Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday.
This week’s question: In honor of “Widows,” what is the greatest ensemble cast ever assembled in a movie?
Emily Sears (@emily_dawn), Birth.Movies.Death.
On March 24, 1984, five high school students entered Saturday morning detention and taught us to never judge a book by its cover. Over the course of one day, the young ensemble cast of “The Breakfast Club” tear down the walls between their disparate characters by dismantling the stereotypes of the American teenager. Collaborating with writer-director John Hughes, Anthony Michael Hall, Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Molly Ringwald, and Judd Nelson contributed to the authenticity of characters that are still relevant and resonating more than three decades later. Hughes may have conceived his own idea of the brain, the athlete, the basket case, the princess, and the criminal on the page,...
This week’s question: In honor of “Widows,” what is the greatest ensemble cast ever assembled in a movie?
Emily Sears (@emily_dawn), Birth.Movies.Death.
On March 24, 1984, five high school students entered Saturday morning detention and taught us to never judge a book by its cover. Over the course of one day, the young ensemble cast of “The Breakfast Club” tear down the walls between their disparate characters by dismantling the stereotypes of the American teenager. Collaborating with writer-director John Hughes, Anthony Michael Hall, Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Molly Ringwald, and Judd Nelson contributed to the authenticity of characters that are still relevant and resonating more than three decades later. Hughes may have conceived his own idea of the brain, the athlete, the basket case, the princess, and the criminal on the page,...
- 11/12/2018
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday.
This week’s question: The last few days have been extremely trying. And sometimes, when the world feels like it’s folding in on itself, people turn to the movies for a pick-me-up or some other kind of self-care.
To that end, we asked our panel of critics to select their favorite comfort film. Their choices run the gamut from Busby Berkeley musicals to “The Tree of Life.”
Mae Abdulbaki (@MaeAbdu), The Young Folks, Movies with Mae
When things seem at their worst or even when I’m having a bad month (or year), “13 Going on 30” is one of my go-to comfort films for many reasons. There’s the idea that no matter how bad things may seem and no matter the mistakes made, things can get better and sometimes...
This week’s question: The last few days have been extremely trying. And sometimes, when the world feels like it’s folding in on itself, people turn to the movies for a pick-me-up or some other kind of self-care.
To that end, we asked our panel of critics to select their favorite comfort film. Their choices run the gamut from Busby Berkeley musicals to “The Tree of Life.”
Mae Abdulbaki (@MaeAbdu), The Young Folks, Movies with Mae
When things seem at their worst or even when I’m having a bad month (or year), “13 Going on 30” is one of my go-to comfort films for many reasons. There’s the idea that no matter how bad things may seem and no matter the mistakes made, things can get better and sometimes...
- 10/1/2018
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday.
This week’s question: In honor of “The Old Man & the Gun” and its leading man’s supposed retirement from acting, what is Robert Redford’s greatest screen performance?
Matthew Zoller Seitz (@MattZollerSeitz), RogerEbert.com
“All is Lost” is in some ways the perfect Redford performance, because he’s the only character, and that means he never has to share the screen with anyone for any reason. I know that sounds ungenerous, but as much as I’ve enjoyed a lot of the movies Redford has done over the years, it’s always bugged me that he often seemed more concerned with looking great and being in control and always getting the upper hand than in plumbing the depths of his psyche, and stretching his talent, as so many comparably famous ’70s leading men did.
This week’s question: In honor of “The Old Man & the Gun” and its leading man’s supposed retirement from acting, what is Robert Redford’s greatest screen performance?
Matthew Zoller Seitz (@MattZollerSeitz), RogerEbert.com
“All is Lost” is in some ways the perfect Redford performance, because he’s the only character, and that means he never has to share the screen with anyone for any reason. I know that sounds ungenerous, but as much as I’ve enjoyed a lot of the movies Redford has done over the years, it’s always bugged me that he often seemed more concerned with looking great and being in control and always getting the upper hand than in plumbing the depths of his psyche, and stretching his talent, as so many comparably famous ’70s leading men did.
- 9/24/2018
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday.
This week’s question: Who is the best American actor / actress under 30, and why?
Lindsey Romain (@lindseyromain), Freelance for /Film, Vulture and Thrillist
I’ve never felt so fully attuned to a young actor than I have to Timmy Chalamet, who – even before breakthroughs in “Lady Bird” and “Call Me By Your Name” – was impressive as hell in smaller projects like “Homeland” and “Miss Stevens.” I knew right away that he was insanely and specifically talented, could recognize that raw talent, and can’t wait to see it flourish beyond his current constraints.
Kristen Lopez (@Journeys_Film), Freelance for Culturess, The Young Folks
In this landscape of increased diversity and a desire to elevate different voices I wanted to find an actor or actress who wasn’t the go-to person for this type of question.
This week’s question: Who is the best American actor / actress under 30, and why?
Lindsey Romain (@lindseyromain), Freelance for /Film, Vulture and Thrillist
I’ve never felt so fully attuned to a young actor than I have to Timmy Chalamet, who – even before breakthroughs in “Lady Bird” and “Call Me By Your Name” – was impressive as hell in smaller projects like “Homeland” and “Miss Stevens.” I knew right away that he was insanely and specifically talented, could recognize that raw talent, and can’t wait to see it flourish beyond his current constraints.
Kristen Lopez (@Journeys_Film), Freelance for Culturess, The Young Folks
In this landscape of increased diversity and a desire to elevate different voices I wanted to find an actor or actress who wasn’t the go-to person for this type of question.
- 7/2/2018
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)
Last week featured two new skirmishes in the forever war between Netflix and the film industry’s old guard, as Cannes declared that Netflix movies would be prohibited from screening in Competition, and Steven Spielberg gave an interview in which he effectively said that Netflix features are TV movies (he was speaking in the context of Oscar consideration, but it’s easy to extrapolate a broader argument from his comments).
Read More: 7 New Netflix Shows to Binge in April, and the Best Episodes of Each
And so we ask: Generally speaking, should Netflix movies be considered in the same category as theatrical releases? What makes a movie a movie,...
