Every movie year of the 1990s, ranked

If you’ve seen any legitimate percentage of posts on this blog, you will be aware that I love ranking stuff. I also love movies from the 90s. I also love the concept of the best movie years. It’s a miracle I didn’t hit on this sooner. Anyway, since it’s been 20 years and everyone’s reminiscing about it, the question of “is 1999 the greatest movie year ever?” has been asked a lot. The question I ask back is- is it even the greatest movie year of the decade? Maybe. Read to find out.

10- 1991

Essential films: The Silence of the Lambs, Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Cape Fear, Beauty and the Beast, The Fisher King, Point Break, Boyz n the Hood, Barton Fink, Thelma and Louise, JFK, My Own Private Idaho, Bugsy, The Doors, Naked Lunch, Jungle Fever

The Silence of the Lambs is the big one here. After that, it kinda peters out. There’s a reason it became just the third film to sweep the big 5 oscar categories. Besides that, there’s Judgement Day, wildly considered to be one of the greatest sequels and action movies of all time. Barton Fink is one of the Coens’ most under appreciated works. Cape Fear is one of the all time greatest remakes and features an elite De Niro role. Oliver Stone had a big year with JFK and The Doors. There’s stuff from Spike Lee, David Cronenberg, the late John Singleton, Kathryn Bigelow, and Gus van Sant. That’s about it, which is still pretty strong considering how easily it’s the worst year on this list

Best Film: The Silence of the Lambs. How many films can spawn a legendary line that isn’t even in the movie, not even as a misquote?

9- 1992

Essential films: Unforgiven, Reservoir Dogs, Malcolm X, A Few Good Men, A League of Their Own, Glengarry Glen Ross, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Scent of a Woman, Basic Instinct, Aladdin, Batman Returns, Wayne’s World, The Crying Game, The Player, My Cousin Vinny, Candyman, Howard’s End, Chaplin, Alien 3.

Despite being one of the weakest of the 90s, some great stuff came out of 1992. Lauded films by Spike Lee, Robert Altman, and Francis Ford Coppola (well at least it’s lauded in relation to most of his other stuff) were released. The best picture winner was Eastwood’s Unforgiven, which has been held up as one of his greatest works. A pair of famous quotes (“Coffee is for closers” and “YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH”) and Danny Devito’s Penguin round out the reasons that this is still a great year. But the major thing here is the beginning of the career of one Quentin Tarantino. He broke onto the scene with Reservoir Dogs, an era-defining work and still one of his best films. Another career, that of the great David Fincher, began as well with Alien 3, albeit less auspiciously. You’ll see more of him on this list, though.

Best film: Reservoir Dogs, even leaving the influence of it out of it.

8- 1996

Essential films: Fargo, Scream, Independence Day, The English Patient, The People vs Larry Flynt, From Dusk Till Dawn, Mission: Impossible, Jerry Maguire, Trainspotting, Space Jam, Sling Blade, The Birdcage, Mars Attacks, Happy Gilmore, Romeo + Juliet, Swingers, The Rock, Bottle Rocket, Hard Eight, The Cable Guy, Black Sheep

1996 is notable because there’s a lot that’s entered popular culture due to sheer ridiculousness: see Burton’s Mars Attacks, Jim Carrey and Adam Sandler vehicles The Cable Guy and Happy Gilmore, and of course, Space Jam. This is a great year, not because of the great films, but because of the interesting ones. Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet is one of the weirder Shakespeare adaptations out there, and it also helped launch the career of Leonardo DiCaprio, The Rock is Michael Bay before the Michael Bay-ness of it all got to his head, The Birdcage is a Mike Nichols comedy about a gay couple, played by Robin Williams and Nathan Lane, From Dusk Till Dawn stars George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino, The People vs Larry Flynt is a movie by Milos Forman starring Woody Harrelson as a porn producer. The Mission: Impossible franchise started here, which is worth something, and Trainspotting launched the careers of Danny Boyle and Ewan McGregor. Cuba Gooding Jr won an oscar for Jerry Maguire. This year also saw the debuts of not one, but two legendary auteurs with the last name of Anderson. Paul Thomas’ Hard Eight and Wes’ Bottle Rocket are similarly shoved towards the bottom of their respective outputs today, but they mark the arrival of tremendous talent. The true greatness of this year lies in The Coen Brothers’ dark masterpiece Fargo and Wes Craven’s seminal (for better or for worse) Scream. Both movies are unique and original in tone (well, Scream was until they made 3 sequels and a million unofficial remakes) and carry this year.

Best Film: It’s Fargo, but the temptation to go with Scream just because is hard to resist.

7- 1993

Essential films: Schindler’s List, Jurassic Park, The Piano, The Fugitive, True Romance, Demolition Man, Mrs. Doubtfire, Groundhog Day, Dazed and Confused, Philadelphia, A Bronx Tale, Carlito’s Way, The Age of Innocence, Short Cuts, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Coneheads, Super Mario Bros.

