Movies. She joins us from Des Moines, Iowa… ...and Jed Dietz, the founding director of the Maryland Film Festival/Parkway, who joins us on Zoom from the salty shores of Martha's Vineyard…And listeners, from wherever YOU may be listening today….we'd love to hear from you as well... New flicks getting the spotlight today include: Zola (Theaters only); No Sudden Move(HBO Max); F9: The Fast Saga(Theaters Only); Summer of Soul(Theaters and Hulu) ; I Carry You With Me (Te Llevo Conmigo)(Charles Theater on July 16); Roadrunner(In Theaters July 16, HBO Max); andRebel Hearts, (Discovery+) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's Midday at the Movies, our monthly look at films, filmmaking and the movie experience. Today Tom is joined once again by Jed Dietz, the founding director of the Maryland Film Festival. Midday's other regular movie maven, Washington Post film critic Ann Hornaday, is away this week. Jed and Tom discuss some of the highlights of the recent Maryland Film Festival, which ran May 19-27, including filmmaker icon John Waters' memorable hosting of the Druid Hill Park "drive-in movie" event, and screenings of a trove of locally produced films. They also talk about the continuing nationwide wave of movie-house re-openings, as state pandemic restrictions are eased or lifted and theater owners coax patrons back with subscription packages, luxury seating and advance online food and concession ordering. Jed spotlights some of the new films taking advantage of those returning big- screen audiences, including Disney's new over-the-top prequel, Cruella, starring Emma Stone and Emma Thompson, and the sci-fi thriller, A Quiet Place 2, a powerful sequel to the 2018 hit, with Jim Krasinski and Emily Blunt back to very quietly get their family through an alien invasion. And Final Account, director Luke Holland's chilling documentary about the indoctrination of a generation of Germans by Hitler's Third Reich, is captivating audiences at the reopened Charles Theater.Jed Dietz joins us on Zoom. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s the Maryland Film Festival edition of Midday at the Movies. The annual film festival runs from May 19-27. Once again, it will be an all-virtual affair, although people holding an all-access pass will be invited to a few in-person screenings. The Parkway Theater does remain closed at the moment. Some local theaters are beginning to re-emerge from the pandemic hiatus. The Regal Theaters in Hunt Valley and Columbia announced that they are re-opening today. The Charles Theater is open for a limited number of screenings. The Senator Theater on York Road will re-open later this month. The Landmark Theater in downtown Baltimore is undergoing a renovation before re-opening as Harbor East Cinemas, with reduced capacity and plans for live performances as well as movie presentations.And we’re joined once again on Zoom today by our good friendAnn Hornaday – she’s a film critic for the Washington Post and the author of the bestselling movie-goers’ guide, “Talking Pictures: How To Watch Movies…” Also with us on Zoom is our friend Jed Dietz, the founding director of the Maryland Film Festival... _____________________________________________ A brief note about a concert of note for Mother’s Day. The famed Morgan State University Choir will present a virtual show Sunday afternoon at 4:00. Through the magic of Zoom and skilled editing, Dr. Eric Conway has been able to put together a wonderful show featuring singers who have been working under the weirdest and worst conditions any musician can imagine. I’ve heard some of their tracks, and somehow, they manage to sound great. For more info on this free event, click here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's another edition of Midday at the Movies, our monthly look at films and filmmaking. With the pandemic-delayed Academy Awardstelecast finally happening later this month — Sunday, April 25, on the ABC television network — we'll get our annual Oscar predictions from our Midday movie mavens: Ann Hornaday is a film critic for the Washington Post and the author of the bestselling movie-goers’ guide, Talking Pictures: How To Watch Movies. She joins us on Zoom. Also joining us on Zoom is Jed Dietz, a founder of the Maryland Film Festivaland a leader in the recent restoration of Baltimore's historic Parkway theater. You can see a complete list of the 93rd Annual Academy Award nominations at the Academy's Oscars website. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s another edition of Midday at the Movies, our monthly conversation about films and filmmaking.  And Tom is joined once again on Zoom by our good friend Ann Hornaday – she’s a film critic for The Washington Post and the author of the wonderful movie-goers’ guide, Talking Pictures: How To Watch Movies. Also with us on Zoom is our friend Jed Dietz, the founding director of the Maryland Film Festival, and a leader in the restoration of its historic Parkway theater. And listeners, we’d love to hear from you today as well. Tell us about the films YOU’VE been watching recently, either streamed or on the big screen.  Have any movies been especially helpful in getting you through these difficult times?  Here are links to more information on the films mentioned on today's program: Soul (Disney+/Pixar); One Night in Miami (Amazon); Let Them All Talk (HBO Max); Promising Young Woman (Focus Features Films); Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (Netflix); and MLK/FBI (IFC Films).  Available on many streaming platforms and in some cases, at COVID-limited theater screenings. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's another edition of Midday at the Movies, our monthly look at films and filmmaking. As the world nervously awaits the results of vote-counting in multiple states that will determine who will be the next President of the United States, we spotlight some of the new films that have sought to capture the intense angst -- and hopefulness -- many Americans are feeling during this time of deep political, cultural and racial divisions. Tom is joined once again by Washington Post film critic Ann Hornaday, author of the popular filmgoers' guide, Talking Pictures: How to Watch Movies; and Jed Dietz, founder and former director of the Maryland Film Festival and SNF Parkway Theater on North Avenue in Baltimore. Ann Hornaday and Jed Dietz join us on Zoom.

