Stephen Whitty
@stephenwhitty.bsky.social
Film critic, programmer, lecturer, dog-rescuer. Bylines in Entertainment Weekly, Village Voice, NY Daily News, Cosmopolitan and 30 years of newspapers. Author, "The Alfred Hitchcock Encyclopedia."
And that's a wrap for the Fall season of Film Club at the Pelham Picture House, six weeks of screenings and Q and As that included a wide array of docs, indies and imports. Thanks to everyone who made it possible -- see you in a few months for more screenings and surprises.
November 13, 2025 at 8:11 PM
And that's a wrap for the Fall season of Film Club at the Pelham Picture House, six weeks of screenings and Q and As that included a wide array of docs, indies and imports. Thanks to everyone who made it possible -- see you in a few months for more screenings and surprises.
Thanks to Bleecker Street, Cinetic Media, and everyone who helped bring Max Walker-Silverman's "Rebuilding" -- and Oscar-winning producer Dan Janvey -- to The Picture House last night for a screening and terrific Q-and-A. A small, lovely film about staying put while moving on, opening Friday.
November 13, 2025 at 7:47 PM
Thanks to Bleecker Street, Cinetic Media, and everyone who helped bring Max Walker-Silverman's "Rebuilding" -- and Oscar-winning producer Dan Janvey -- to The Picture House last night for a screening and terrific Q-and-A. A small, lovely film about staying put while moving on, opening Friday.
Mad monster party.
November 11, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Mad monster party.
Thanks to everyone who helped bring ON THE END, and filmmaker Ari Selinger, to the Picture House last night for a great screening and q-and-a about this beautifully acted little indie that's part romance, part underdog drama. Time for some smart distributor or streamer to snap it up!
November 6, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Thanks to everyone who helped bring ON THE END, and filmmaker Ari Selinger, to the Picture House last night for a great screening and q-and-a about this beautifully acted little indie that's part romance, part underdog drama. Time for some smart distributor or streamer to snap it up!
Suddenly realizing I'll never be able to hear "Warm Leatherette" again without feeling a little sick.
November 1, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Suddenly realizing I'll never be able to hear "Warm Leatherette" again without feeling a little sick.
Thanks to all who helped bring "If You See Something" -- and filmmakers Oday Rasheed and Jess Jacobs -- to The Picture House last night. A story of trust, doubt, love and refuge, it opens Friday at the Quad Cinema and the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in New York, in other major cities soon.
October 30, 2025 at 12:09 PM
Thanks to all who helped bring "If You See Something" -- and filmmakers Oday Rasheed and Jess Jacobs -- to The Picture House last night. A story of trust, doubt, love and refuge, it opens Friday at the Quad Cinema and the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in New York, in other major cities soon.
Even as we're deluged with made-to-order "facts" and deep-fake images, people like Lynsey Addario literally risk their lives to capture the truth. Thanks to NatGeo for bringing "Love + War" to the The Picture House last night for Film Club. In theaters Oct 29; on multiple platforms Nov 6.
October 23, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Even as we're deluged with made-to-order "facts" and deep-fake images, people like Lynsey Addario literally risk their lives to capture the truth. Thanks to NatGeo for bringing "Love + War" to the The Picture House last night for Film Club. In theaters Oct 29; on multiple platforms Nov 6.
Thanks to everyone who helped bring "Vindication Swim" (and filmmakers Elliott and Simon Hasler) to the Pelham Picture House last night to preview their picture and share the story of a remarkable athlete (and their own filmmaking adventure). Opens Friday at the Quad.
October 16, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Thanks to everyone who helped bring "Vindication Swim" (and filmmakers Elliott and Simon Hasler) to the Pelham Picture House last night to preview their picture and share the story of a remarkable athlete (and their own filmmaking adventure). Opens Friday at the Quad.
"You know, this used to be a helluva good country. I can't understand what's gone wrong with it."
September 28, 2025 at 4:45 PM
"You know, this used to be a helluva good country. I can't understand what's gone wrong with it."
The only good thing about knee surgery is that it allowed me to splurge on a Barnabas Collins wolf’s head cane. (My wife, perhaps wisely, dissuaded me from getting a sword cane like George Macready’s in ‘Gilda.’ Maybe when they do the other leg.)
August 26, 2025 at 7:37 PM
The only good thing about knee surgery is that it allowed me to splurge on a Barnabas Collins wolf’s head cane. (My wife, perhaps wisely, dissuaded me from getting a sword cane like George Macready’s in ‘Gilda.’ Maybe when they do the other leg.)
Alfred Hitchcock August 13, 1899 - April 29, 1980
"Students should be taught to visualize. That's the one thing missing in all this. The one thing that the student has to learn is that there is a rectangle up there - a white rectangle in a theater - and it has to be filled."
"Students should be taught to visualize. That's the one thing missing in all this. The one thing that the student has to learn is that there is a rectangle up there - a white rectangle in a theater - and it has to be filled."
August 13, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Alfred Hitchcock August 13, 1899 - April 29, 1980
"Students should be taught to visualize. That's the one thing missing in all this. The one thing that the student has to learn is that there is a rectangle up there - a white rectangle in a theater - and it has to be filled."