The inclusion of legendary classics Coneheads and Super Mario Bros help 1993, but despite these enduring masterworks, the year belongs to Stephen Spielberg. The man made his greatest, most soul-crushing work and one of his most exhilirating, dinosaur-oriented classics in the same year. That’s incredible. He deservedly took home Best Picture and Best Director for Schindler’s List, miraculously beating out Coneheads auteur Steve Barron (I had to look that one up). This year also features the likes of Robert De Niro’s directorial debut A Bronx Tale, Altman Resurgence staple Short Cuts, Jane Campion’s acclaimed historical drama The Piano, and Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused, which is notable for being one of the only Linklater films set over a rational period of time. True Romance is fascinating: written by Quentin Tarantino, directed by Tony Scott, and starring the likes of Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Val Kilmer, Dennis Hopper (who’s also Bowser in Super Mario Bros.), Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt, Samuel L Jackson, Christopher Walken, and James Gandolfini. Scorsese and Daniel Day Lewis teamed up to adapt Edith Wharton. Leonardo DiCaprio earned his first critical attention for What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. Groundhog Day is one of the funniest movies ever and it’s one of three contenders for the best Bill Murray performance (Caddyshack and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou). I left a lot out of that write up, but at least I got to make my jokes about the Super Mario Bros movie.

Best Film: Super Ma- Schindler’s List. I meant Schindler’s List.

6- 1998

Essential Films: Saving Private Ryan, The Thin Red Line, The Big Lebowski, American History X, The Truman Show, Rushmore, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Antz, A Bug’s Life, Armageddon, Deep Impact, Shakespeare in Love, Blade, Out of Sight, There’s Something About Mary, Pi

1998 is a year of doubles. Two famous war films in Saving Private Ryan and The Thin Red Line. Two movies about space rocks coming to destroy earth with Armageddon and Deep Impact. Two talking ant movies in A Bug’s Life and Antz. That’s a strange list. Darren Aronofsky also debuted with Pi and Edward Norton established himself as a force to be reckoned with in American History X. Steven Soderbergh made one of his most renowned films in Out of Sight. Rushmore is the first true Wes Anderson film and still one of his best. It also gave us the line “OR they?”, which is a gift to mankind. The Truman Show features one of the most prominent Jim Carrey Dramatic Roles and also Ed Harris. The guy who directed There’s Something About Mary also did the most recent best picture winner, so blech. Now here are, in rough order, the top 10 quotes from The Big Lebowski, with no explanation.

10- What do you mean I brought it bowling, dude? I didn’t rent it shoes. I’m not buying it a f**ing beer. He’s not taking your f**ing turn, dude.

9- Is this your homework, Larry?

8- Nice marmot.

7- Obviously, you’re not a golfer.

6- Eight year olds, dude.

5- Mr Treehorn treats objects like women, man.

4- Careful man, there’s a beverage here.

3- You want a toe? I can get you a toe.

2- It’s a league game, Smokey.

1- He fixes the cable?

Best Film: Lebowski. If you’d say Saving Private Ryan, which is truly a great film, then that’s just like, your opinion, man. Sorry.

5- 1990

Essential films: Goodfellas, Miller’s Crossing, King of New York, Misery, The Godfather part III, Ghost, Dances With Wolves, Edward Scissorhands, Tremors, Jacob’s Ladder, Total Recall, Home Alone, Pretty Woman, Wild at Heart

Before I get to the fact that this is indisputably the greatest year in gangster movie history, let’s go over the other stuff. Misery is a great adaptation of an incredible book that features some of the best casting (and acting) of all time. Edward Scissorhands is one of the Burton-est Burton movies, which is a good thing. Wild at Heart won David Lynch the Palme d’Or. And now on to the gangster movies. Goodfellas is maybe the best movie in the history of the genre, in addition to being perfect in every single possible way and the best movie in the history of the world (I like this movie). King of New York is a wonderfully bats**t piece of absolute art that I also love and will totally write more about. For now I’ll leave it at this- it treats Christopher Walken as a leading man, which is rare but awesome, it’s the most stylized damn thing in the universe, which is also awesome, and I spent the entire day after I first saw it wondering if it was actually that good or if I was just tired. I decided that it is, in fact, that good. Miller’s Crossing is the third major gangster movie, which is the Coens’ only foray into the genre. It’s brilliant, complex, and it contains a scene of Albert Finney gunning people down from a burning building while Danny Boy plays. A perfect film. The final major gangster movie is, of course, The Godfather III, which is significant in that it is a Godfather movie. The renaissance of such a fantastic genre is what carries 1990 to its position, but it’s kept here by the rest of the year.

Best Film:

4- 1997

Essential films: Titanic, L.A. Confidential, Good Will Hunting, Boogie Nights, Happy Together, Jackie Brown, Face/Off, Con Air, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Lost Highway, Amistad, Gattaca, Scream 2, Grosse Pointe Blank, As Good as it Gets, Batman and Robin, Starship Troopers, Men in Black

Titanic won every Oscar known to man and made 6 trillion dollars. Whatever. On to the good stuff. L.A. Confidential is history’s greatest police movie (I will absolutely fight anyone on this). Boogie Nights is history’s greatest porn movie (by which I mean movie about porn. I also don’t foresee having to fight anyone on this one). Happy Together is one of Wong Kar-Wai’s darkest films, and also one of his most haunting and excellent (if you don’t know that name, learn it- he’s gonna come up a lot in the upcoming paragraphs). Jackie Brown is admittedly minor Tarantino, but it’s still an excellent film. Lost Highway is admittedly minor Lynch, but it also contains these two scenes so all is forgiven.

Austin Powers is one of the funniest movies ever made. Scream 2 is the only valid horror sequel. Con Air and Face/Off harken back to an era when action movies had intriguing premises. Batman and Robin gave us Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Freeze.

