What Director to Rank Next?

by Cláudio Alves

I don't know about you, but I had a lot of fun ranking Hayao Miyazaki's feature filmography. So much so that I feel inspired to do the same with some other beloved auteur. The only issue is deciding which director to rank next. In those write-ups, a commenter suggested David Lynch, so he's on the list of candidates, but there are many more possibilities, storied careers full of fascinating films. Why not put it to a readers' vote and let you choose who you wish to read about? That's exactly what we're doing, and you have ten possibilities to choose from, all of which have works I love and a filmography small enough to be manageable…

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Venice 2021: The Jury

by Nathaniel R

With Cannes wrapped we move on to the fall festival buzz. Next up is Venice (September 1st-11th) and we are thrilled to report that Elisa Giudici, our Italian correspondent who did such a fine job covering Cannes, will repeat that trick for Venice. The 78th Venice festival has just announced the complete jury for its competition films. Like Cannes, they've chosen a majority female jury this time around. Unlike Cannes they went big on very recent Oscar nominees and winners...

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What's next for our Oscar champions?

by Cláudio Alves

Another Awards Season is over and we have newly anointed champions of the Academy Awards to applaud and celebrate. As cinephiles, the best way we have of celebrating is surely to watch and appreciate these filmmakers' work. After all, it was their sterling achievements that conquered them their little golden men and our eternal devotion. With that in mind, let's investigate the prospects of the Oscar Class of 2019, many of which already have their next movies lined up, some already in post-production even.

First up, we have the night's greatest star - the one and only Bong Joon-ho…

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Familiar Faces: Bong Joon Ho Edition

by Nathaniel R 

South Korean auteur Bong Joon Ho has justly received a lot of attention for the brilliant Parasite. But the instant classic wouldn't have caught the fascination of audiences worldwide and the Academy here in the US without that finely honed ensemble navigating its tricky tone and endless talking points. So let's talk Bong Joon Ho's great taste in actors. Were you wondering where you'd seen some of these expressive faces before? Possibly in other films by Bong Joon Ho! Like most of the best auteurs, he likes to reuse actors as if he's running a theater troupe whilst building a great filmography. 

Herewith the 18 actors he's used the most often in his 7 films to date and where else you might have seen them if you're curious...

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The Miraculous Power of a Perfect Montage

by Cláudio Alves

Sometimes you can forget why you love cinema so much. The world gets you down and it's like nothing can bring you up to the light, rolling clouds of cinematic mediocrity make it even difficult to remember there was a light to start with. Before you know it, going to the movies is more like a chore than a pleasure. If you give in to despondency, those belabored affirmations of the death of cinema may start to ring true. But are they?

No. We know this because even in the darkest times, there are small miracles that prove cinema is alive and thriving. Parasite is one of those miracles.

Allow me to elaborate on a bit of recent personal history. At the beginning of last summer, after hitting an emotional roadblock and getting to a point I couldn't function anymore, I finally looked for professional help...

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