Howie Movshovitz
Film CriticHowie Movshovitz came to Colorado in 1966 as a VISTA Volunteer and never wanted to leave. After three years in VISTA, he went to graduate school at CU-Boulder and got a PhD in English, focusing on the literature of the Middle Ages.
In the middle of that process, though (and he still loves that literature) he got sidetracked into movies, made three shorts, started writing film criticism and wound up teaching film at the University of Colorado-Denver. He continues to teach in UCD’s College of Arts & Media.
He has been reviewing films on public radio since 1976 (first review: Robert Altman’s Buffalo Bill and the Indians). Along the way he spent nine years as the film critic of The Denver Post, and has been contributing features on film subjects to NPR since 1987.
-
The Hidden Life of Trees is chock full of mind-blowing information about trees, but as good documentaries should do, this one takes you well beyond its surface. -
After its 2020 break due to the pandemic, the Chautauqua Silent Film Series is back in its drafty and wonderful home in the Chautauqua Auditorium in Boulder. For KUNC film critic Howie Movshovitz, the series has breadth and depth, and a lineup of films that's satisfying to see.
-
In the new film from Macedonia, God Exists, Her Name Is Petrunya, a woman creates an uproar when she takes the prize in a men-only ritual. And for KUNC film critic Howie Movshovitz, who teaches film at CU Denver, the movie has a typical Macedonian blend of chaos, humor, and serious intent.
-
Take Me Somewhere Nice is a 2019 film from The Netherlands and Bosnia that is just coming to this country, probably because the pandemic has also slowed film distribution. For KUNC film critic Howie Movshovitz, who teaches film and television at CU Denver, the movie has a good handle on absurdity.
-
A new movie from Iran called There Is No Evil won the top prize at the 2020 Berlin Film Festival. Iran did not allow its director to attend, and in fact, his films have never been shown in Iran. KUNC film critic Howie Movshovitz says this is one of the most courageous films he’s ever seen.
-
A new film from Iceland, The County, pits a solitary farm woman against a tyrannical agricultural cooperative. There are vague echoes of a David and Goliath struggle, but KUNC film critic Howie Movshovitz says the film is richer and more nuanced than that cliche, and that this microcosm has remarkable power.
-
Each year, cable network Turner Classic Movies puts on a film festival in a movie palace in Los Angeles. This year, the TCM Classic Film Festival, which runs from May 6 through May 9, is online. For KUNC film critic Howie Movshovitz, who teaches film and television at CU Denver, it’s a chance to see some exceptional films.
-
East of the Mountains is based on the best-selling novel by David Guterson. It's about a retired surgeon who learns he has terminal cancer then returns to his boyhood home in Washington state. For KUNC film critic Howie Movshovitz, who teaches film and television at CU Denver, the movie takes unexpected turns, but still employs clichés about elderly people.
-
The new movie, The Father, has been honored all over the world, including six Oscar nominations. It tells the story of a man in the throes of dementia. For KUNC film critic Howie Movshovitz, who teaches film and television at CU-Denver, The Father leaves viewers off balance – and deliberately.
-
Best known in the U.S. for his jazz film Round Midnight, Tavernier directed some 40 features and documentaries. He was also a noted film historian who wrote a book about American cinema.