Best film: Boogie Nights. It’s Anderson’s best work, and as much as I love L.A. Confidential, I love Boogie Nights slightly more.

3- 1995

Essential films: Seven, Heat, The Usual Suspects, Braveheart, Toy Story, Apollo 13, Clueless, 12 Monkeys, Casino, Billy Madison, Leaving Las Vegas, Jumanji, Tommy Boy, Before Sunrise, Fallen Angels, Sense and Sensibility

Or, The Year That The Academy Shafted The Actual Best Movies And Opted For An Insane Best Picture Slate That Included Freaking Babe. That was the original title, but they thought it was too long and so they changed it to 1995. For real, Seven, The Usual Suspects, and Heat were all famously shut out of the category, so they had to give it to Mel Gibson. Toy Story would’ve been a better choice, by a lot. 1995 also contained 12 Monkeys, a Terry Gilliam movie based on a famous experimental short film composed of still images. Casino is the one bad Scorsese movie, but the muffin scene is funny so there’s that. Linklater kicked off his legendary Before trilogy with Before Sunrise. Wong Kar-Wai made Fallen Angels, which is essentially a sequel/continuation of Chungking Express that also happens to be awesome. Tommy Boy is so good. Seven is Fincher’s first real movie, and contains one of the best endings ever. The Usual Suspects is weird to talk about now, given director Bryan Singer and star Kevin Spacey, but it really is a great movie. Billy Madison is the best Adam Sandler comedy.

Best film: Seven. Pitt’s performance in the finale might be the best acting of his career.

2- 1994

Essential films: Pulp Fiction, Chungking Express, Quiz Show, The Shawshank Redemption, Leon: The Professional, The Lion King, Clerks, Forrest Gump, Natural Born Killers, Dumb and Dumber, The Mask, Ed Wood, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective

This is a lot of people’s pick for the greatest movie year ever, and that’s not at all a crazy statement- it’s certainly up there. The sheer quality of the stuff towards the top solidifies it in the top 5 or so. It does kinda peter out after the first few, but it maintains quality enough to get to this point. Pulp Fiction and Chungking express are singular, inimitable masterworks from some of the greatest auteurs of all time. The Shawshank Redemption owns. Quiz Show also owns. Leon contains the best Gary Oldman performance. Forrest Gump… is here. The Lion King is one of the greatest Disney movies (and arguably the second greatest Shakespeare adaptation, after Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood). This was also the year Jim Carrey made it big, with the trifecta of Dumb and Dumber, The Mask, and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.

Best Film: Pulp Fiction. But man, it’s tempting to go with Chungking.

1- 1999

Essential films: Fight Club, Being John Malkovich, Beau Travail, The Matrix, American Beauty, The Sixth Sense, All About My Mother, The Blair Witch Project, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Office Space, Magnolia, Bringing Out the Dead, The Green Mile, The Short Story, The Insider, South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut

Yeah, this is the winner. The Matrix changed Sci-Fi forever, The Sixth Sense launched the career of M Night Shyamalan (which only Haley Joel Osment can see now OOOOOOH BURN), Office Space is hilarious, and Being John Malkovich is a glorious piece of gonzo awesomeness that is one of my favorite movies ever. Spectacular work in foreign films as well- the legendary Claire Denis delivered Beau Travail, her masterpiece, and Pedro Almodovar was in top form with All About My Mother, one of his warmest, sweetest films and a straight up classic. Acclaimed films from directors such as Mann, PTA, Scorsese, and Lynch. The first Star Wars prequel came out. The Blair Witch Project is bad but it started a trend of a zillion other bad movies (found footage horror is a cancer) and made a ton of money because it lied to market it so I guess it’s Culturally Significant.

The two key films to understanding 1999 are American Beauty, the year’s best picture winner about how everyone sucks but everyone is also good at heart and so they all go to heaven, and Fight Club, David Fincher’s cult classic about a society gone to hell. I’ve written at length on my feelings on American Beauty and its falsehoods, misconceptions, and general crappiness, and I probably will again. The thing that gets me about these two films is society’s conception of them. Fight Club is seen by many as something endorsing the kind of actions seen in the film (both by people who want to see it that way and by people who are disgusted by it). American Beauty seems like it’s making fun of its subjects, until it becomes clear that it’s actually supporting them (why does this movie have to suck so much it makes me sad). The movie that is actually a satire gets no credit for it and the one that’s depressingly not is considered as such. And that’s the one that took best picture. Weird year. But an important one.

Best Film: There’s so much here and a lot to be said for and against it all. So let’s call it South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut.

92nd Academy Awards Preview

September is upon us, and has been for two weeks now, which means that it’s officially* awards season (*not officially). So, since this is a blog maintained by an oscars-crazed lunatic (my credentials include memorizing every best picture winner and also hating the whole thing), I’m going to go into depth, looking at pretty much every possible contender for awards. There’s so much to go through here, so this introduction is now over. On to the movies, of which there are several.

I will continue to update this post as awards season progresses.