Last week featured two new skirmishes in the forever war between Netflix and the film industry’s old guard, as Cannes declared that Netflix movies would be prohibited from screening in Competition, and Steven Spielberg gave an interview in which he effectively said that Netflix features are TV movies (he was speaking in the context of Oscar consideration, but it’s easy to extrapolate a broader argument from his comments).
Read More: 7 New Netflix Shows to Binge in April, and the Best Episodes of Each
And so we ask: Generally speaking, should Netflix movies be considered in the same category as theatrical releases? What makes a movie a movie,...
- 4/2/2018
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: Prior to “Black Panther,” when was the last time that a major studio movie changed the film industry forever?
Siddhant Adlakha (@SidizenKane), Freelance for Village Voice
What’s equal parts incredible and scary about “Black Panther” being the next big game changer — and it will be — is the last time a studio film changed the American film industry in a major way it was Marvel’s own “The Avengers.” The landscape shift in the post-Avengers world was palpable. Disney had struck gold by acquiring Marvel a few years prior (“The Avengers” was the first superhero film distributed by the Mouse House) and in the wake of its financial,...
This week’s question: Prior to “Black Panther,” when was the last time that a major studio movie changed the film industry forever?
Siddhant Adlakha (@SidizenKane), Freelance for Village Voice
What’s equal parts incredible and scary about “Black Panther” being the next big game changer — and it will be — is the last time a studio film changed the American film industry in a major way it was Marvel’s own “The Avengers.” The landscape shift in the post-Avengers world was palpable. Disney had struck gold by acquiring Marvel a few years prior (“The Avengers” was the first superhero film distributed by the Mouse House) and in the wake of its financial,...
- 2/21/2018
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: “Wonder Woman” and “Black Panther” have helped to reinvigorate the superhero genre as a social and creative force, and the success of those films can be at least partially attributed to their directors. With that in mind, which filmmaker would you most like to see direct a blockbuster superhero movie next, and why?
Max Weiss (@maxthegirl), Baltimore Magazine
I’m firmly in the camp of not wanting my favorite actors or directors to either star in or helm superhero films. (I audibly groaned yesterday when the news surfaced that Joaquin Phoenix was going to be playing The Joker.) Yes, Waititi, Coogler, Jenkins, et al managed...
This week’s question: “Wonder Woman” and “Black Panther” have helped to reinvigorate the superhero genre as a social and creative force, and the success of those films can be at least partially attributed to their directors. With that in mind, which filmmaker would you most like to see direct a blockbuster superhero movie next, and why?
Max Weiss (@maxthegirl), Baltimore Magazine
I’m firmly in the camp of not wanting my favorite actors or directors to either star in or helm superhero films. (I audibly groaned yesterday when the news surfaced that Joaquin Phoenix was going to be playing The Joker.) Yes, Waititi, Coogler, Jenkins, et al managed...
- 2/12/2018
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: In honor of this week’s “The 15:17 to Paris,” what is Clint Eastwood’s greatest film (either as an actor, or as a director)?
Richard Brody (@tnyfrontrow), The New Yorker
Almost impossible to choose, but something especially energized and deep-rooted results when a great filmmaker makes a movie about the practice of filmmaking, and something even more energized about Eastwood’s own incarnation of a John Huston-oidal director, as a vain blowhard and a squanderer, in “White Hunter Black Heart”; it’s the movie of a Hollywood filmmaker thinking equivocally about his industry and his confrontation with its ingrained practices and legends. Yet...
This week’s question: In honor of this week’s “The 15:17 to Paris,” what is Clint Eastwood’s greatest film (either as an actor, or as a director)?
Richard Brody (@tnyfrontrow), The New Yorker
Almost impossible to choose, but something especially energized and deep-rooted results when a great filmmaker makes a movie about the practice of filmmaking, and something even more energized about Eastwood’s own incarnation of a John Huston-oidal director, as a vain blowhard and a squanderer, in “White Hunter Black Heart”; it’s the movie of a Hollywood filmmaker thinking equivocally about his industry and his confrontation with its ingrained practices and legends. Yet...
- 2/5/2018
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Big Time directed by Kaspar Astrup Schröder screens Friday February 2nd through Sunday February 4th at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (470 East Lockwood). The movie starts each evening at 7:30pm.
Danish architect Bjarke Ingels is known as one of the world’s most inventive and sought-after architects, named to Time’s list of the World’s 100 Most Influential People and called “one of architecture’s biggest stars” by the Wall Street Journal. Ingels is a creative and influential force in modern building design. Big Time follows Ingels over 5 years as he struggles to finish his biggest project so far, Two World Trade Center, and shares Ingels’ creative processes along with the endless compromises that his work entails. The film also captures Ingels’ struggle with a health crisis that causes him to reflect on his priorities and threatens his success. The film is in English and Danish with English subtitles.
Danish architect Bjarke Ingels is known as one of the world’s most inventive and sought-after architects, named to Time’s list of the World’s 100 Most Influential People and called “one of architecture’s biggest stars” by the Wall Street Journal. Ingels is a creative and influential force in modern building design. Big Time follows Ingels over 5 years as he struggles to finish his biggest project so far, Two World Trade Center, and shares Ingels’ creative processes along with the endless compromises that his work entails. The film also captures Ingels’ struggle with a health crisis that causes him to reflect on his priorities and threatens his success. The film is in English and Danish with English subtitles.
- 1/29/2018
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: With the 2018 Sundance Film Festival gearing up later this week, what is the best movie to ever have its world premiere at the fest?
Read More:Sundance 2018: 21 Must-See Films At This Year’s Festival, From ‘Wildlife’ to ‘Sorry to Bother You’ Joshua Rothkopf (@joshrothkopf), Time Out New York
Best movie ever? That’s hard for me to quantify, but I’ll always remember the long, quiet walk I took at 3am, down icy streets, no one in sight, after I’d just been blown away by “The Babadook.” That was one terrifying night. I’d felt like I’d just seen greatness. Jennifer Kent’s movie would colonize my head,...