"Students should be taught to visualize. That's the one thing missing in all this. The one thing that the student has to learn is that there is a rectangle up there - a white rectangle in a theater - and it has to be filled."
My one big beautiful bill? Holden.
June 28, 2025 at 3:11 PM
My one big beautiful bill? Holden.
“History, Stephen said, is a nightmare from which I am trying to awake.”
Happy Bloomsday!
Happy Bloomsday!
June 16, 2025 at 2:55 PM
“History, Stephen said, is a nightmare from which I am trying to awake.”
Happy Bloomsday!
Happy Bloomsday!
And fade-out on another great, eclectic Film Club season in Pelham. Thanks to the studios, publicists and filmmakers that made it possible, everyone at The Picture House and Meridian Risk Management who made it work and our incredible members for their enthusiasm and loyalty. See you in the Fall!
June 12, 2025 at 3:30 PM
And fade-out on another great, eclectic Film Club season in Pelham. Thanks to the studios, publicists and filmmakers that made it possible, everyone at The Picture House and Meridian Risk Management who made it work and our incredible members for their enthusiasm and loyalty. See you in the Fall!
Thanks to @lionsgate.com and everyone who brought "Everything's Going To Be Great" to the Pelham Picture House last night, a bittersweet look at family and theatre with the always wonderful Allison Janney and Bryan Cranston (who seems to have held onto his fake mustache from "Trumbo"). Opens June 20
June 12, 2025 at 2:10 PM
Thanks to @lionsgate.com and everyone who brought "Everything's Going To Be Great" to the Pelham Picture House last night, a bittersweet look at family and theatre with the always wonderful Allison Janney and Bryan Cranston (who seems to have held onto his fake mustache from "Trumbo"). Opens June 20
Happy Billy Batts Day, to all who celebrate.
June 11, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Happy Billy Batts Day, to all who celebrate.
I'm sure they've been "improved" since, but here's what the Brits were using 50 years ago, when my grandfather picked one up off a Belfast street
June 9, 2025 at 2:11 AM
I'm sure they've been "improved" since, but here's what the Brits were using 50 years ago, when my grandfather picked one up off a Belfast street
Lots of talk about "less-than-lethal" weapons today; often that means rubber bullets. Here's one my grandfather picked up off a Belfast street some 50 years ago. British soldiers were told to shoot at the sidewalk, so they'd bounce. Instead, they aimed at people's heads.
June 9, 2025 at 1:57 AM
Lots of talk about "less-than-lethal" weapons today; often that means rubber bullets. Here's one my grandfather picked up off a Belfast street some 50 years ago. British soldiers were told to shoot at the sidewalk, so they'd bounce. Instead, they aimed at people's heads.
Thanks to @nationalgeographic.bsky.social and everyone who helped bring "Sally" (and, via Zoom, director Cristina Costantini) to The Picture House last night. A terrific film about a pioneering woman, in space and on earth, whom no amount of censored history can erase.
June 5, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Thanks to @nationalgeographic.bsky.social and everyone who helped bring "Sally" (and, via Zoom, director Cristina Costantini) to The Picture House last night. A terrific film about a pioneering woman, in space and on earth, whom no amount of censored history can erase.
Thanks to @musicboxfilms.com and everyone who helped bring "Ghost Trails" (and its director, Jonathan Millet, via Zoom) to The Pelham Picture House last night. A slow-burn thriller about war crimes, justice, memory and revenge -- and all their messy intersections. Opens Friday.
May 29, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Thanks to @musicboxfilms.com and everyone who helped bring "Ghost Trails" (and its director, Jonathan Millet, via Zoom) to The Pelham Picture House last night. A slow-burn thriller about war crimes, justice, memory and revenge -- and all their messy intersections. Opens Friday.
Thanks to Hook Publicity @sonyclassics.bsky.social and everyone who helped bring "Jane Austen Wrecked My Life" to The Picture House (and got its director, and star, to join us for a Zoom). A charmingly wry French rom-com that that opens this month at a variety of theaters, including ours.
May 15, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Thanks to Hook Publicity @sonyclassics.bsky.social and everyone who helped bring "Jane Austen Wrecked My Life" to The Picture House (and got its director, and star, to join us for a Zoom). A charmingly wry French rom-com that that opens this month at a variety of theaters, including ours.
Happy Mother's Day!
May 11, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Happy Mother's Day!
Thanks to everyone at @42west.bsky.social who helped bring "Lilly" to the The Picture House's Film Club last night. A never-more-topical drama of workplace sexism and inequity, delivered beautifully by Patricia Clarkson. (Thanks, too, to director Rachel Feldman for zooming in for great q-and-a.)
May 8, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Thanks to everyone at @42west.bsky.social who helped bring "Lilly" to the The Picture House's Film Club last night. A never-more-topical drama of workplace sexism and inequity, delivered beautifully by Patricia Clarkson. (Thanks, too, to director Rachel Feldman for zooming in for great q-and-a.)
May the Firth Be With You.
May 4, 2025 at 3:00 PM
May the Firth Be With You.
A joyous May Day, to all who celebrate!
May 1, 2025 at 7:20 PM
A joyous May Day, to all who celebrate!