It's another edition of Midday at the Movies, our monthly look at films and filmmaking. Tom is joined today on Zoom by our movie maven regulars: Ann Hornaday, film critic for the Washington Post and author of Talking Pictures: How to Watch Movies; and Jed Dietz, founding director of the Maryland Film Festival and a leading player in the restoration of the historic Parkway theater on North Avenue. Among the new films spotlighted today are Tenet and The Personal History of David Copperfield (both showing on the big screen this week at The Senator); and these virtual (theatrical streaming) films: Palm Springs; Bill and Ted Face the Music; I'm Thinking of Ending Things; Kajillionaire; and the documentaries, The Fight, A Thousand Cuts, Desert One, and Coup 53. A little later in the hour, Tom talks with Kathleen Lyon, the co-owner of Baltimore's venerable Senator and Charles Theaters, about the Senator's reopening last weekend, after being shuttered by the pandemic for the past six months. Lyon says plans are in the works for the re-opening of the Charles, which continues to host a virtual schedule of films.

On today's edition of Midday at the Movies, two of our favorite movie mavens, Washington Post film critic Ann Hornaday and the Maryland Film Festival's founding director, Jed Dietz, join Tom for another of our monthly conversations about films and filmmaking. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to keep the nation's movie theaters shuttered, struggling film production studios and streaming services such as HBO, Hulu, Netflix and Amazon are keeping their audiences entertained with a steady stream of multi-part series, documentaries and new feature films. Among Ann's and Jed's favorite new documentaries are The Fight, A Thousand Cuts, Red Penguins, and John Lewis: Good Trouble, the timely new film about the late civil rights champion. For multi-generational comedy fans, there's I Used to Go There and the quirky sci-fi rom-com, Palm Springs. We also spotlight the COVID-related financial problems afflicting the Walt Disney Company, and the news last week that director Christopher Nolan's much anticipated new IMAX sci-fi opus, Tenet, will debut internationally starting on August 26, before opening in select U.S. cities over the Labor Day weekend on September 3rd. Nolan on Thursday tweeted a video message to Chinese audiences announcing that Tenet will open in China on September 4. And we take your calls, Tweets and emails...

It's the July edition of Midday at the Movies, and Tom is joined again by two of our favorite movie mavens -- Washington Post film critic Ann Hornaday and the Maryland Film Festival's founding director, Jed Dietz. As demonstrations for police reform and racial justice continue across the country, Ann and Jed discuss the ripple effects the national dialogue on race is having on film culture, from HBO's decision to add "context" to Gone with the Wind -- the classic (and racist) 1939 film about the Civil War-era South -- to director Spike Lee's latest joint, Da 5 Bloods, a film now streaming on NETFLIX that recaps the arc of the 1960s civil rights awakening as it follows four Black Vietnam War vets who return to Nam to recover the remains of a lost soldier. As COVID-19 continues to threaten the nation and keep most movie theaters dark, Ann and Jed note the success of recent virtual film festivals and the return of drive-in movies. They also spotlight some other summer streamers, including Shirley, a tour-de-force performance by Elizabeth Moss, in a dark, quirky portrayal of horror-genre writer Shirley Jackson, now streaming on Hulu and Amazon Prime; and the Friday, July 3 streaming debut of Hamilton, a film of the multi-award-winning 2016 Broadway stage production, featuring the show's creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, in the title role. Hamilton will stream exclusively to paid subscribers on the Disney Plus channel.

It's another edition of Midday at the Movies, our monthly look at films and filmmaking. Today, we preview some of the hundreds of new documentary, feature and short films being showcased at the upcoming 2020 Virtual Maryland Film Festival, which will run completely online from June 12-21. Tom is joined again by two of our favorite film aficionados -- Washington Post film critic Ann Hornaday and Maryland Film Festival founder Jed Dietz, to spotlight some of the standouts in the festival's huge lineup. For more information on the 2020 Virtual Maryland Film Festival, and to register for a free Friday night preview, click here. Ann and Jed also recommend some of best of the new studio films that are, or soon will be, available on streaming platforms, and comment on the uncertain prospects for the public's return to movie theaters this summer, a topic Ann explored in this recent piece.

Midday’s movie mavens, Ann Hornaday, Washington Post film critic and author of Talking Pictures: How to Watch Movies, and Jed Dietz, founding director of the Maryland Film Festival, join Tom with their streaming suggestions.

On today's edition of Midday at the Movies, two of our favorite film aficionados -- Washington Post film critic Ann Hornaday and Maryland Film Festival founder Jed Dietz -- join Tom for a discussion of the widening impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the entertainment industry. Late Wednesday, we learned that actor Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson, have tested positive for the virus. Amid a steady stream of public health advisories warning people -- especially folks over 60 -- to avoid large, dense crowds and confined spaces to reduce their risk of infection -- a new survey shows many Americans have serious concerns about whether it's safe to attend public art performances or go to movie theaters. Growing numbers of public art & film events across the country -- including all Broadway plays in New York City and the huge South By Southwest Festival (SXSW) in Austin -- have been canceled or postponed in the face of the spreading virus. But life goes on...and today the movie mavens also discuss a couple of interesting new films, including: The Burnt Orange Heresy, which stars the veteran Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger, a rock icon who was kind enough to speak with Ann about his role for her Post feature; and the latest rendition of Jane Austen's classic novel Emma.

