Doc Corner: 'Retrograde'

By Glenn Dunks

Retrograde is the best movie that Matthew Heineman has made. At least from those I have seen. I’ve been critical of this American director in the past for taking the somewhat lazy non-fiction critical expression “it plays like a real-life thriller” too literally, making movies like Cartel Land and City of Ghosts that put themselves above the subject. I never saw his dramatic feature A Private War with Rosamund Pike, but it didn’t surprise me that Heineman had made that leap.

This film, his third in as many years, thankfully takes something of a step back from what appeared to be his natural directorial instincts. For the most part, Retrograde is in service of its subjects and not the filmmaker.

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Chart Updates: Best Picture... and how much diversity will we get in Best Director?

by Nathaniel R

Sarah Polley on the set of "Women Talking". Photographed by Michael Gibson for Orion Releasing

So what's going to get a Best Picture and who will get a Best Director nomination? The possible combinations of 10 and 5 contenders, respectively, are many. While Best Picture could well find a mix that doesn't upset too many people (10 is a lot to work with) Best Director will likely be more fraught. So let's talk Best Director first...

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Daniels Throwback "Turn Down For What" 🎵

by Nathaniel R

Daniel Kwan in "Turn Down For What"

We made a hilarious discovery today. Daniels, the directing duo of Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, have not updated their official website since 2016! That was the year of their film debut Swiss Army Man. The website very much sells them as music video guys which they, of course, were. Six years later, post the huge success of Everything Everywhere All At Once they are in the Oscar conversation, and have a first look deal with A24 and a multi-picture deal with Universal so they're hardly those "We Direct Music Videos" guys anymore. Time to update the site, maybe? Tick-tock...

Watching one of their most famous videos "Turn Down For What" (2014) today in 2022 is a special thrill, given how much of the unhinged action-scene chaos and bawdy humor of Everything Everywhere All At Once you can see in it...

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Dorothy Dandridge @ 100: "Island In the Sun"

by Cláudio Alves

"Island in the Sun" | © 20th Century Fox

After Carmen Jones proved a financial triumph and earned Dorothy Dandridge a ground-breaking Best Actress nomination, 20th Century Fox signed her for a three-picture deal. As Baby Clyde mentioned in part one of this centennial, Darryl F. Zanuck was invested in Dandridge's success, planning to make her a screen icon unlike any other Black performer in Hollywood history up to that point. Unfortunately, however, nearly every project fell through, including a remake of The Blue Angel that would have seen Dandridge take on Marlene Dietrich's star-making role. Even so, while absent from the big screen, her fame rose.

So high was Dandridge's profile that she became a target for Confidential magazine's libelous articles. The erstwhile Carmen Jones was one of the few stars to testify against the publication in a series of suits that brought along its downfall. In 1957, Dorothy Dandridge's victory in court coincided with her return to the big screen. Island in the Sun was her first film in three years… 

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16th Annual Cinema Eye Honors nominations

by Nathaniel R

"The Territory" led the Cinema Eye Honors nominations

EDITOR'S NOTE: This article now contains ★ to represent the winners, announced on January 12th. The rest of the text is from the original article.

The Oscar race for Best Documentary Feature didn't use to have so many 'precursors' to consider but interest in and awards for documentaries have grown considerably in the 21st century. The Cinema Eye Honors, which began in 2007, were the first awards organization to recognize documentaries above and beyond "Best Documentary" by honoring them for several craft achievements too in multiple categories. They've just announced their nominees for their 16th annual NonFiction Film Awards. The nomination leaders are the box office hit Fire of Love and critical darling The Territory...

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