This week’s question: With the 2018 Sundance Film Festival gearing up later this week, what is the best movie to ever have its world premiere at the fest?
Read More:Sundance 2018: 21 Must-See Films At This Year’s Festival, From ‘Wildlife’ to ‘Sorry to Bother You’ Joshua Rothkopf (@joshrothkopf), Time Out New York
Best movie ever? That’s hard for me to quantify, but I’ll always remember the long, quiet walk I took at 3am, down icy streets, no one in sight, after I’d just been blown away by “The Babadook.” That was one terrifying night. I’d felt like I’d just seen greatness. Jennifer Kent’s movie would colonize my head,...
- 1/15/2018
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: What are your hopes for the movies of 2018?
Candice Frederick (@ReelTalker), Freelance for The Daily Beast, Vice, The Mary Sue
I don’t want films that star women, and especially women of color, to be merely splashes in the pan. I want them to always be a part of the conversation, and to be respected in the same way other films are. This year we’re expecting a number of promising films that are directed, written, or headlined by women and women of color. I hope the hype around them goes beyond their release dates as we continue to push the industry further.
Read More:Why Oprah,...
This week’s question: What are your hopes for the movies of 2018?
Candice Frederick (@ReelTalker), Freelance for The Daily Beast, Vice, The Mary Sue
I don’t want films that star women, and especially women of color, to be merely splashes in the pan. I want them to always be a part of the conversation, and to be respected in the same way other films are. This year we’re expecting a number of promising films that are directed, written, or headlined by women and women of color. I hope the hype around them goes beyond their release dates as we continue to push the industry further.
Read More:Why Oprah,...
- 1/8/2018
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: In honor of “The Post,” which is set to hit theaters on December 20th, what is Steven Spielberg’s best film?
Candice Frederick (@ReelTalker), Freelance for Harper’s Bazaar, /Film, The Undefeated, Birth.Movies.Death
“E.T.” There is really no other filmmaker who portrays wonder and innocence quite like Spielberg. While he’s done many great movies, “E.T.” not only captures the purity and curiosity of youth, but its beautiful effects and simple observations implore all of us to stop and take notice of the world around us and humanity itself.
Read More: ‘The Post’ Review: Steven Spielberg’s Spectacularly Entertaining Journalism Thriller Is a...
This week’s question: In honor of “The Post,” which is set to hit theaters on December 20th, what is Steven Spielberg’s best film?
Candice Frederick (@ReelTalker), Freelance for Harper’s Bazaar, /Film, The Undefeated, Birth.Movies.Death
“E.T.” There is really no other filmmaker who portrays wonder and innocence quite like Spielberg. While he’s done many great movies, “E.T.” not only captures the purity and curiosity of youth, but its beautiful effects and simple observations implore all of us to stop and take notice of the world around us and humanity itself.
Read More: ‘The Post’ Review: Steven Spielberg’s Spectacularly Entertaining Journalism Thriller Is a...
- 12/11/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: What is the most overlooked and/or underrated movie of 2017?
E. Oliver Whitney, Screencrush.com, @cinemabite
Despite the critical praise, “A Fantastic Woman” only a one-week qualifying run last month, and I worry is it’ll easily be forgotten this awards season. Daniela Vega gives one of the most astounding performances I’ve seen this year, one that comes from somewhere fierce and internal, portraying the life and struggle of a trans woman that cinema has rarely shown an interest in exploring. But since you can’t see it until it has a proper release in Febraury, do check one of the year’s other...
This week’s question: What is the most overlooked and/or underrated movie of 2017?
E. Oliver Whitney, Screencrush.com, @cinemabite
Despite the critical praise, “A Fantastic Woman” only a one-week qualifying run last month, and I worry is it’ll easily be forgotten this awards season. Daniela Vega gives one of the most astounding performances I’ve seen this year, one that comes from somewhere fierce and internal, portraying the life and struggle of a trans woman that cinema has rarely shown an interest in exploring. But since you can’t see it until it has a proper release in Febraury, do check one of the year’s other...
- 12/4/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question:
Dee Rees’ “Mudbound” is now streaming on Netflix (in addition to playing in a few theaters), and the Oscar-tipped Sundance favorite is as high-profile a film as the streaming giant has ever premiered. It’s another landmark moment in the ongoing shift towards novel distribution patterns — once upon a time it was easy enough to divide things into theatrical releases and films that went straight-to-video, but now there are at least 50 shades of gray.
Read More:‘Mudbound’: Dee Rees, Faith, and the Long Path She Took to Make Her Epic Oscar Contender
As a result of this sea change, a number of major films...
This week’s question:
Dee Rees’ “Mudbound” is now streaming on Netflix (in addition to playing in a few theaters), and the Oscar-tipped Sundance favorite is as high-profile a film as the streaming giant has ever premiered. It’s another landmark moment in the ongoing shift towards novel distribution patterns — once upon a time it was easy enough to divide things into theatrical releases and films that went straight-to-video, but now there are at least 50 shades of gray.
Read More:‘Mudbound’: Dee Rees, Faith, and the Long Path She Took to Make Her Epic Oscar Contender
As a result of this sea change, a number of major films...
- 11/20/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: “Coco” arrives in theaters on November 22nd. With that in mind, we asked our panel of critics to name their favorite Pixar movie. In a testament to the studio’s work, all seven of the critics who participated in this survey highlighted different films.
Read More:‘Coco’ Review: Pixar’s Latest Proves That the Studio Still Has Some Life in its Bones Christy Lemire, @christylemire, RogerEbert.com/What the Flick?!
For a long time I would have said “Wall-e,” just because it’s so audacious: It’s about a lonely garbage collector in space, and the first 15 minutes of it are wordless. The fact that...
This week’s question: “Coco” arrives in theaters on November 22nd. With that in mind, we asked our panel of critics to name their favorite Pixar movie. In a testament to the studio’s work, all seven of the critics who participated in this survey highlighted different films.