It's the February edition of Midday at the Movies, our monthly feature about films and filmmaking! Joining Tom to consider which great films and actors have the best chance of winning an Oscar this Sunday, (and which contenders should win) are two of our favorite film fans: Washington Post film critic Ann Hornaday, who is also the author of Talking Pictures: How to Watch Movies; and Maryland Film Festival founder Jed Dietz. This edition of Midday at the Movies is Web-only, since Midday was preempted today by NPR’s live coverage of President Trump’s speech from the White House.

It's the December edition of Midday at the Movies, our monthly feature about films and filmmaking, and joining Tom to consider the cascade of pre-Oscars holiday movies are two of our favorite film fans: here in the studio, Washington Post film critic Ann Hornaday, who is also the author of Talking Pictures: How to Watch Movies; and on the line from Manhattan, Maryland Film Festival founder Jed Dietz. Today, Tom and the movie mavens talk about some interesting new angles on male identity being explored in new films such as Martin Scorsese's The Irishman; James Mangold's Ford v. Ferrari; Marielle Heller's A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood; ​and Melina Matsoukas' Queen and Slim. And Tom asks listeners to share their favorite holiday movie; he votes, as always, for Love, Actually, the 2003 romantic comedy starring Hugh Grant and Martine McCutcheon (and many more...)

It’s another edition of Midday at the Movies, our monthly look at what's new in films, and filmmaking.Our movie mavens, Ann Hornaday, film critic for The Washington Post, and Jed Dietz, the founding director of the Maryland Film Festival, joined Tom in Studio A with tips on what to see this weekend in local theaters.

It’s the October edition of Midday at the Movies, our monthly look at films and filmmaking. Tom begins the show by noting that the Maryland Film Festival has named interim executive director Sandra L. Gibson as its new permanent director.Then, MdFF founder and retired director Jed Dietz joins Tom to discuss the crop of new fall films showing this weekend on local screens, including Joker, Judy, Ad Astra, Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice, and Monos, among others. After the break, Tom and Jed are joined by Phil Davis, a Baltimore filmmaker, TowsonU. professor of film and animation, and the founding director of the Sweaty Eyeballs Animation Festival, a newly expanded 3-day event running Oct. 4-6 at the Parkway. And we speak by phone with Portland-based animator Joanna Priestley, the Festival's visiting guest artist and director-producer of 30 award-winning animated films. She shares her perspectives on the weekend event and trends in the artform.

It’s another edition of Midday at the Movies, our monthly look at what's new in films, and filmmaking. Ann Hornaday, film critic for the Washington Post, joins us on the line from the Toronto International Film Festival as the industry's race to the Oscars and other awards begins its post-summer surge. Toronto is one of the biggest festivals in the world, and its audiences have an uncanny ability to pick award winners. One film getting a lot of buzz at #TIFF19 is the Festival's official selection, a revisionist history and ----anti-hate satire---- called Jojo Rabbit, directed by New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi.Jed Dietz, the founder of the Maryland Film Festival, joins us as well, with tips on what to see this weekend in local theaters.Among the films we discuss today are After the Wedding and Luce (at The Charles Theatre); The Nightingale and Honeyland (at the Parkway Theatre); and Blinded by the Light and Where'd You Go, Bernadette (at The Senator Theatre).(Because of Ann Hornaday's Toronto screening schedule, this conversation was pre-recorded.)

Quentin Tarantino’s ninth and latest film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, is being lauded by some reviewers as fearless filmmaking, and dismissed by others as artistic self-indulgence. What did you think?On the August edition of Midday at the Movies, Ann Hornaday, Washington Post film critic and author of Talking Pictures: How to Watch Movies, and Maryland Film Festival founder Jed Dietz join Tom to answer the question Ann Hornaday poses in a recent column: on this 40th anniversary of Francis Ford Coppola's groundbreaking Vietnam War epic, Apocalypse Now, should we be grateful for auteur directors' messy masterpieces? They also talk about some hot recent releases, including Walt Disney's CGI remake of Lion King, Lulu Wang's The Farewell and Danny Boyle's Yesterday. They start off, however, comparing notes about the role that production, style, and format played in this week's CNN-televised Democratic presidential debates.

It's the July edition of Midday at the Movies, our monthly look at notable new films and trends in filmmaking. Today, we’re talking about the new crop of summer movies, and some of the exciting new animation technologies in films like Toy Story 4 and the Disney remake of Lion King (set for release on July 19). Our favorite movie mavens -- Maryland Film Festival founding director Jed Dietz and Ann Hornaday, the film critic for the Washington Post -- join Midday senior producer and guest host Rob Sivak to discuss some of their favorite summer flicks, and we’ll ask YOU to tell us which films are brightening up your summer…Among the films we discuss today are Toy Story 4, Lion King, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Yesterday, The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Booksmart, Midsommar, Pavarotti, and Walking on Water.AVAM's 2019 season of Flicks from the Hill kicks off tonight (July 11) with a free 9pm outdoor screening of The Sound of Music, preceded by a Sing-A-Long and Costume Parade. You can enjoy all-you-can drink and eats from local restaurants with ticket purchases. All proceeds benefit the American Visionary Art Museum. Flicks from the Hill continues through August 22. Follow the link above for more information.

