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Urban Film provides an online collection of the reviews and essays on the city in film.

Found here are news articles, opinion pieces, interviews, and both capsule and critical reviews of documentary and feature films on topics related to cities and urbanism; architecture and design; equity and public policy; housing and community development; environmental preservation; and the fields of urban and regional planning.

Recent Reviews

A Patriotic Tour of American Infrastructure on Film - As both parties in Washington wrangle over how much to spend to renew and reinvest in our nation’s roads, bridges, and rails (and more: even the definition of “infrastructure” is up for debate…), it seemed like a perfect time to review some great films exploring how these large-scale public projects actually ever got built. Items …
Remebering Dirty Harry (Don Siegel, 1971) - As part of the Arts Fuse 1971 Film reconsideration project, I re-watched Don Siegel’s Dirty Harry, which (unlike Eastwood himself) does not age particularly well. Even more striking to re-watch 50 years on is the crucial scene where we see Harry really go over to the dark side. His change does not come after viewing …
Raising the Roof: Celebrating Home-Building on Screen - For June, my “Plan to Watch” column in Planning features films about home-building, including Buster Keaton’s One Week, Cary Grant and Myrna Loy in Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, and Herself from Phyllida Lloyd. (Be sure to also click the link to learn about Home Made: A Story of Ready-Made House Building, a promotional …
How do you (Re)make a Movie of “Berlin Alexanderplatz”…? - This new adaptation is sure to spark criticism from Döblin and Fassbinder loyalists, as well as those who might feel the film is not politically progressive enough. Nonetheless, it strikes the right chords: balancing between textual fidelity and contemporary relevance. When Hollywood had the striking audacity to attempt to bring Nabakov’s celebrated novel to the …

Latest News

“Movies About Going to the Movies” on the Brattle Film Podcast - I had a great time chatting with Ian, Alissa, Ned, and Ivy on the Brattle Theatre Film Podcast about Paul Anton Smith’s “Have You Seen My Movie” and the topic of “Movies set in movie theaters.” So many great films to discuss! And as a special bonus, the episode includes a brand-new two-part tribute filmerick, …
Wiseman’s “City Hall” Filmerick - Here’s another filmerick for your enjoyment. (You’ll note that this one, on Fred Wiseman’s latest documentary, City Hall, is a lot shorter than the film itself.) City Hall (Fred Wiseman, 2020) As the five hour mark he was nearing Wiseman must have expected some jeering.    It’s far beyond copious,    A real magnum opius: It’s as …