Read More:‘Coco’ Review: Pixar’s Latest Proves That the Studio Still Has Some Life in its Bones Christy Lemire, @christylemire, RogerEbert.com/What the Flick?!
For a long time I would have said “Wall-e,” just because it’s so audacious: It’s about a lonely garbage collector in space, and the first 15 minutes of it are wordless. The fact that...
- 11/13/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: In honor of Greta Gerwig’s “Lady Bird,” what is the best coming-of-age movie ever made?
Siddhant Adlakha (@SidizenKane), Birth.Movies.Death.
While it may not fit the western paradigm of a traditional coming of age film (neither a high school setting nor teenage angst or confusion find themselves the focus), “Lion” holds the distinction of being a rare modern movie that gets to the root of key questions of dual identity, questions that will only become more prominent in the age of globalism. It’s the most extreme version of having your feet in two cultures; Saroo Brierley (Sunny Pawar, Dev Patel) finds himself...
This week’s question: In honor of Greta Gerwig’s “Lady Bird,” what is the best coming-of-age movie ever made?
Siddhant Adlakha (@SidizenKane), Birth.Movies.Death.
While it may not fit the western paradigm of a traditional coming of age film (neither a high school setting nor teenage angst or confusion find themselves the focus), “Lion” holds the distinction of being a rare modern movie that gets to the root of key questions of dual identity, questions that will only become more prominent in the age of globalism. It’s the most extreme version of having your feet in two cultures; Saroo Brierley (Sunny Pawar, Dev Patel) finds himself...
- 11/6/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: What filmmaker would you most like to see try their hand at a horror movie?
Kristy Puchko (@KristyPuchko), Pajiba/Riot Material
I struggled with this question, because a lot of the directors I have adored have worked in horror, be it Tim Burton (“Beetlejuice,” “Edward Scissorhands”), Robert Zemeckis (“Death Becomes Her”), Edgar Wright (“Shawn of the Dead”), Frank Oz (“Little Shop of Horror”), Guillermo del Toro (“Crimson Peak”), Bong-Joon Ho (“The Host”), Jim Jarmusch (“Only Lovers Left Alive”), or Taika Waititi (“What We Do In the Shadows”). Part of what I love about the genre is the way is can be reshaped with vision, color,...
This week’s question: What filmmaker would you most like to see try their hand at a horror movie?
Kristy Puchko (@KristyPuchko), Pajiba/Riot Material
I struggled with this question, because a lot of the directors I have adored have worked in horror, be it Tim Burton (“Beetlejuice,” “Edward Scissorhands”), Robert Zemeckis (“Death Becomes Her”), Edgar Wright (“Shawn of the Dead”), Frank Oz (“Little Shop of Horror”), Guillermo del Toro (“Crimson Peak”), Bong-Joon Ho (“The Host”), Jim Jarmusch (“Only Lovers Left Alive”), or Taika Waititi (“What We Do In the Shadows”). Part of what I love about the genre is the way is can be reshaped with vision, color,...
- 10/30/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: In honor of “The Killing of a Sacred Deer,” what is Nicole Kidman’s greatest performance?
Vadim Rizov (@VRizov), Filmmaker Magazine
I don’t know about “best” — I haven’t seen an embarrassing chunk of what are considered her most significant roles, and I’m weak on understanding acting — but the performance that sticks most in my mind (quite possibly because I saw it at impressionable high school age) is “Dogville.” Kidman is spookily withdrawn, like an observer alien in a human body dropped into a moral wasteland which she attempts to navigate with understanding and decorum until finally it’s just too much. As in “Birth,...
This week’s question: In honor of “The Killing of a Sacred Deer,” what is Nicole Kidman’s greatest performance?
Vadim Rizov (@VRizov), Filmmaker Magazine
I don’t know about “best” — I haven’t seen an embarrassing chunk of what are considered her most significant roles, and I’m weak on understanding acting — but the performance that sticks most in my mind (quite possibly because I saw it at impressionable high school age) is “Dogville.” Kidman is spookily withdrawn, like an observer alien in a human body dropped into a moral wasteland which she attempts to navigate with understanding and decorum until finally it’s just too much. As in “Birth,...
- 10/23/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: In the aftermath of the Harvey Weinstein story and all that it involves — as people reconsider their relationship to the Miramax films of the ’90s (or don’t) and brace for a new Woody Allen movie, etc. — we return to an age-old question that could always stand to be asked anew: How should the backstory of a film and / or its makers impact the way we receive it?
Kate Erbland (@katerbland), IndieWire
When horrifying accusations like the ones waged against Harvey Weinstein come to light, it’s very easy to scream for a boycott and move on (and, as we often see in cases like these,...
This week’s question: In the aftermath of the Harvey Weinstein story and all that it involves — as people reconsider their relationship to the Miramax films of the ’90s (or don’t) and brace for a new Woody Allen movie, etc. — we return to an age-old question that could always stand to be asked anew: How should the backstory of a film and / or its makers impact the way we receive it?
Kate Erbland (@katerbland), IndieWire
When horrifying accusations like the ones waged against Harvey Weinstein come to light, it’s very easy to scream for a boycott and move on (and, as we often see in cases like these,...
- 10/16/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: In honor of “The Florida Project,” which has just started its platform release across the country, what is the greatest child performance in a film?
Jordan Hoffman (@JHoffman), The Guardian, Vanity Fair
I can agonize over this question or I can go at this Malcolm Gladwell “Blink”-style. My answer is Tatum O’Neal in “Paper Moon.” She’s just so funny and tough, which of course makes the performance all the more heartbreaking. She won the freaking Oscar at age 10 for this and I’d really love to give a more deep cut response, but why screw around? Paper Moon is a perfect film and she is the lynchpin.
This week’s question: In honor of “The Florida Project,” which has just started its platform release across the country, what is the greatest child performance in a film?