The Two Popes- dir. Fernando Meirelles

Awards contending for: Best Picture, Best Actor (Jonathan Pryce), Best Supporting Actor (Anthony Hopkins), Best Director, Best Original Screenplay

This, in my mind, is the one to watch. Starring two beloved veteran actors playing noted figures and already getting rave reviews that indicate that it could contend for best picture. In addition to this, it has to be the heavy favorite for best actor for Pryce. He’s a fantastic actor who’s never won, and there is the Anthony McCarten effect- he’s penned the scripts for the last two best actor winners (Bohemian Rhapsody and Darkest Hour), in addition to 2014’s The Theory of Everything, which also won that award.

Harriet- dir. Kasi Lemmons

Awards contending for: Best Picture, Best Actress (Cynthia Erivo), Best Director, Best Original Screenplay

This is a biopic about Harriet Tubman, making it an immediate contender. Erivo was phenomenal last year in Widows and Bad Times at the El Royale, and seems like one of two major contenders for best actress (more on that later). And Lemmons has been around for a while and never contended for anything awards-wise. This one is a clear contender.

1917- dir. Sam Mendes

Awards contending for: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography (Roger Deakins)

Mendes has won already for American Beauty and this is his return to non-franchise movies after a couple James Bond movies. This is a serious best picture contender, but the one that it has to be the favorite for is cinematography. The legendary Roger Deakins finally won for Blade Runner 2049 two years ago and made his return this year with two movies. The first is The Goldfinch, which will not be mentioned in this preview due to being relentlessly crapped on by critics. The second is 1917, which is apparently shot in one continuous long take (or looks like it. Think Birdman or Rope). Maybe the academy won’t go for Deakins twice in such a short period of time, but that feels unlikely with this subject matter. Oh, and it’s a war movie, so that’s why it’s a best picture contender.

Marriage Story- dir. Noah Baumbach

Awards contending for: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Adam Driver), Best Actress (Scarlett Johansson), Best supporting Actress (Laura Dern), Best Original Screenplay

The reviews for this one surprised me, not because they were overwhelmingly positive, I saw that coming, but because it could be a big contender. This film, along with The Report, is one of the roles that signals that it could be Driver’s year to win, but the biggest chance this movie has at an Oscar is Laura Dern, whose role looks like her strongest chance to win one of these (oh please please god please). It’s also one of Netflix’s many films of note this season, with The Two Popes being the strongest. But it’s about time that Baumbach had a contender, and this looks like the one.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood- dir. Quentin Tarantino

Awards contending for: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actor (Leonardo DiCaprio), Best Supporting Actor (Brad Pitt), Best Supporting Actress (Margot Robbie)

I’ve written extensively on this film, my favorite of the year so far, already. Suffice it to say that DiCaprio’s career best performance should garner attention, as should Brad Pitt’s co-lead turn that will probably be campaigned for as supporting. Robbie should and hopefully will contend for supporting actress. This might also be the one that gets Tarantino his picture or director win, as it’d be a fitting one to award him for. The screenplay rules too. I love this movie.

The Irishman- dir. Martin Scorsese

Awards contending for: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Actor (Robert DeNiro), Best Supporting Actor (Joe Pesci), Best Visual Effects

Scorsese’s three and a half hour (too short, if you ask me) Netflix mob epic should be interesting. No reviews here yet, as it hasn’t yet debuted. DeNiro’s performance should be one to watch, as should Pesci’s. The material is perfect for an oscar contender, and it seems like the kind of thing that Scorsese usually nails. The most interesting thing here, however, is visual effects. The de-aging has been the subject of a lot of the conversation around the film. It could make or break the whole thing, and it’s the first time something like this has been attempted. It could be a big contender in that category if it all goes well.

Parasite- dir. Bong Joon-Ho

Awards contending for: Best picture, Best Director, Best International Film

Bong’s Palme d’Or winner has been called the best film of the year by many critics. After Roma broke into the race last year, earning 10 nominations and 3 awards, the opportunity for a foreign film to win has never been more real. This is at least a lock for international film, which South Korea has never won. If it were to win the big one, it would be the second Palme d’Or winner to win Best Picture. The first? 1955’s Marty, the first Palme winner.

Ford v Ferrari- dir. James Mangold

Awards contending for: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Christian Bale), Best Original Screenplay, Best Sound Mixing/Editing

Logan director James Mangold breaks into the Oscar race with this racing drama. It looks like the perfect contender, boasting everything from a period setting to Christian Bale. It has received praise from critics, including some who have pointed out that it feels like a strong contender for sound awards.

Joker- dir. Todd Phillips

Awards contending for: Best Picture, Best adapted screenplay, Best Actor (Joaquin Phoenix)

Look, I’m not gonna get into the discourse on this one (mainly because I haven’t seen it yet). But it’s clearly a major contender after its Venice Golden Lion win (the last two winners of that were Roma and The Shape of Water). Phoenix is the strongest contender here: he’s overdue for a win and would be the second person to play the Joker to win an Oscar for it. The film’s best picture chances mainly hinge on whether or not it’s perceived as “too dangerous”, which, I’m sorry, is ridiculous. I know I said no discourse but if a movie is taken the wrong way by someone, it isn’t the movie’s fault. That being said, I haven’t seen it. This is one to watch, for several reasons.

The Report- dir. Scott Z Burns

Awards contending for: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Adam Driver), Best Supporting Actress (Annette Bening) Best Original Screenplay

This sounds like a pretty standard Oscar contender- based on recent real events, well reviewed, about people searching for the truth about other people who are doing evil things and etc. Like I said, standard. But Driver rules and so does Bening, so I don’t know.