Today, the world marks the 75th anniversary of D-Day -- the massive Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France that began on this day in 1944. Early this morning, eastern time, Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron of France, and President Donald Trump spoke at a ceremony marking the anniversary, which included more than 60 World War Two veterans, and a large crowd in Normandy, France, near the graves of more than 9,300 Americans killed in the epic battle. Over the course of three months, a million Allied soldiers joined the battle to turn the tide of the Second World War. Nazi Germany surrendered less than a year later.The existential threat to liberal democracies was a preoccupation not only of the political and military leaders of the day, but also of scores of filmmakers – then, and ever since. Today, we’re going to talk about the movies about and inspired by World War Two; films that were made soon after the conflict, and in the decades that followed. Joining Tom are Midday's go-to movie mavens: Jed Dietz is the founding director of the Maryland Film Festival; Ann Hornaday is the film critic for the Washington Post and the author of the book TALKING PICTURES: HOW TO WATCH MOVIES…Listeners are welcome to join the conversation. What’s your favorite World War 2 movie? How do you think movies about that war have helped succeeding generations understand the sacrifices made 75 years ago to defeat fascism in Europe?

[Host Tom Hall opens the show today with updates on the Mayor Pugh scandal and Baltimore County Del. Adrienne Jones's election Wednesday as Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates, the first woman and first African American to hold the office.]#It's Midday at the Movies: the Maryland Flm Festival Edition.The 21st Maryland Film Festival kicks off next week. More than 40 feature-length films and 80 short films will be shown during more than four days of screenings and special events at The Parkway and several MICA venues, from May 8 through Mothers' Day Sunday, May 12.The Festival's founder and former director Jed Dietz and Washington Post film critic Ann Hornaday join Tom with a preview. They 're joined on the phone by documentary filmmaker Fariah Zaman, who is co-producer with director Bassam Tariq of one of the Maryland Film Festival's featured short documentaries, Ghosts of Sugarland.Unrelated to the Festival, there will be a special screening this weekend of Green Book, the winner of this year’s Academy Award for best picture. It will be shown at the Cathedral of the Incarnation on University Parkway in Baltimore at 2:00 Saturday afternoon. After the film, Ann Hornaday will join Episcopal Bishop Eugene Sutton and Ann’s colleague at the Washington Post, DeNeen Brown for a panel discussion about the film. Click here for more information about the event.This program was livestreamed on WYPR's Facebook page, and you can watch the video here.

Today, on the April edition of Midday at the Movies, Tom puts the spotlight on director Jordan Peele's new horror-suspense flick, Us. Joining him in the studio are movie mavens Jed Dietz, the founding director of the Maryland Film Festival and Parkway Theater, and Elissa Blount Moorhead, a Baltimore filmmaker and creative partner at TGEN Film Studios. They discuss the cinematic structures and social themes of Us, a record-breaking box-office hit that's building on the success of Peele's 2017 Oscar-winning (Best Original Screenplay) debut film, Get Out. They also discuss other notable new films -- including Apollo 11, the powerful documentary of NASA's historic manned mission to the moon in 1969, and The Burial of Kojo, a breakthrough debut film now being distributed on Netflix that was written and directed by Ghanaian-born hip-hop artist Blitz ----the Ambassador---- Bazawule. They note, too, the recent passing of two pioneers in the world of independent and unconventional cinema: French filmmaker Agnes Varda, often called the Mother of the French ----New Wave---- that produced directors such as Jean Luc Godard and Francois Truffaut, died in Paris March 29 at the age of 90; and Barbara Hammer, an experimental filmmaker who began celebrating lesbian sexuality and history in her work in the 1970s. Hammer turned her personal battle against cancer into the focus of her cinematic art. She died on Saturday in Manhattan at the age of 79.Today's conversation was livestreamed on WYPR's Facebook page, and you can watch the video here.

Today, it's the March edition of Midday at the Movies, and Tom is joined in the studio by our movie-maven regulars: Ann Hornaday is film critic for the Washington Post and the author of Talking Pictures: How to Watch Movies; Jed Dietz is the founding director of the Maryland Film Festival, home to the historic Parkway Theater here in Baltimore.A week after the 91st annual Oscars ceremony left movie-goers grumbling over some of the Academy's top picks, Ann and Jed consider why folks were getting all red-in-the-face over Green Book's Best Picture Oscar, and why Alfonso Cuaron's highly praised Roma came close to the top honor -- but missed the cigar. They discuss the extraordinary post-Oscar bump that Green Book has enjoyed this past week, and the post-Oscar release of A Star is Born: Encore.---- That's a new version of the popular film making a week long swing through theaters that features an extra 12 minutes of mostly performance footage, and a new song, ----Clover,---- sung by Jackson and Ally in a scene that was missing from the original release. And among the new films they spotlight, Jed, Ann and Tom share their thoughts about director Peter Jackson's extraordinary new film about World War One called They Shall Not Grow Old. Jackson takes silent, black-and-white historical footage shot on the actual battlefields, adds archived reflections by WWI veterans, and produces a talking, colorized documentary that offers a compelling glimpse at the horrors of war.

Maryland Film Festival director Jed Dietz and Baltimore filmmaker Matt Porterfield join us for a preview of this year's festival and a discussion of portraying Baltimore on film. The two chat about the most exciting movies at this year's event, how to properly capture Baltimore on the big screen, and the best advice John Waters ever gave them.

Today, a special Oscars Preview edition of Midday at the Movies, with guest host and Midday senior producer Rob Sivak sitting in for Tom Hall. With the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gearing up for its 91st annual awards ceremony in Los Angeles later this month, we’re going to talk about some of the extraordinary films and artists that have been nominated for Oscars – and some that weren’t but should have been. Joining Rob to help size up the contenders are two of Midday’s favorite movie mavens: Jed Dietz is the founding director of the Maryland Film Festival, which also runs the historic SNF Parkway movie theater on North Avenue; Max Weiss is the editor-in-chief of Baltimore magazine and the periodical’s hard-working film and pop-culture critic, who also shares her thoughts on her blogpost maxthe girl.com and on Twitter and Instagram, @maxthegirl. She is also a certified critic for Rotten Tomatoes' film review service.And we hear from listeners about their picks for their year's best films and best performances.The conversation was live-streamed on WYPR's Facebook page, and you can watch that video here.