Jordan Hoffman (@JHoffman), The Guardian, Vanity Fair
I can agonize over this question or I can go at this Malcolm Gladwell “Blink”-style. My answer is Tatum O’Neal in “Paper Moon.” She’s just so funny and tough, which of course makes the performance all the more heartbreaking. She won the freaking Oscar at age 10 for this and I’d really love to give a more deep cut response, but why screw around? Paper Moon is a perfect film and she is the lynchpin.
- 10/9/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)
Last weekend saw the release of the latest Tom Cruise vehicle, “American Made,” and critics are raving that it’s better than “The Mummy!” In honor of this great achievement, we ask: What is Tom Cruise’s greatest performance?
Read More:‘American Made’ Review: Tom Cruise Finally Lands a Role Worthy of His Talents E. Oliver Whitney (@cinemabite), ScreenCrush.com
The greatest Tom Cruise performance of all time happened on Oprah’s couch in 2005. But in the movies? “Magnolia.” It’s the best, but it’s also the “most” Cruise performance. His batshit insanity just barely holds together the fragile insecurity of the man beneath the horndog motivation speaker.
Last weekend saw the release of the latest Tom Cruise vehicle, “American Made,” and critics are raving that it’s better than “The Mummy!” In honor of this great achievement, we ask: What is Tom Cruise’s greatest performance?
Read More:‘American Made’ Review: Tom Cruise Finally Lands a Role Worthy of His Talents E. Oliver Whitney (@cinemabite), ScreenCrush.com
The greatest Tom Cruise performance of all time happened on Oprah’s couch in 2005. But in the movies? “Magnolia.” It’s the best, but it’s also the “most” Cruise performance. His batshit insanity just barely holds together the fragile insecurity of the man beneath the horndog motivation speaker.
- 10/2/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: What is the best performance in an otherwise bad movie?
Joshua Rothkopf (@joshrothkopf), Time Out New York
There’s a Cult of Val (Kilmer, obviously) that I proudly belong to. Mainly it revolves around movies like “Real Genius,” “Top Secret!” and “Heat,” all excellent movies that don’t fit the parameters of this question. But you really don’t know Val until you’ve made your peace with Oliver Stone’s beyond-awful “The Doors.” The apocryphal anecdotes around Kilmer’s deep dive into Jim Morrison are insane: insisting that no one look him in the eye on set, wearing the same leather pants for months,...
This week’s question: What is the best performance in an otherwise bad movie?
Joshua Rothkopf (@joshrothkopf), Time Out New York
There’s a Cult of Val (Kilmer, obviously) that I proudly belong to. Mainly it revolves around movies like “Real Genius,” “Top Secret!” and “Heat,” all excellent movies that don’t fit the parameters of this question. But you really don’t know Val until you’ve made your peace with Oliver Stone’s beyond-awful “The Doors.” The apocryphal anecdotes around Kilmer’s deep dive into Jim Morrison are insane: insisting that no one look him in the eye on set, wearing the same leather pants for months,...
- 9/25/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)
In honor of Darren Aronofsky’s “mother!,” which just became one of the only movies to ever earn an “F” Cinemascore rating, what is the craziest movie that a major Hollywood studio has released this century?
Joshua Rothkopf (@joshrothkopf), Time Out New York
Talk about a self-answering question. Unless you can point to another movie that brews such an aggressive whirlwind of psychosexual anxiety, starring the biggest star in the world (who is also romantically involved with the director), then we’re talking about “mother!” I’m sure you’ve got “The Wolf of Wall Street” at the ready as an alternative, but how crazy is that film, given...
In honor of Darren Aronofsky’s “mother!,” which just became one of the only movies to ever earn an “F” Cinemascore rating, what is the craziest movie that a major Hollywood studio has released this century?
Joshua Rothkopf (@joshrothkopf), Time Out New York
Talk about a self-answering question. Unless you can point to another movie that brews such an aggressive whirlwind of psychosexual anxiety, starring the biggest star in the world (who is also romantically involved with the director), then we’re talking about “mother!” I’m sure you’ve got “The Wolf of Wall Street” at the ready as an alternative, but how crazy is that film, given...
- 9/18/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)
A recent article (based on a very unscientific poll) argued that millennials don’t really care about old movies. Maybe that’s true, and maybe it isn’t, but the fact remains that many people disregard classic cinema on principle. These people are missing out, but it only takes one film — the right film — to change their minds and forever alter their viewing habits.
This week’s question: What is one classic film you would recommend to someone who doesn’t watch them?
Candice Frederick (@ReelTalker), Hello Beautiful, /Film, Thrillist, etc
“Rebel Without a Cause.” I’ll out myself by saying that I’ve only recently seen this film...
A recent article (based on a very unscientific poll) argued that millennials don’t really care about old movies. Maybe that’s true, and maybe it isn’t, but the fact remains that many people disregard classic cinema on principle. These people are missing out, but it only takes one film — the right film — to change their minds and forever alter their viewing habits.
This week’s question: What is one classic film you would recommend to someone who doesn’t watch them?
Candice Frederick (@ReelTalker), Hello Beautiful, /Film, Thrillist, etc
“Rebel Without a Cause.” I’ll out myself by saying that I’ve only recently seen this film...
- 8/28/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: What fall movie are you most excited to see?
E. Oliver Whitney (@cinemabite), Screencrush.com
Is there any acceptable answer besides “The Killing of a Sacred Deer”? No, no there is not. (Unless you count December as ‘fall,’ which means the new PTA is my most anticipated.) “The Lobster” would’ve been my favorite film of last year had “Moonlight” not taken the top spot, and “Dogtooth” leaves me in a mix of amazement and horror each time I watch it. So new Yorgos Lanthimos is like a drug for me. But while I’m at it, I also can’t wait for “The Florida Project,...
This week’s question: What fall movie are you most excited to see?
E. Oliver Whitney (@cinemabite), Screencrush.com
Is there any acceptable answer besides “The Killing of a Sacred Deer”? No, no there is not. (Unless you count December as ‘fall,’ which means the new PTA is my most anticipated.) “The Lobster” would’ve been my favorite film of last year had “Moonlight” not taken the top spot, and “Dogtooth” leaves me in a mix of amazement and horror each time I watch it. So new Yorgos Lanthimos is like a drug for me. But while I’m at it, I also can’t wait for “The Florida Project,...