Pain and Glory- dir. Pedro Almodovar

Awards contending for: Best International Film, Best Actor (Antonio Banderas)

Almodovar! The legendary Spanish director is already a 2-time Oscar winner- he took the 2000 International (then-Foreign language) film award for his classic All About My Mother. More impressively, his 2002 masterpiece Talk to Her won Best Original Screenplay, the first foreign language winner of said award since 1966. For his 2006 film Volver, Penelope Cruz earned a best Actress nod. So what I’m saying is, his films have shown an ability to earn Oscar nominations. Pain and Glory sounds like a deeply personal film in the vein of Fellini’s 8 1/2. It’s an international film nom lock and a legitimate Actor contender. Don’t be shocked if it can sneak into the screenplay, picture, or director race.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood- dir. Marielle Heller

Awards Contending For: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Tom Hanks), Best Adapted Screenplay

Heller directed last year’s Can You Ever Forgive Me?, which earned 3 nominations. That film, however, was not based on the life of a beloved historical figure (it handled the story of a generally derided one). This is a Mr Rogers biopic featuring Tom Hanks. This is an easy one. Also, Hanks has never been nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar, this would be his first.

Jojo Rabbit- dir. Taika Waititi

Awards Contending for: Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay

Jojo Rabbit is, in the wake of its TIFF premiere, an interesting one. This is Fox Searchlight’s big contender this year, which automatically makes it one to watch. What We Do in the Shadows and Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi has, oddly, become an Oscar contender (YESSSSS), but things could get complicated: this has been getting seriously mixed reviews. Some critics are calling it brilliant, and some are calling it trash. The consensus emerging is that it contains a great use of a David Bowie song, so I’m trying to guess which one it is. Oh and also I’m worried that it’s gonna be bad, which would suck. This one is extremely interesting.

UPDATE: Oh boy. Jojo Rabbit just won the People’s Choice Award at Toronto. That solidifies it as a major player and a lock for a best picture nod. Last year’s winner, was Green Book, which… I don’t feel like talking about it but you all know what happened there. Jojo Rabbit instantly becomes impossible to ignore.

Judy- dir. Rupert Goold

Awards Contending for: Best Actress (Renee Zellweger)

Here’s the other half of the Best Actress race, along with Harriet. Zellweger is already an Oscar winner, but she hasn’t really been around for a while. This is a perfect choice for a comeback role- playing a famed tragic actress is total Oscar bait. That’s about all this one can contend for, though.

The Farewell- dir. Lulu Wang

Awards Contending for: Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress (Awkwafina), Best Picture

This is another interesting one. I doubt it can grab a picture nod, but it’s not out of the question. The other two listed awards are also maybes at best, but they’re conceivable. This one could really go either way.

The Lion King- dir. Jon Favreau

Awards contending for: Best animated feature (if they get off their stupid high horse and admit that it’s animated), Best original song (I’m pretty sure, I don’t have the energy to look it up for this movie.)

Blech.

Rocketman- dir. Dexter Fletcher

Awards Contending for: Best Actor (Taron Egerton), Best Original Song ((I’m Gonna) Love Me Again by Elton John and Taron Egerton), Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing

Egerton is the biggest contender here. He’s playing Elton John and, unlike last year’s Best Actor winner who played a legendary singer, did his own singing (Not bitter at all). He probably won’t win, as the Best Actor race is crowded this year. Song is another one that it could potentially win, because, again, Elton John. This is, however, a biopic, so it’s gonna be hard to ignore come awards season. However, unlike Bohemian Rhapsody, this one isn’t a drooling celebration of how its subject matter was the second coming of Jesus Christ (NOPE NOT BITTER THAT IT WON FOUR OSCARS), it’s more of an accurate depiction of the ups and downs of his life, which could hurt it. Anyway I love this movie and I hope it wins everything.

Little Women- dir. Greta Gerwig

Awards contending for: Best picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actress (Saoirse Ronan)

Adaptation of a beloved period novel directed by a former Oscar nominee and starring a beloved nominee (Ronan). This is a slam dunk for multiple nods, and it’ll probably be great. This is an easy one.

The Laundromat- dir. Steven Soderbergh

Awards contending for: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Meryl Streep), Best Original Screenplay

Although apparently, this one isn’t a big awards season priority for Netflix, it has an awards season pedigree- Soderbergh is always one to watch and that’s nothing compared with Streep’s stature. Another to watch, but maybe not a huge one.

Toy Story 4- dir. Josh Cooley

Awards contending for: Best Animated film, Best Original Song (The Ballad of the lonesome cowboy by Randy Newman and Chris Stapleton)

Pixar. Toy Story movie. 3 won for animated film, and the first two only didn’t because the award didn’t exist. It probably wouldn’t if they hadn’t existed. You can pencil this one in as the winner now.

Bombshell- dir. Jay Roach

Awards contending for: Best Picture, Best original screenplay, Best actress (Charlize Theron), Best supporting actress (Nicole Kidman)

Coinciding with the Roger Ailes miniseries starring Russell Crowe, this film about fox news employees rising up against the culture of toxic masculinity sounds like this year’s Vice- a film about the current political climate that should appeal to Academy voters. This is a bit of an unknown, as another one without any reviews out, so we don’t know how it’ll be received.