It's another edition of our monthly Midday at the Movies, with Jed Dietz, the founding director of the Maryland Film Festival and the SNF Parkway, the historic and newly renovated movie house on North Avenue. After a slump in 2017, North American movie-house ticket sales last year bounced back. Box office receipts jumped 6% to a record $11.9 billion, besting the record set in 2016. Global ticket sales topped $40 billion last year, in a world where streaming services are multiplying as quickly as movies in the Fast and Furious franchise. But a third of that increased revenue came from just 10 films. What does that portend for the future of flicks? Tom and Jed discuss recent trends in movie-making, and how the big online streamers, Netflix and Amazon, are changing the movie screen landscape and filling it with a trove of new films -- some of which are also playing in traditional movie palaces. And Tom and Jed spotlight some of the new films audiences are flocking to see.

It's another edition of Midday at the Movies, our monthly look at new films and new trends in filmmaking, with our movie maven regulars: Washington Post film critic Ann Hornaday, and the Maryland Film Festival's founding -- and soon-to-retire -- director, Jed Dietz.Jed and Ann, long-time partners on these monthly Midday get-togethers, spend a few minutes considering the important and enduring changes that have come to the Baltimore film scene since Jed launched the MD Film Festival twenty years ago. One of those changes is the successful restoration of the SNF Parkway, one of the city's oldest movie houses, which now plays a vibrant role on the first-run and art-house film circuits. The annual Maryland Film Festival, Ann notes, has also energized local filmmakers, and given moviemakers from around the world an important new venue for showcasing their work.Our movie mavens spotlight a crop of new films that have found favor at the recent run of international film festivals, from Venice and Telluride to Toronto and New York, and that are beginning to light up local screens (and/or streaming services): Mandy, the new surrealist horror-revenge film by director Panos Cosmatos, starring Nicholas Cage, that's drawing huge audiences both online and in theaters; Roma, a new film from Gravity and Children of Men director Alfonso Cuaru243un that chronicles a year in the life of a middle-class family in Mexico City in the early 1970s. Roma won't be out till December 14 but it's generating a positive buzz among festival critics; and The Hate U Give, director George Tilman Jr.'s adaptation of the best-selling novel about a code-switched African-American teenager whose black boyfriend is killed by a police officer.And speaking of film festivals: The Baltimore International Black Film Festival got underway Wednesday and runs through Sunday. There are screenings at the SNF Parkway, the Charles Theatre and the MotorHouse, among other venues. For showtimes and ticket info, click here.

It's another edition of Midday at the Movies, our monthly look at trends in the film industry, and some the new movies lighting up local screens. We're joined again by our regular movie-mavens: the Maryland Film Festival's founding director, Jed Dietz, is with Tom in the studio. And Washington Post film critic Ann Hornaday joins them on the line from Toronto, Canada, where she is reporting on the 2018 Toronto Film Festival.The conversation today picks up on a theme Ann explores in a recent Washington post column, in which she identifies 23 of the best films released since 2000. She notes that the industry's so-called ----Canon---- -- the widely accepted list of the greatest films of all time -- consists largely of older, classic films like Orson Welles' Citizen Kane or Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo, reflecting pinnacles of the movie-making craft through the 20th Century, but not much beyond. A host of groundbreaking films made since 2000, Ann suggests, should be considered worthy of the same consideration. See if you agree.And among the films spotlighted this month -- including the ongoing festival of Stanley Kubrick's complete works at the Parkway -- Ann and Jed cite two recent favorites: director Jeremiah Zagar's We the Animals, an affecting story of three young brothers growing up buffeted by their loving but emotionally volatile parents; and director Jesse Peretz's touching comedy, Juliet Naked, based on the novel by Nick Hornby, in which a woman stuck in a long-term relationship with an obsessive fan of obscure American alt-rocker Tucker Crowe, winds up meeting -- and falling in love with -- the elusive rocker himself.

It's another edition of Midday at the Movies, and our favorite movie mavens -- Jed Dietz, founding director of the Maryland Film Festival and Ann Hornaday, film critic for the Washington Post -- join Tom to spotlight film industry trends and some hot new releases.One of the flicks they'll talk about today is the new documentary, Three Identical Strangers, by director Tim Wardle. It tells the story of three identical triplets who were separated at birth but who find each other coincidentally as young men, and who then discover the dark truth of why they were separated. Jed and Ann offer very different takes on the latest Joaquin Phoenix vehicle, director Gus Van Sant's Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot, based on the cartoonist John Callahan's memoir of his struggle with alcoholism and the aftermath of a near-fatal car wreck.And Tom asks Ann and Jed about the latest run of films that explore the Daddy-Daughter relationship, a theme that's been a mainstay of Hollywood movies for decades.