- 8/21/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film and TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: In honor of “The Trip to Spain,” what is the best movie trilogy?
Richard Brody (@tnyfrontrow), The New Yorker
Far be it from me to choose between Antonioni’s non-trilogy “L’Avventura,” “La Notte,” and “L’Eclisse” and Kiarostami’s explicitly-denied “Koker” trilogy of “Where Is the Friend’s Home?,” “Life and Nothing More,” and “Through the Olive Trees” (and I’m tempted to make a trilogy of trilogies with Carl Theodor Dreyer’s “Day of Wrath,” “Ordet,” and “Gertrud”), but if I put Kiarostami’s films first, it’s because he puts their very creation into the action. Reflexivity isn’t a...
This week’s question: In honor of “The Trip to Spain,” what is the best movie trilogy?
Richard Brody (@tnyfrontrow), The New Yorker
Far be it from me to choose between Antonioni’s non-trilogy “L’Avventura,” “La Notte,” and “L’Eclisse” and Kiarostami’s explicitly-denied “Koker” trilogy of “Where Is the Friend’s Home?,” “Life and Nothing More,” and “Through the Olive Trees” (and I’m tempted to make a trilogy of trilogies with Carl Theodor Dreyer’s “Day of Wrath,” “Ordet,” and “Gertrud”), but if I put Kiarostami’s films first, it’s because he puts their very creation into the action. Reflexivity isn’t a...
- 8/14/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film and TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: What was the most surprising movie of the 2017 summer movie season?
Kate Erbland (@katerbland), IndieWire
“Girls Trip”!!! I can’t think of a more pleasant movie-going experience I’ve had this summer, and I saw a screening of “Dunkirk” in IMAX where my hair was literally blown back from my head and a screening of “Rough Night” where everyone was given glasses of rose and bachelorette crowns before they walked in, so I’ve done some living this season. There’s nothing quite like seeing a raucous comedy in a packed theater filled with people who are having just as much fun as you are.
This week’s question: What was the most surprising movie of the 2017 summer movie season?
Kate Erbland (@katerbland), IndieWire
“Girls Trip”!!! I can’t think of a more pleasant movie-going experience I’ve had this summer, and I saw a screening of “Dunkirk” in IMAX where my hair was literally blown back from my head and a screening of “Rough Night” where everyone was given glasses of rose and bachelorette crowns before they walked in, so I’ve done some living this season. There’s nothing quite like seeing a raucous comedy in a packed theater filled with people who are having just as much fun as you are.
- 8/7/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film and TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: In honor of the bone-crunching “Atomic Blonde,” what is the greatest movie fight scene?
Read More‘Atomic Blonde’: How They Turned One Amazing Action Scene Into a Seven-Minute Long Take Erin Oliver Whitney (@cinemabite), ScreenCrush
I’ve got a soft spot for wuxia so the “best fight scene” immediately evokes Zhang Yimou in my mind. I could list every fight in “Hero,” sequences so spellbindingly beautiful and graceful you forget you’re watching violence. The bamboo forest battle from “House of Flying Daggers” is another all-timer, a mesmerizing fight that almost entirely takes place in the air. And the bone-crunching, table-smashing...
This week’s question: In honor of the bone-crunching “Atomic Blonde,” what is the greatest movie fight scene?
Read More‘Atomic Blonde’: How They Turned One Amazing Action Scene Into a Seven-Minute Long Take Erin Oliver Whitney (@cinemabite), ScreenCrush
I’ve got a soft spot for wuxia so the “best fight scene” immediately evokes Zhang Yimou in my mind. I could list every fight in “Hero,” sequences so spellbindingly beautiful and graceful you forget you’re watching violence. The bamboo forest battle from “House of Flying Daggers” is another all-timer, a mesmerizing fight that almost entirely takes place in the air. And the bone-crunching, table-smashing...
- 7/31/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film and TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: In honor of Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk,” what is the best war movie ever made?
Read More‘Dunkirk’ Review: Christopher Nolan’s Monumental War Epic Is The Best Film He’s Ever Made Richard Brody (@tnyfrontrow), The New Yorker
Howard Hawks’ “The Dawn Patrol,” from 1930, shows soldiers and officers cracking up from the cruelty of their missions — and shows the ones who manage not to, singing and clowning with an exuberance that suggests the rictus of a death mask. There’s courage and heroism, virtue and honor — at a price that makes the words themselves seem foul. John Ford’s “The Lost Patrol,...
This week’s question: In honor of Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk,” what is the best war movie ever made?
Read More‘Dunkirk’ Review: Christopher Nolan’s Monumental War Epic Is The Best Film He’s Ever Made Richard Brody (@tnyfrontrow), The New Yorker
Howard Hawks’ “The Dawn Patrol,” from 1930, shows soldiers and officers cracking up from the cruelty of their missions — and shows the ones who manage not to, singing and clowning with an exuberance that suggests the rictus of a death mask. There’s courage and heroism, virtue and honor — at a price that makes the words themselves seem foul. John Ford’s “The Lost Patrol,...
- 7/24/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film and TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: If you could force Donald J. Trump to watch one movie for any reason (whether to educate him, torture him, amuse him, etc.), what would it be and why?
Tomris Laffly (@TomiLaffly), Film Journal, Film School Rejects
Can you really educate Trump through cinema? I think not. Put this year’s devastating trio of Syrian documentaries in front of him, and he’d say, “those people, including children, get what they deserve.” Make him watch a climate change film, and he’d call it fake news. For crying out loud, expose his eyeballs to “Finding Dory” and he’d probably mock poor Dory...
This week’s question: If you could force Donald J. Trump to watch one movie for any reason (whether to educate him, torture him, amuse him, etc.), what would it be and why?
