The Last Picture Show
dir. Peter Bogdanovich, 1971
Opening Statement
Director and writer Peter Bogdanovich is masterful in bringing this gaggle of wayward teens to life. We’re privy to some of the most intimate moments of their lives, whether it’s an unexpected death or a fight with a pal over a girl. These moments share equal weight through Bogdanovich’s lens — by Sarah Gorr, December 11, 2017
Ghost Towns
While the opening shot’s long pan through the one-horse town reminds us of the Wild West, the series of jibes and disappointments that follow make it clear that what we’re seeing is more reminiscent of the death of the Wild West — by Sarah Gorr, December 12, 2017
First Viewing: The Cinematic American Experience
If certain touches give The Last Picture Show an identifiable layer of Oscar schmaltz, these are outweighed by both its dramatic restraint and its formal ambition. Bogdanovich melds the formal excesses of the then-current New Waves with a more conservative approach to narrative — by Patrick Brown, December 13, 2017
Related Review: Adventureland
On the surface, similarities to The Last Picture Show abound. But when it’s time to depict the archetypal moments of adolescence and early adulthood, the differences between the two are stark — by Alec Jensen, December 14, 2107