It’s Midday at the Movies. Joining Tom in the studio for our monthly look at new films and film industry trends are our favorite movie mavens: Jed Dietz, founding director of the Maryland Film Festival, and Ann Hornaday, film critic for the Washington Post.A recent study finds that nearly 78% of movie reviews last year were written by white men. How does the paucity of diverse perspectives affect the kinds of movies that get made, and which ones become hits? If more women wrote film criticism, would movies be different? Might it speed the currently slow progress in securing more roles for women in front of and behind the movie cameras? Ann and Jed comment on the issue of film critics' diversity, and also offer their takes on some of the new films out in local theaters this weekend, from director Boots Riley's Sorry to Bother You (at the Charles) and David and Nathan Zellner's Damsel (at the Parkway) to Pixar's long awaited CGI action sequel, Incredibles 2 (at the Senator).And as always, they take your questions and comments on the movies that matter to you.And speaking of movies, a note about tonight's special free summer movie event --a screening of Robert Zemekis' 1988 live-action/animated classic, ----Who Framed Roger Rabbit?,---- being shown at 9pm at the Hughes Family Outdoor Theater in Federal Hill Park, part of the American Visionary Art Museum's ----Flicks from the Hill---- series. For more info, click here.

On this edition of Midday at the Movies -- our monthly look at new flicks and new trends in the film industry --movie mavens Ann Hornaday, film critic for the Washington Post and Jed Dietz, founding director of the Maryland Film Festival, join Tom to consider the surprisingly weak box office performance of the latest iteration of the Star Wars franchise, director Ron Howard's Solo: A Star Wars Story, and the equally surprising popularity of RBG, the new documentary about the life of 84 year-old Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Plus, Ann and Jed list their picks for new summer films you'll want to check out at local theaters.

It's Friday! So you know I've got some great interviews for you. I talk with Diablo Cody about her latest film, Tully. The 20th Maryland Film Festival is going on right now in Baltimore! I spoke with Founding Director of the festival, Jed Dietz about what you can expect to see at the fest this year. I also speak w/ Prof. Leena Jayaswal, the head of the Photography Concentration at American University’s School of Communication. We talk about her documentary Mixed.  Submit your film to the DC Black Film Festival and use DCBFFdisc25 for a 25% discount: https://filmfreeway.com/DCBlackFilmFestival Check out the lineup for the Maryland Film Festival: https://mdfilmfest.com/ Find out more about Mixed here: https://www.mixeddocumentary.com/ Get a partner as passionate as you in your film or film event's publicity: www.picturelockpr.com Subscribe to this podcast in iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/kevin-sampsons-picture-lock/id639359584?mt=2 Be sure to visit www.picturelockshow.com for everything Picture Lock! Please give us a review on whatever platform you listen to this podcast on. Thanks so much for your continued support. Drop a line a picturelockshow@gmail.com to say hi and let us know what you think of the show. FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/picturelockshow SNAPCHAT: https://www.snapchat.com/add/picturelockshow YouTube CHANNEL: http://www.youtube.com/picturelockshow TWITTER: https://twitter.com/picturelockshow INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/picturelockshow PINTEREST: http://pinterest.com/picturelockshow

It's Midday at the Movies.The 20th annual Maryland Film Festival kicks off tonight at the SNF Parkway Theater here in Baltimore. More than 120 local and international filmmakers from around the world will gather at the newly restored theater on Charles Street to screen their latest work, and to discuss the many facets of their art in panel discussions and workshops. Between Wednesday May 2 and Sunday, May 6, audiences will be treated to a buffet of over 40 narrative films and documentaries, plus 10 series of short films. Today, a preview of the Maryland Film Festival, with its director and founder, Jed Dietz.Tom also talks with a group of film artists with past and present links to the festival, including Baltimore director Matt Porterfield, and actor Jim Belushi, the co-star of Porterfield's new film, Sollers Point, which is premiering at this year's festival. Filmmaker and Maryland Historical Society curator Joe Tropea joins us to discuss his new documentary about the history of film censorship in America, Sickies Making Films. And joining us by phone today from Los Angeles is filmmaker Erik Ljung. His powerful documentary film, The Blood Is at the Doorstep, about a police killing of an unarmed black man in Milwaukee four years ago, has won kudos since its world premiere at the 2017 South-by-Southwest Festival in Austin, and its screening last year at the Maryland Film Festival, and it returns to follow the festival the Parkway theater next week.

It’s Midday at the Movies, our monthly focus on new films and film-industry trends, with our regular movie afficionadoes, Jed Dietz, founding director of the Maryland Film Festival, and Ann Hornaday, film critic for the Washington Post. They join Tom to consider how new filmmaking and distribution technologies are changing the definition of ----a movie.---- In her piece in the Washington Post last week, Ann Hornaday notes the decision by this year's Cannes Film Festival organizers to exclude from awards competition all non-theatrically-released films -- such as those from streaming-service giants Amazon and Netflix. -- unless they’re released in French theaters for a month before they become available on-line. Is a movie still a movie, if you can watch it on your phone? And does it matter if a movie is shot digitally or on real film? Is experiencing a movie in a public theater any better than watching it on the big screen in your livingroom? The movie mavens weigh in.

