STEPHEN ESMEDINAStephen EsmedinaA number of years ago, I was persuaded by a guileful siren with designs on the music biz to share my lowly downtown apartment for “a couple of days” with the great but …
March 5, 2026
Duncan Shepherd was the Reader's sole movie critic for nearly 40 years. When he came to the Reader, Shepherd was a graduate student and teaching assistant in the Visual Arts department of UCSD, under critic and artist Manny Farber. Shepherd retired from the Reader in 2010.
Read about Shepherd on Wikipedia.
Some of Shepherd's notable work:
Thick Skin, Dec. 4, 1975 (Shepherd's view on pornography)
Naysaying, June 10, 1976 (response to Shepherd critics)
Gorin by Himself, Oct. 18, 1979 (collaborator of Jean-Luc Godard, friend of Shepherd's)
Cease Fire, April 30, 1981 (another frontal stand against Shepherd's critics)
Upside, Downside, July 7, 1994 (the new phenomenon of films on video)
More Than Money, March 7, 1996 (review of Fargo)
One Cent's Worth, Sept. 27, 2001 (reflections on 9/11)
Bloop, Nov. 1, 2001 (review of The Man Who Wasn't There — first Coen Bros. film to disappoint him)
Articles by Duncan Shepherd
San Diego Reader writers tell their dream stories never written
Movie critic Duncan Shepherd's last 5-star review
At bottom, the Coen brothers' most "personal" work. To be sure, they've never been reduced to hired hands. They've always had the good fortune to be able to make the films they wanted to make, …
May 2, 2025
Movie critic Duncan Shepherd's first 5-star review
Egghead western, written by the Scottish novelist Alan Sharp, largely devoted to the esoteric military tactics involved in rounding up a small Apache raiding party. You realize how unfamiliar you are with the fine points …
April 30, 2025
1976 guide to surfspots, poetry, dance bars, Navy slang, where to park
1976 San Diego guide to surfing spots Tamarack, Swami's, Black's, Windansea, Ocean Beach, Needle's Eye, Ralph's, Tijuana Sloughs 1976 San Diego guide to sailing Mission Bay, Navy Sailing Club, Southwestern, Silvergate, Seaforth, Coronado and San …
September 19, 2022
1973 Reader guide to jogging, bookstores, cheesecake
1973 San Diego guide to cheap eats How to eat on a dollar a day 1973 San Diego guide to rock music Best clubs 1973 San Diego guide to movies Grim harvest 1973 San Diego …
September 12, 2022
San Diego – city of shame, University Avenue, roommates from hell, writers write about moms
Roommates from Hell I walked outside to the storage door. I pushed on the door and opened it. I saw the rope around John’s neck and John’s face looking at me. I screamed and ran …
December 5, 2021
San Diego vs. L.A. – guess who wins?
Two Views of San DiegoI used to consider San Diego roads relatively sane, compared to L.A. Now the freeway is full of lunatics. Everyone’s trying to go faster than the next guy. People used to …
July 24, 2021
Movie critic Duncan Shepherd answers critics, Vincente Minnelli, Robert Rossellini visit UCSD
Shoot If You Must This Old Grey Head The complainer expects to be in agreement: he is certain that there is some chicanery afoot if his innate common sense clashes with some idea he encounters: …
November 30, 2020
Movie stories by Duncan Shepherd from the 1970s
Shoot If You Must This Old Grey Head The complainer expects to be in agreement: he is certain that there is some chicanery afoot if his innate common sense clashes with some idea he encounters: …
August 30, 2020