The Greats: Michael Douglas

Yesterday, Michael Douglas turned 70. A few years ago when he was diagnosed with cancer, reaching 70 didn't seem very possible. Happily, he's still with us. For Paste, the actor-producer is the latest subject of my series "The Greats": You can read it here.

The Greats: Terrence Malick

He's a man of mystery who lets his movies speak for him. He made two films in the 1970s, none in the '80s, one in the '90s, and three in the last 10 years. He, of course, is Terrence Malick, who's the latest subject of my Paste series "The Greats." Hope you enjoy.

(Note: Normally, I would include a photo, but Mr. Malick has so few of them out there in the world that I opted instead for the excellent opening sequence from The New World, his least-great movie.)

The Greats: Mike Leigh

With his acclaimed Cannes hit Mr. Turner on the way, writer-director Mike Leigh is the latest subject of "The Greats," my ongoing series for Paste. I realize the essay is, in part, a chance for me to remind everyone how great Another Year is. You can read the whole thing here.

The Greats: Woody Allen

When I started "The Greats" last summer for Paste, I'm sure some people wondered when I'd get around to devoting a column to Woody Allen, whose films I've loved for a very long time. I intentionally held off for as long as I could: I adore his work so much that my devotion is almost beyond words. Nonetheless, I decided to give it a stab for my latest installment. Here you go.

The Greats: Gene Hackman

When I write my column "The Greats," which is about Hollywood's living legends, I try hard not to make the essays sound like eulogies. (The whole point of the column is to celebrate these people in their lifetime, after all.) But for Gene Hackman, who's been retired for 10 years, it's a little more complicated. My tribute to the pride of Danville, Illinois is up now at Paste.

The Greats: D.A. Pennebaker

He made Don't Look Back. (Purists, of course, call it Dont Look Back.) He made (with his wife, Chris Hegedus) The War Room. In between, he made Monterey Pop. For my latest edition of "The Greats" for Paste, I sing the praises of documentary filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker. Hope you enjoy.

The Greats: Clint Eastwood

In honor of this Friday's release of Jersey Boys, I devoted my latest installment of "The Greats" to Clint Eastwood. Fun fact: I actually don't hate Hereafter and J. Edgar. You can read my piece here.

The Greats: Thelma Schoonmaker

What exactly does a film editor do? I try to answer that question by devoting the latest edition of my Paste column "The Greats" to Thelma Schoonmaker, the editor of Martin Scorsese's movies since 1980. Dig it.

The Greats: Jean-Luc Godard

Tomorrow, Jean-Luc Godard's latest, Goodbye to Language, premieres at Cannes. Today, I salute the one-of-a-kind filmmaker in my latest installment of "The Greats" for Paste. Here it is.

Gordon Willis, Cinematographer, 1931-2014

One of the all-time great cinematographers, Gordon Willis, died yesterday. The loss is immense. The Godfather films and many of Woody Allen's early classics wouldn't have looked the way they did without him. Last summer, I wrote a tribute to Willis as part of my series "The Greats" for Paste. Actually, his was the first in the series: I wanted to start on a high note. Here it is.

The Greats: John Williams

You know his scores: Star Wars, Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Raiders of the Lost Ark. For my recurring column "The Greats" for Paste, I devote some time to the man. Here's my appreciation of John Williams. (And note: I didn't even have space to go into his impact on me as the conductor of the Boston Pops on the PBS program Evening at Pops.)

The Greats: Dustin Hoffman

He's won two Oscars. He's a beloved Hollywood figure. So why does Dustin Hoffman still think he's ugly? My latest installment of "The Greats" for Paste focuses on Mr. Hoffman, and you can read it here.

The Greats: Lauren Bacall

"I don’t consider myself a great actress. I’m just trying to stay alive, actually." That's what Lauren Bacall had to say about herself. I have my say about her in my latest installment of "The Greats" for Paste.

The Greats: William Goldman

My latest installment of "The Greats" for Paste pays tribute to William Goldman. He's the screenwriter behind All the President's Men and The Princess Bride (also the novel), but maybe he'll end up being remembered most for a three-word mantra that's still a truism in Hollywood. I get into all that in my essay.

The Greats: Julie Christie

Julie Christie, the rumors are true. And now that I've made the obligatory reference to the Yo La Tengo song, I can tell you that my latest installment of "The Greats" for Paste is on the Oscar-winning actress. Hope you enjoy.

The Greats: Randy Newman

God bless Randy Newman. For my latest installment of "The Greats" for Paste, I turn my attention to the superb songwriter and film composer. How many folks can make a serious claim to being major artists in both movies and music? Not a bunch. Here's my essay.

The Greats: Martin Scorsese

Martin Scorsese received his 11th and 12th Oscar nominations for The Wolf of Wall Street. (He's up for Best Director and Best Picture, neither of which I imagine he's going to win.) For Paste, I look back at the man's considerable career. But rather than focusing on his established masterpieces, I decided to spotlight some of his films that aren't as beloved, but should be. (Yes, this gave me another chance to rave about Shutter Island.) Hope you enjoy.

The Greats: Robert De Niro

How do you solve a problem like Robert De Niro? For two decades, he was easily one of our finest actors. But since then? Much harder to be so effusive in one's praise. I tackle both halves of his career in my latest installment of "The Greats" for Paste.

The Greats: Vilmos Zsigmond

I very much enjoyed writing about cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond for my column "The Greats" over at Paste. His legacy speaks for itself -- McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Blow Out, The Deer Hunter -- but I tried my best also to suggest why cinematographers are one of the most overlooked artists on a film set. (You might say this is a topic close to my heart.) You can read my appreciation of Zsigmond here.

The Greats: Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford's career has been adrift for at least a decade, but he rebounds somewhat with his strong supporting work in Ender's Game. In my latest installment of my column The Greats for Paste, I salute a career that's a rarity: He's been (on the whole) more interesting in the big roles than in the small ones. (Although, if you haven't seen The Mosquito Coast, he's exceptional in it.) Here's my appreciation of Mr. Ford.