Welcome to another edition of Midday at the Movies…The 90th Annual Academy Awards will be presented on Sunday night, hosted once again by talk show host (and social activist) Jimmy Kimmel. Excitement about this year's awards is running high because of a notably diverse and independent crop of films, filmmakers and performers. On today's Midday at the Movies, we preview a bit of that excitement by offering up some predictions of Oscar glory with two of our favorite movie mavens: Joining Tom in the studio is Jed Dietz, the founder and director of the Maryland Film Festival,which runs the newly restored SNF Parkway Theater in Baltimore.Also with us in the studio is Max Weiss, the editor in chief and film critic for Baltimore magazine.Before the conversation turns to the Oscars, however, Tom and his guests discuss the cinematic phenomenon that's been sweeping not only U.S. theaters the past three weekends, but the international film market as well: Black Panther. An Africa-centered sci-fi action-hero film that was produced by Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Pictures and directed by Ryan Coogler, Black Panther has been attracting massive global audiences. As of Tuesday this week, the worldwide box office had reached $748.1 million, and the movie is chasing new domestic and foreign records for weekend receipts. Tom will be taking a closer look at the social and cultural significance of the Black Panther movie next Tuesday (3/06) on Midday's Culture Connections, with regular guest Dr. Sheri Parks, professor of American Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park, and special guest Dr. Stanford Carpenter, a cultural anthropologist, artist, comic book creator and head of The Institute for Comic Studies in Chicago.

It's another edition of Midday at the Movies, our monthly get-together with Washington Post film critic Ann Hornaday and the Maryland Film Festival's founding director, Jed Dietz, who's just back from the 2018 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. They join Tom in Studio A with a report on the mood at Sundance, as the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements continue to be a force at festivals and awards ceremonies.With the March 4 Oscars ceremony a little more than a month away, our movie mavens also talk about which films live-up to their pre-Oscar hype, and whether or not the organization that awards the Oscars --the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences -- has yet become as inclusive as the industry it represents.

On this month's edition of Midday at the Movies, Tom is joined by our regular movie maven Jed Dietz, the founding director of the Maryland Film Festival, and by special guest Max Weiss, the managing editor and film critic at Baltimore Magazine, who also writes about culture at Vulture.com, the entertainment website of New York Magazine.Awards season is underway, and our guests weigh in on some of the films in contention for the year's first major awards presentation: the 75th annual Golden Globes, which happen this Sunday (January 7th at 8PM ET on NBC). They'll talk about a few interesting omissions from the roster of nominees…and a couple of new biopics: one about Britain's World War II-era prime minister Winston Churchill, called Darkest Hour, and a second, which opens tomorrow night, about another legendary figure, of a different sort: 1994 Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding, whose gritty backstory is the focus of I, Tonya.And we field your calls, emails and tweets about the movies on your mind...

From Hollywood to New York, a constant barrage of sexual harassment allegations against icons and wannabes alike in the news and entertainment industry continues unabated. Two fixtures on New York public radio are among the latest to be accused of misconduct. On Wednesday, Leonard Lopate and Jonathan Schwartz, were placed on leave by New York Public Radio while the company investigates the claims made against them. Mr. Lopate said that he wasn’t apprised of what the claims were or who made them. He told the New York Times, quote, “I am sure any honest investigation will completely clear me.”The actor Danny Masterson was written out of the Netflix series, The Ranch following allegations of rape, and Dustin Hoffman was confronted by John Oliver at a screening Monday night at the 92nd Street Y in New York about reports of his misconduct.How is all of this impacting the business and culture of Hollywood? And will it change the power dynamic of fans, critics and movie idols? Joining us to talk about all of this -- and about some of the great new Oscar-contending films being released in the final weeks of 2017 -- are Washington Post film critic Ann Hornaday, and Maryland Film Festival founder and director, Jed Dietz. As always, listeners are welcome to join the conversation as well.

5:17: On May 1, 2015, after the long week of unrest and curfew, Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby stepped into War Memorial Plaza and announced charges against six Baltimore police officers in connection with the in-custody death of Freddie Gray. Since then, one of the officers, William Porter, stood trial; that trial ended in December with a hung jury. We get an update on the next step in the prosecution of the officers from the Sun’s criminal justice reporter, Justin Fenton.13:12: A year after the demonstrations and unrest, do people still want to move to Baltimore? How are city housing sales doing? The answer might surprise you. Dan speaks with Steve Gondol and Annie Milli about LiveBaltimore’s efforts to provide incentives — up to $5,000 each — to prospective home buyers, and what the past year in home sales looked like.27:22 Last year at this time, there was some question about whether the 17th annual Maryland Film Festival would happen. We’ll hear from Jed Dietz, founder and director of the festival, about last year's and the one that starts next week.40:24: Chris Reed has reviews of new films, including an action comedy starring Key and Peele.48:41: Paula Gallagher recommends a cool book about insects that sting.51:55: Sean Gallagher, a Baltimore-based editor for Ars Technica our favorite techsplainer, talks about the use of paper ballots and scanners, instead of touch screens, on Election Day.1:03:55 And a look ahead to next Saturday’s Kentucky Derby and a look back to last year’s Triple Crown victory of American Pharoah with Joe Drape, who covers horse racing for The New York Times and just wrote a book, "American Pharoah: The Untold Story of the Triple Crown Winner’s Legendary Rise."

And now a Monday edition of Midday at the Movies, our monthly look at what’s new and notable in Hollywood and throughout the film industry. Tom's joined in Studio A by our movie maven regulars: Ann Hornaday is the film critic for the Washington Post, and Jed Dietz is the founding director of the Maryland Film Festival. Today, they consider the sexual assault and rape allegations that have been leveled against legendary Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein by dozens of women over the past several months: Has public awareness of Mr. Weinstein's behavior altered the power dynamic for other major Hollywood producers and directors, and has it changed the work climate for the actors who depend on their favor? Then, Ann and Jed spotlight some of the interesting new films on the circuit this fall, including the recent collaboration by Selma director Bradford Young and Grammy Award-winning rap artist Common: two short films: Letter to the Free and Black America Again -- which have been finding audiences around the country and which showcased this past weekend at the Washington West Film Festival.