Tomris Laffly (@TomiLaffly), Film Journal, Film School Rejects
Can you really educate Trump through cinema? I think not. Put this year’s devastating trio of Syrian documentaries in front of him, and he’d say, “those people, including children, get what they deserve.” Make him watch a climate change film, and he’d call it fake news. For crying out loud, expose his eyeballs to “Finding Dory” and he’d probably mock poor Dory...
- 7/17/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film and TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: In honor of David Lowery’s “A Ghost Story,” what is the best movie about the afterlife?
Kate Erbland (@katerbland), IndieWire
It will come as no surprise to anyone that, as a child, I watched a lot of television. A lot. I was mostly obsessed with HBO — our single movie channel, number 2 on the dial; yes, my childhood TV had a dial, don’t ask — with intermittent deviations into mostly inappropriate mini-series (thus explaining my rarely disclosed expertise on “The Thornbirds”), and was pretty much given free range to watch whatever the hell I wanted, whenever I wanted. This is why my favorite...
This week’s question: In honor of David Lowery’s “A Ghost Story,” what is the best movie about the afterlife?
Kate Erbland (@katerbland), IndieWire
It will come as no surprise to anyone that, as a child, I watched a lot of television. A lot. I was mostly obsessed with HBO — our single movie channel, number 2 on the dial; yes, my childhood TV had a dial, don’t ask — with intermittent deviations into mostly inappropriate mini-series (thus explaining my rarely disclosed expertise on “The Thornbirds”), and was pretty much given free range to watch whatever the hell I wanted, whenever I wanted. This is why my favorite...
- 7/10/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film and TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s (exceedingly difficult) question: In honor of our nation’s upcoming birthday, what is the movie that still makes you most proud to be an American? Or, for foreign critics: What film most compelling sells you on the promise of America’s potential?
Joshua Rothkopf (@joshrothkopf), Time Out New York
I know there are movies that are more complex, but “Apollo 13” gets me every time. It begins with the cynical idea of an American Dream that’s already in the rearview mirror: Moon launches, once the pride of a nation, have become routine — yesterday’s news. But journalists swarm when the orbiting crew falls into jeopardy.
This week’s (exceedingly difficult) question: In honor of our nation’s upcoming birthday, what is the movie that still makes you most proud to be an American? Or, for foreign critics: What film most compelling sells you on the promise of America’s potential?
Joshua Rothkopf (@joshrothkopf), Time Out New York
I know there are movies that are more complex, but “Apollo 13” gets me every time. It begins with the cynical idea of an American Dream that’s already in the rearview mirror: Moon launches, once the pride of a nation, have become routine — yesterday’s news. But journalists swarm when the orbiting crew falls into jeopardy.
- 7/3/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film and TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday.
This week’s question: “The Book of Henry” has been assailed by critics. But let’s look beyond this particular reviled new release. What’s the worst movie you’ve ever reviewed?
Alissa Wilkinson (@alissamarie), Vox
It’s unfortunately not even a contest: “God’s Not Dead 2,” which I reviewed for Flavorwire and then wrote about it further for Thrillist. (The first movie is actually far worse, but I didn’t review it.) They’re actually not the worst-made movies I’ve seen, but as a Christian and a film critic, I find them so actively offensive and cynical that it’s somehow even more depressing. I didn’t derive any joy from the process, but it felt important that I write about it.
Kristy Puchko (@KristyPuchko), Pajiba/Cbr.com...
This week’s question: “The Book of Henry” has been assailed by critics. But let’s look beyond this particular reviled new release. What’s the worst movie you’ve ever reviewed?
Alissa Wilkinson (@alissamarie), Vox
It’s unfortunately not even a contest: “God’s Not Dead 2,” which I reviewed for Flavorwire and then wrote about it further for Thrillist. (The first movie is actually far worse, but I didn’t review it.) They’re actually not the worst-made movies I’ve seen, but as a Christian and a film critic, I find them so actively offensive and cynical that it’s somehow even more depressing. I didn’t derive any joy from the process, but it felt important that I write about it.
Kristy Puchko (@KristyPuchko), Pajiba/Cbr.com...
- 6/19/2017
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film and TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: With “The Mummy” opening to mostly negative reviews this weekend, Universal’s attempt to kickstart its “Dark Universe” franchise is stuck in a rut. What would you do (or recommend the studio do) to make good movies out of Universal’s classic monsters?
Violet Lucca (@unbuttonmyeyes), Film Comment
The obvious response is “don’t try,” but since we’re a few years away from getting back to using original intellectual property in film, I’ll give them a few options.
One: ditch the self-seriousness of the modern action blockbuster and revive the genre mashup of the “Abbott and Costello Meet…” series. Get Channing Tatum...
This week’s question: With “The Mummy” opening to mostly negative reviews this weekend, Universal’s attempt to kickstart its “Dark Universe” franchise is stuck in a rut. What would you do (or recommend the studio do) to make good movies out of Universal’s classic monsters?
Violet Lucca (@unbuttonmyeyes), Film Comment
The obvious response is “don’t try,” but since we’re a few years away from getting back to using original intellectual property in film, I’ll give them a few options.
One: ditch the self-seriousness of the modern action blockbuster and revive the genre mashup of the “Abbott and Costello Meet…” series. Get Channing Tatum...
- 6/12/2017
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film and TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: Apropos of absolutely nothing (and definitely not in response to a certain world leader taking disastrous steps towards dooming the environment of the only inhabitable planet we have), what is the best film about the end of the world?
Erin Whitney (@Cinemabite), ScreenCrush
It’s a hard tie between “Melancholia” and “Take Shelter.” One is a devastating meditation on depression, isolation and death, and the other is a dramatic masterpiece that evokes the dread and anxiety of a looming end. They’re very different films (and coincidentally opened within months of each other), but both end on final shots that left me breathless.
This week’s question: Apropos of absolutely nothing (and definitely not in response to a certain world leader taking disastrous steps towards dooming the environment of the only inhabitable planet we have), what is the best film about the end of the world?
Erin Whitney (@Cinemabite), ScreenCrush
It’s a hard tie between “Melancholia” and “Take Shelter.” One is a devastating meditation on depression, isolation and death, and the other is a dramatic masterpiece that evokes the dread and anxiety of a looming end. They’re very different films (and coincidentally opened within months of each other), but both end on final shots that left me breathless.
