After military service as a combat officer in the IDF, he attended Tel Aviv University, where he obtained a B.A.

Manohla Dargis (now chief film critic of The New York Times) the move of the annual awards event from a modest luncheon to a more lavish evening kudo.

[citation needed] In his 1994 comprehensive biography of George Cukor, Master of Elegance: The Director and His Stars (William Morrow), he disputed the commonly held belief (or myth) that Cukor was fired from the 1939 classic Gone With the Wind, because Clark Gable did not think he was "macho" enough to direct.

In this book, he argued that Minnelli's sexual identity is a crucial variable in understanding the kinds of narratives and visual styles of his films, particularly his melodramas, such as The Bad and the Beautiful, and the more personal and intimate Tea and Sympathy.

On that occasion, Sarris chose to screen The Shop Around the Corner and Shoot the Piano Player, films that were followed by panels headed by noted critics Richard Schickel and Oscar-winning director Curtis Hanson.

Levy established a website of film reviews and essays in 2003, [Cinema 24/7], which has global appeal.

As of 2025[update], the site contained over 33,000 film reviews, profiles, interviews and Oscar commentaries, written by Levy and a staff of writers.