Author: Jonathan Eig
Five legendary directors who made their debut 50 years ago
1968 was a dynamic year in cinema. French cinema. Important new movies from Godard, Truffaut, and Chabrol. Even more revolution happening off screen. Many young French directors staged a revolution at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. One of the godfathers of the French New Wave, Henri Langlois, was fired from his long-time post as head…
18 thoughts on the 2018 Academy Awards
Another Oscars has come and gone and, well, given the explosive events of 2017, it was fairly benign. No big upsets. No big controversies. A few nice moments and a few groaning embarrassments, but overall, pretty tame. But here are about a thousand thoughts about it anyway. Right off the bat, they missed the best…
The 15 films up for the Best Documentary Oscar, and a few they missed
When we were young, we used to have Oscar contests just like the kids do today. This was before the internet, and there were no websites which would simply tell you what to pick for Animated Short or Costume Design. You needed some other methods for choosing winners in categories you knew absolutely nothing about.…
Fourteen Amazing Films You Might Have Missed in 2017
2017 was a pretty good year for American film. Sure, there were plenty of head scratchers, disappointments, and outright train wrecks, but that’s for another column. (Which will be called “Head Scratchers, Disappointments & Outright Train Wrecks” – it’s all about the ampersand.) Today, we celebrate the minor gems. “Minor” only in the sense that…
American Film Institute: 2018 European Union Film Showcase
The American Film Institute’s Silver Theatre held the 30th edition of its European Union Film Showcase this December. Always a highlight, the 2017 Showcase screened 44 new movies from the 28 EU member nations. Here is a brief recap of this year’s Showcase. THE SUBLIME The Workshop (Laurent Cantet, France) On Body and Soul (Ildiko…