- 6/5/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film and TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: In honor of the Cannes Film Festival, the 70th edition of which starts this week, what is the best film to ever win the coveted Palme d’Or?
For a complete list of Palme d’Or winners, click here.
Erin Whitney (@Cinemabite), ScreenCrush
This question is impossible because I clearly haven’t seen all 40 Palme d’Or winners (it’s on my to do list, I swear). But I could easily say “Apocalypse Now,” “Paris, Texas,” “Taxi Driver,” “Amour,” or even “Pulp Fiction.” But since this is a personal question, I have to say “The Tree of Life.” No film has moved me...
This week’s question: In honor of the Cannes Film Festival, the 70th edition of which starts this week, what is the best film to ever win the coveted Palme d’Or?
For a complete list of Palme d’Or winners, click here.
Erin Whitney (@Cinemabite), ScreenCrush
This question is impossible because I clearly haven’t seen all 40 Palme d’Or winners (it’s on my to do list, I swear). But I could easily say “Apocalypse Now,” “Paris, Texas,” “Taxi Driver,” “Amour,” or even “Pulp Fiction.” But since this is a personal question, I have to say “The Tree of Life.” No film has moved me...
- 5/15/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film and TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: Inspired by Baby Groot’s “Mr. Blue Sky” dance sequence at the beginning of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” what movie has the best opening credits sequence?
April Wolfe (@awolfeful), La Weekly
Hands down, it’s R.W. Fassbinder’s “The Marriage of Maria Braun.” I watch the opening sequence at least three times a year and show it to every filmmaker I can. I love any film that begins with a bang, and this one does quite literally: We open up on an explosion that rips out a hunk of brick wall, exposing a German couple in the middle of a rushed marriage ceremony.
This week’s question: Inspired by Baby Groot’s “Mr. Blue Sky” dance sequence at the beginning of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” what movie has the best opening credits sequence?
April Wolfe (@awolfeful), La Weekly
Hands down, it’s R.W. Fassbinder’s “The Marriage of Maria Braun.” I watch the opening sequence at least three times a year and show it to every filmmaker I can. I love any film that begins with a bang, and this one does quite literally: We open up on an explosion that rips out a hunk of brick wall, exposing a German couple in the middle of a rushed marriage ceremony.
- 5/8/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film and TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can typically be found at the end of this post.) This week, however, in light of Jonathan Demme’s death — and in reaction to the immense outpouring of love for the man and his movies that followed the news of his passing — we’ve decided to switch things up with a special mid-week edition of our usual survey.
We asked our panel one simple question: How will you remember Jonathan Demme? The responses we received can be found below.
Mallory Andrews (@mallory_andrews) cléo
Though I only saw “Something Wild” for the first time this month, it somehow feels like it’s been with me for my entire filmgoing life. The scene where (my ideal man...
We asked our panel one simple question: How will you remember Jonathan Demme? The responses we received can be found below.
Mallory Andrews (@mallory_andrews) cléo
Though I only saw “Something Wild” for the first time this month, it somehow feels like it’s been with me for my entire filmgoing life. The scene where (my ideal man...
- 4/27/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film and TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: What is the best film (or film-related) podcast?
Neil Miller (@rejects), Film School Rejects
There are a great many podcasts in my life — from the ones I host to the ones hosted by close friends — so it’s hard to approach this subject without wanting to selfishly yell “One Perfect Pod!” Okay, now that we’ve got that out of the way, here’s a real favorite: “The Mothership,” from the folks at USA Today. More importantly, it involves two of my favorite Twitter pals Brian Truitt and Kelly Lawler. Its mandate is broad, which means there’s video game and comics talk...
This week’s question: What is the best film (or film-related) podcast?
Neil Miller (@rejects), Film School Rejects
There are a great many podcasts in my life — from the ones I host to the ones hosted by close friends — so it’s hard to approach this subject without wanting to selfishly yell “One Perfect Pod!” Okay, now that we’ve got that out of the way, here’s a real favorite: “The Mothership,” from the folks at USA Today. More importantly, it involves two of my favorite Twitter pals Brian Truitt and Kelly Lawler. Its mandate is broad, which means there’s video game and comics talk...
- 4/24/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film and TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: In dubious honor of “Sleepless,” a new Jamie Foxx vehicle that’s been adapted from Frederic Jardin’s “Sleepless Night,” what is the best American remake of a foreign-language film?
Joshua Rothkopf (@joshrothkopf), Time Out New York
Long before I knew and appreciated Jean Renoir, I was in love with “Down and Out in Beverly Hills,” a 1986 comedy based on “Boudu Saved from Drowning” that peppered the flow with some truly eye-opening ideas for Hollywood: class warfare, unequal police treatment, a neurotic dog with its own therapist. The movie holds up beautifully — it’s one of Nick Nolte’s quietest performances, and one...
This week’s question: In dubious honor of “Sleepless,” a new Jamie Foxx vehicle that’s been adapted from Frederic Jardin’s “Sleepless Night,” what is the best American remake of a foreign-language film?
Joshua Rothkopf (@joshrothkopf), Time Out New York
Long before I knew and appreciated Jean Renoir, I was in love with “Down and Out in Beverly Hills,” a 1986 comedy based on “Boudu Saved from Drowning” that peppered the flow with some truly eye-opening ideas for Hollywood: class warfare, unequal police treatment, a neurotic dog with its own therapist. The movie holds up beautifully — it’s one of Nick Nolte’s quietest performances, and one...
- 1/17/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Bob Byingtons "7 Chinese Brothers" made it's debut at this years SXSW film festival and was released in late August. However with so many friends of Htn involved in the making of it, we couldn't find anyone with hands free of conflict to give it a proper review. Luckily our new guy Christopher Llewellyn Reed swooped in to give this gem the once over.
- 10/26/2015
- by Christopher Llewellyn Reed
- Hammer to Nail
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