Us- dir. Jordan Peele

Awards contending for: Best Actress (Lupita Nyong’o), Best original screenplay

Nyong’o delivers- hot take time!- the greatest performance in horror movie history and one of the greatest ever (I’m a sucker for dual roles. My favorite Gyllenhaal performance is Enemy). If anything, actress and screenplay are this masterpiece’s only hope. In an ideal world, this would be a serious contender for best picture, Lupita would be a lock, and It Follows cinematographer Mike Gioulakis would get recognized for his stellar work. Give it all the Oscars ever. Sadly, that won’t happen. But for the moment when I was writing this paragraph it sounded like a reality, and that was fun.

Uncut Gems- dir. Josh and Benny Safdie

Awards contending for: Best Actor (Adam Sandler), Best Original Screenplay

Sandler’s dramatic roles have historically ruled (see Punch Drunk Love), and this sounds like his best shot at an Oscar. The Safdie brothers, known for 2017’s Pattinson-starring crime thriller Good Time, have, according to reviews, created a film that stays true to their distinct style and also has a shot at awards.

A Hidden Life- dir. Terrence Malick

Awards contending for: Best Picture, Best Director, Best cinematography

Malick’s best-reviewed film since 2011’s The Tree of Life is consequently his biggest contender. Yet, it’s kind of a longshot- Malick’s recent work hasn’t attracted academy attention and it isn’t really being pushed hard. Still, it’s definitely one to watch.

Dolemite is my Name- dir. Craig Brewer

Awards contending for: Best Actor (Eddie Murphy), Best original screenplay

Netflix’s Rudy Ray Moore biopic could land Murphy his second Oscar nod (after Dreamgirls). This would be his first lead actor nomination, which is realistic because it’s a biopic, which is the only way you’re allowed to be nominated for Oscars. Not bitter.

Hustlers- dir. Lorene Scafaria

Awards contending for: Best supporting actress (Jennifer Lopez), Best adapted screenplay

In the wake of the stellar reviews of this film, with some comparing it to the work of Martin Scorsese, Lopez has emerged as an Oscar hopeful out of the blue. If the Academy is as kind to the film as critics have been, more recognition could be in order, and the screenplay category could be the place.

The Lighthouse- dir. Robert Eggers

Awards Contending For: Best Actor (Robert Pattinson, Willem Dafoe), Best Cinematography

The Witch director Robert Eggers returns after four years with this awesome-looking psychological nightmare. I’m not sure if this can really break into the Oscar race, but maybe. And it’s gonna rule.

Just Mercy- dir. Destin Daniel Cretton

Awards Contending For: Best actor (Michael B Jordan), Best Supporting Actor (Jamie Foxx), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Picture

Foxx is the big contender here, but I don’t think you can rule it out for other awards. By the way, we’ve long ago reached the portion where all of these are longshots in everything, especially Best Picture. But this one feels like it could sneak in late.

Honey Boy- dir. Alma Har’el

Awards Contending For: Best supporting actor (Shia LaBeouf), Best Original Screenplay

This film, in which Shia LaBeouf plays his own abusive father, could get him some consideration. I’m not sure if it can get anything above that, but it’s worth noting.

Avengers: Endgame- dir. Anthony Russo and Joe Russo

Awards Contending For: Best Visual Effects, Best Picture, Best Actor (Robert Downey Jr)

Outside of visual effects, this probably won’t be nominated for anything. The best actor field is too crowded for Downey to sneak in, and it doesn’t have the cultural pull that brought Black Panther into the best picture fold. Still, it’s worth mentioning this because of its immense popularity and the fact that people think that it deserves Oscars because it capped off a 10 year run of superhero movies (not bitter. Although I did love this movie for that reason, even though I don’t think it should garner Oscar nods).

The Aeronauts- dir. Tom Harper

Awards contending for: Best Picture, Best Actress (Felicity Jones), Best supporting actor (Eddie Redmayne)

I think that this one is gonna get attention- it feels like the kind of bland period thing that the Oscars love. And apparently Jones is pretty good.

Motherless Brooklyn- dir. Edward Norton

Awards contending for: Best picture, Best Actor (Norton), Best Original Song (Daily Battles by Thom Yorke)

The reviews here aren’t very good, which isn’t a good sign, but the fact that it’s Norton’s passion project still holds weight. Apparently the song is great. I haven’t heard it but it sounds like it’s gonna contend.

Cats- dir. Tom Hooper

Awards contending for: Best Picture, Best Visual Effects, probably more

I’m dead serious. I had this pegged as best picture material since it was announced. It’s a musical, it’s directed by perennial Oscar bait peddler Tom Hooper, and it’s gonna suck (I was scared of this movie BEFORE IT WAS COOL). Then the trailer came along and made it a joke. But I still think it’s a contender for all the same reasons as before. And it’s guaranteed to win for DIGITAL FUR TECHNOLOGY.

This concludes the awards preview, in which I’ve covered 33 films. Which means I left at least one massive contender off that nobody sees coming. Because the Oscars are dumb. And yet I still love them. I’m gonna go lie down.