Today, it's another edition of our monthly Midday at the Movies, and movie mavens Ann Hornaday, film critic for the Washington Post, and Jed Dietz , founding director of the Maryland Film Festival, are here to help Midday senior producer and guest host Rob Sivak size up some of the new releases hitting local theaters this weekend, including Bladerunner 2049, the long-awaited sequel to director Ridley Scott's 1982 sci-fi classic. And we’ll be talking about the trove of independent films making their way through the US and international festival circuit, including the Toronto and the more recent Milwaukee Film Festivals that Ann’s just back from and will tell us more about.

It's “Midday at the Movies,” our monthly conversation about new flicks in the theaters and trends in the film industry. Tom's guests today are Maryland Film Festival founder and director Jed Dietz, and Baltimore Magazine's managing editor and film critic Max Weiss, who also writes about culture at Vulture.com, the entertainment website of New York Magazine.The last four months of the year are typically when movie studios give us their best shot, with an eye on the year-end deadline for the awards season.So what happened this year? This summer's movie season included more flops than an Olympic track meet. Can the film industry bounce back from one of its worst summers in 25 years? Tom and his guests discuss how a new crop of films, in theaters and on streaming Internet services, could help turn things around. They'll be talking about the new HBO series from director David Simon and George Pelacanos called ----The Deuce----, and the new movies coming to local theaters, including Ingrid Goes West, Logan Lucky, Okja, and Beach Rats, among others.

This is another edition of Midday at the Movies . Today, Tom is joined by our favorite movie mavens, Jed Dietz of the Maryland Film Festival and Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post, for a look at the latest fare in movie theaters this summer. Detroit, the new Kathryn Bigelow movie about the Detroit riots in 1967 is at the Charles. Dunkirk has landed at the Landmark, and Step, the documentary about triumph at a Baltimore high school, is kickin? it at the Senator. Jed and Ann talk with Tom about these and more of your Charm City cinematic choices this weekend, and take your questions and comments.

On today's edition of Midday at the Movies, our monthly conversation with Jed Dietz, founding director of of the Maryland Film Festival, and Ann Hornaday , film critic for the Washington Post , Tom and our movie mavens will be talking about Ann's new book: Talking Pictures: How to Watch Movies . In this veteran film reviewer's guide, Hornaday suggests that the best movies let us grapple with tough questions, reflect on cherished ideals, experience the world from another point of view, and know the joy of authentic human connection. So, how do you know you've seen a great movie? By examining the various aspects of filmmaking -- writing, acting, directing, cinematography, editing and sound -- Ann explains the ways that great filmmakers have produced work that resonates with audiences across generations.

Movie Mayhem with Jed Dietz, Director of the Maryland Film Festival and Ann Hornaday, film critic for the Washington Post.

T he NFL opened its season last night, amid a controversy surrounding San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick , who has protested inequality in communities of color by refusing to stand during the playing of the national anthem. Pulitzer Prize winning journalist ER Shipp joins Tom for a conversation about protests and patriotism. Plus, our Movie Mavens, Jed Dietz and Ann Hornaday , on this summer’s epidemic of “sequel-it is” and the Obama effect: how the first family has transformed tinsel town.

They started playing soccer on Wednesday. The opening ceremony is tonight. Ready or not, here comes Rio. Sports guru Mark Hyman joins Tom for an Olympic Preview. The build-up to the Rio games couldn’t have been more unsettling: the Zika virus; concerns about rampant crime, political instability, filthy water. Are Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky ready for a repeat? Are Christina Epps and Matt Centrowitz ready for a breakout? Is Rio ready? Our movie mavens are always ready to recommend a good movie or two. Jed Dietz of the Maryland Film Festival and Ann Hornaday of the Washington Post join me for Movie Mayhem. What’s hot, what’s not, and what’s new in the world of cinema.

5/1/11 SUNDAY GUEST ONE 8-8:20 PM Eastern Jed Dietz Director of the Maryland Film Festival with Overview and Updates on what’s new this year followed by interviews with several independent filmmakers whose films will be screened at this year’s Maryland Film Festival, May 5-8, 2011 www.MdFilmFest.com GUEST TWO 8:20-9 PM Eastern Richard Chisolm and David Grossbach Director and co-producer/editor, respectively, of “Cafeteria Man” screening at the Maryland Film Festival, May 8, 2011, 5 PM, MICA Brown Center www.CafeteriaMan.com

5/2/10 SUNDAY HOUR ONE (8-9 PM Eastern) 8-8:30 PM Jed Dietz Director of the Maryland Film Festival with Overview and Updates on what’s new this year followed by interviews with several independent filmmakers whose films will be screened at this year’s Maryland Film Festival, May 6-9, 2010 www.mdfilmfest.com 8:30-9 PM Clay Liford Director of the film “Earthling” one of the entries for the Maryland Film Festival 2010 www.everythingcomesfromthewater.com

Two Hour Special on the Maryland Film Festival (May 7-10, 2009) http://www.mdfilmfest.com. Jed Dietz, Festival Director with Overview and Updates on what's new this year. Wendy Keys and Milton Glaser - "Milton Glaser: To Inform and Delight" www.arthousefilmsonline.com. - Visit us at 21stcenturyradio.com

Guests: Jed Dietz, Maryland Film Festival Director and Jim Delaney, Director, Not Your Typical Bigfoot Movie - Visit us at 21stcenturyradio.com