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Benjamin Mercer

Benjamin Mercer

Benjamin Mercer has written on film for The Village Voice, The New York Sun, The L Magazine, and Reverse Shot. He is a copy editor at Bookforum. More

He has also copyedited for two New York dailies: The New York Sun and amNewYork.
Beyond Best Picture: The Off-the-Radar Oscar Nominees to Catch Up On

Beyond Best Picture: The Off-the-Radar Oscar Nominees to Catch Up On

Where to watch the more-fascinating, less-talked-about Academy Awards contenders… More »

A Cinematic Cheat Sheet for 'The Artist'

A Cinematic Cheat Sheet for 'The Artist'

Decoding the references to film history in a movie in love with film history… More »

Why Eternal Bachelor George Clooney Makes for a Great Family Man

Why Eternal Bachelor George Clooney Makes for a Great Family Man

Films like the soon-to-be-released 'The Descendants' put his movie-star charm to the ultimate, frustrating test: domestic life… More »

Before 'J. Edgar,' Catch Up With Films That Show How the FBI Really Works

Before 'J. Edgar,' Catch Up With Films That Show How the FBI Really Works

From Mulder and Scully to the man who caught John Dillinger, 5 flicks get the bureau right… More »

'Martha Marcy May Marlene' the Latest Indie Fave to Borrow From B-Movies

'Martha Marcy May Marlene' the Latest Indie Fave to Borrow From B-Movies

Elizabeth Olsen's turn as a recovering cult member plays like a psychological horror film—the latest genre, from sci-fi to action, that arthouse flicks have raided… More »

Before 'Contagion,' Catch Up With the Spotty History of Disease Cinema

Before 'Contagion,' Catch Up With the Spotty History of Disease Cinema

Invisible, infectious killers have proved to be problematic villains for filmmakers… More »

Fall Movies Preview: 12 Oscar Contenders to Watch For

Fall Movies Preview: 12 Oscar Contenders to Watch For

Film-festival season is here, which means prestige flicks aren't far behind… More »

Is Indie Smash 'Bellflower' Sexist? Sure, but Also Derivative

Is Indie Smash 'Bellflower' Sexist? Sure, but Also Derivative

It's not a critique of men being savage but rather a pastiche of other films about men being savage… More »

Hollywood's Summer of Retro Sci-Fi

Hollywood's Summer of Retro Sci-Fi

The new blockbuster formula: recreate the past, add aliens or superpowers… More »

Ahead of 'Tabloid,' a Netflix Primer on Errol Morris's Bizarre, Brilliant Career

Ahead of 'Tabloid,' a Netflix Primer on Errol Morris's Bizarre, Brilliant Career

Curl up with these documentary masterpieces before seeing the director's newest… More »

From  'Network' to 'Horrible Bosses,' the Idiots in the Corner Office Endure

From 'Network' to 'Horrible Bosses,' the Idiots in the Corner Office Endure

Meathead-management movies tap into workplace anxieties of the moment as well as eternal cubicle-drone angst… More »

5 Recent Films to Catch Up With Over the Holiday Weekend

5 Recent Films to Catch Up With Over the Holiday Weekend

Halfway through the year, these 2011 flicks are worth renting… More »

Beyond 'Page One': 5 Underrated Newspaper Movies

Beyond 'Page One': 5 Underrated Newspaper Movies

The best depictions of inked-stained wretches outside of 'Citizen Kane' and 'His Girl Friday'… More »

The New Oscar Rules Are a Mistake

The New Oscar Rules Are a Mistake

By messing with the number of Best Picture nominees yet again, the Academy makes the awards race less inclusive--and less interesting… More »

'The Company Men' and the Rise of the Unemployment Flick

'The Company Men' and the Rise of the Unemployment Flick

The Ben Affleck drama takes on the recession more directly--but less effectively--than others in the recent crop of layoff-minded movies… More »

On 'Drive Angry,' the Schlocky Role Nicolas Cage Was Born to Play

On 'Drive Angry,' the Schlocky Role Nicolas Cage Was Born to Play

Drive Angry, now out on DVD, is not a great movie. But it is a great Nicolas Cage movie.… More »

Dubious Life Lessons From 'The Dilemma' and 'No Strings Attached'

Dubious Life Lessons From 'The Dilemma' and 'No Strings Attached'

These two studio comedies try to answer big questions, with mixed results… More »

How to Prepare for Terrence Malick's 'The Tree of Life'

How to Prepare for Terrence Malick's 'The Tree of Life'

Anticipation for the "New World" director's latest film has been building for months. A guide to getting ready for its release… More »

Beyond 'Grizzly Man': Other Werner Herzog Films Worth Watching

Beyond 'Grizzly Man': Other Werner Herzog Films Worth Watching

As his latest documentary, "Cave of Forgotten Dreams," goes into wider release this weekend, a look at the director's lesser-known films… More »

'Love During Wartime': The Israel-Palestine Conflict, Within a Marriage

'Love During Wartime': The Israel-Palestine Conflict, Within a Marriage

A conversation with Gabriella Bier, whose new documentary explores the relationship between an Israeli woman and her Palestinian husband… More »

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President Obama reflects on what Lincoln means to him and to America, in an introduction to our special issue. Read more ›
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The Civil War, Part 3: The Stereographs

Feb 10, 2012

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