Spirited Away: A Brilliant, Beautiful Film That Everyone Should See

I have decided to write about Hayao Miyazaki’s 2001 masterpiece Spirited Away. This is not for any particular reason. I just felt like writing about it. This, I think, is a good example of why the film is so great- it strikes you randomly, with no warning, and for no reason. What comes to mind, what you think back on fondly at random times, are the little things about the film- bits of story or random, totally unnecessary characters. Spirited Away is an astounding, terrifically moving work, and yet the little things are what stays with you the most. This is because, in a way, this is a film composed entirely of little things. That’s the beauty of it- for such a big film- big in terms of scope, in terms of the world it’s about- it’s a film made up of small things.

Miyazaki knew this. When he made the film, he knew exactly what he was doing. The small stuff was all intentional, to the point where it even has a name- Miyazaki has historically used the term “ma” to describe the small, almost unnecessary details and scenes that pop up so often in this film. The ma in the film is what makes it, it’s what creates the world of the film in such vivid detail. Well, that and the animation.

Ironically enough, Spirited Away’s animation style is the thing that probably drives the most people away from it, as a lot of American viewers are reluctant to watch anime films. If you number among these people, allow me to say that it’s your loss. LOOK AT IT.

Sorry, I got carried away. Anyway, it’s all hand-drawn. Ridiculous. Watch it now. Yet for all of its visual brilliance, that’s not all there is to this film. The animation creates a world, the story solidifies it and quickly proves that it deserves it. The characters are rich, and their motivations, although simple, drive the story forward in interesting ways. Take the character of No-Face. No-Face does not speak. No-Face is presented as completely outside of society. He’s completely alone, and yet he sees an opportunity for friendship and changes instantly. And then when that fails he loses it and eats everyone. Weird movie, but simple. In keeping with the contradictions of Spirited Away, the simplicity counters the intricacies of the visuals perfectly. Another contradiction is that Miyazaki stated that he made the film for 10-year-old girls, and yet it’s become beloved worldwide by every possible demographic. Roger Ebert, in his review, argued that it was because stories designed for specific groups of people have a greater inherent universality than stories intended for larger groups. Isn’t that what people look for in movies? A way into another reality? That’s what Spirited Away does better than almost anything else. It transcends everything it should be- a kids film, an anime film, and honestly something that probably shouldn’t exist (hand-drawn. The whole thing). So ignore whatever preconceptions you have about this film, track it down and watch it. It rules. Look at it.

The best Robert De Niro performances, ranked

Today, August 17th, is the 76th birthday of one of the greatest actors of all time. His career spans his early work with Martin Scorsese in the 70s to his more recent supporting turns in David O. Russell’s films. His roles have become iconic- lines, scenes, and moments have become so indelible that they’ve etched themselves into popular culture permanently. He needs no introduction, and yet I’ve given him one anyway because that’s just how great of an actor he is. So here are the top ten performances of the one and only Robert De Niro.

10- Jackie Brown (1997)

My initial feelings on De Niro’s role as Louis Gara in Jackie Brown (and the movie in general) were lukewarm. the further removed I get from it, however, the more I appreciate it. In ways similar to Casino (not on this list. That movie sucks.), Jackie Brown features De Niro in an against-type performance. His character here is more timid than you typically get from him. Louis is a unique character in the film for that reason. Every other character is a typically Tarantino-esque, suave, smooth talker that’s always thinking ahead. Louis is pretty much a loser. He’s responsible for many of the best and most shocking moments in the film (parking lot scene, above) that don’t belong to Samuel L Jackson’s character. He’s a welcome presence in the film, and an interesting part of De Niro’s career.

9- The Godfather part II (1974)

If the thing that sets the first Godfather movie apart is the presence of Marlon Brando, the thing that helps its sequel is De Niro (in the same role, fittingly enough). He won his first Oscar for his portrayal of Vito Corleone in his younger years. The most impressive thing about this part, in my opinion at least, is that almost all of his lines are in Italian. Additionally, he does a truly excellent job of maintaining the character that Brando established in the first film. Whenever he’s on screen, the film revolves around him. It takes skill to build on such an iconic character and make it your own, and that’s what De Niro does here.

8- The Untouchables (1987)

Enthusiasms, enthusiasms. What are mine? What draws my admiration? What is that which gives me joy? That would be De Niro’s brilliantly over the top performance as Al Capone in Brian De Palma’s crime classic. He’s unfortunately not in the film that much, but when he is the quality skyrockets. Which is saying a lot considering how great it is. De Niro delivers every line with an insane bravado that completely makes the movie and creates several classic scenes (I wanna go there in the middle of the night AND PISS ON HIS ASHES, etc.). There may be more nuanced performances in De Niro’s filmography, but I’m not sure if there are any that are this fun.

7- Mean Streets (1973)

Harvey Keitel may be the star of Scorsese’s early masterwork Mean Streets, but De Niro steals the film with this completely bonkers turn. Here he plays a lunatic that doesn’t quite resemble his later roles in The King of Comedy and The Untouchables, but possesses an air of sheer madness that might make you think he’d make a good Joker. This film served as the starting point for his career and a stunning breeding ground for talent (David Proval, Richie Aprile on The Sopranos, is here, as is David Carradine) that remains fascinating to watch today, especially because of De Niro.

6- The Deer hunter (1978)

The Deer Hunter is a staggering, massive, emotional epic that is sure to resonate deeply with any viewer. Everyone here is in top form. Christopher Walken gives his best performance ever (the Pulp Fiction fan in me hates to say that, as does the Annie Hall fan in me), John Savage is tremendously and impeccably broken, and Meryl Streep is Meryl Streep. De Niro is the center of it all. He’s responsible for the most intense moments the film has to offer (russian roulette with more bullets), some of the most resonant (his return home from the war), and some of the saddest (NICKYYYY). He displays a brilliant range over the course of one film. He undergoes one of the greatest transformations in cinematic history (maybe even the second best in the movie). It’s an epic performance that perfectly suits the epic film.

5- Cape Fear (1991)

Never in his career has De Niro simply been this scary. He brings a palpable menace to every scene, even when he’s being outwardly friendly. His scene with Juliette Lewis, where he poses as her drama teacher, is one of the best scenes of his career. The above scene in the movie theater is a classic. He’s the second best thing about one of the best remakes in cinematic history (the best being the Simpsons episode that parodies it, obviously). He simultaneously oozes evil and charisma in a way he’s never typically done. Similar to the way he expands upon Brando’s Don Corleone in Godfather 2, he builds his own character on top of Robert Mitchum’s in the original.

4- Goodfellas (1990)

That is all.

3- The King of Comedy (1983)

There are elements of Travis Bickle in Rupert Pupkin, De Niro’s unhinged title character. In fact, it could be said that he’s the anti-Bickle. Whereas Bickle’s worldview is dark and nihilistic, Pupkin is an eternal and relentless optimist and opportunist. Bickle’s obsession is with (as he sees it) making the world a better place, Pupkin sees the world as a perfect place already: he wrongly views it as a world where anyone, himself included, can make it. In this way, The King of Comedy is maybe a more cynical film than Taxi Driver. It’s occurring to me that this would be better as a full-length post, so I’m gonna stop for now. De Niro absolutely owns in this movie, and that’s really all there is to it.

2- Raging Bull (1980)

In Raging Bull, De Niro creates a character so repulsive and awful that it’s incredible just how empathetic you become with him. We revel in LaMotta’s victories and suffer with his lows. De Niro creates a character with so much depth, but whose only emotion at all times is rage. This is what drives his every action, his every explosion, his every fight. Raging Bull is a boxing movie in two ways- there’s the actual boxing, and there’s LaMotta’s tragic and constant fight with everyone in his life. De Niro here is a person who is constantly fighting, that’s his nature, that’s all he can do. And De Niro does it so well that it completely makes the movie.

1- Taxi Driver

When I started this post, it occurred to me that I’d have to pick between Raging Bull and Taxi Driver for the top spot. I thought I’d go with Raging Bull, but when I thought about it, I decided that Taxi Driver was the true number one. Travis Bickle is one of the greatest characters in the history of American fiction, and he couldn’t have been without De Niro (who improvised his most iconic scene). This role singlehandedly created an entirely new character archetype- “God’s lonely man”, which has been seen in the likes of last year’s terrific First Reformed and Jake Gyllenhaal’s character in Nightcrawler. But nobody (although Gyllenhaal and Hawke are both fantastic) has pulled it off quite like De Niro. His insanity here is not below the surface and malicious, it’s well-intended and right there for the world to see. This is a man who has nothing to lose. This is a character of unbridled depth and a performance of unparalleled skill. This is De Niro’s greatest contribution to film, to art, and to the world as a whole. Decades later, it’s the crowning achievement of one of the best careers in film history.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Reviewed in Super-Spoilery and Obsessively Fanatic Fashion

As readers of this blog likely know, Quentin Tarantino is one of my favorite directors of all time. I, to some extent, love every one of his films. So his latest offering, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, was a big deal to me. The day leading up to it I could concentrate on nothing else (if we’re being honest, weeks is a more accurate term). My expectations were so high that anything short of a complete masterpiece would’ve left me disappointed.

Reader, I was not disappointed.

As for exactly where it ranks in Tarantino’s filmography, my updated ranking can be found here. But suffice it to say that it’s on the high end. It’s among my favorite Tarantino films, which places it with my absolute favorite films of all time. It dethrones Jordan Peele’s masterful Us as the best film of the year so far. It doesn’t merely create or recall a world, it is a world. A world so distinct and enjoyable that leaving it isn’t a lot of fun. So I’m not going to rush in exploring it.

Hollywood is many things, but the most notable thing it is is Quentin Tarantino’s depiction of an age that died with Sharon Tate in the summer of 1969. It’s also Tarantino asking us a question that many will find in poor taste: what if it didn’t have to end? Tarantino’s obsession with revising history began with 2009’s Inglourious Basterds, and it persists a decade on. The subject this time is the Manson family murders. Tarantino teases these throughout the movie, penetrating the deliberate atmosphere he creates with occasional reminders that there is a darkness lurking beneath the surface here. Take the sole appearance of Damon Herriman’s Manson- he can’t be on screen for a minute. For the most part his face isn’t even shown. But the scene is terrifying. This is the pattern Tarantino employs when he wants to build tension in this film- he relies on the history surrounding the events. One of the other brilliantly tense scenes involving the family is far less brief and far less vague- the danger is clear and present. This scene, in which Brad Pitt’s Cliff Booth visits the Spahn Movie Ranch at which the Manson family is residing, is a classic Tarantino masterclass in tension akin to the opening scene of Inglourious Basterds or the bar scene in Inglourious Basterds or the restaurant scene in Inglourious Basterds or the adrenaline shot scene in Pulp Fiction (you thought I was gonna go with Basterds again, didn’t you?). This scene is the centerpiece of Pitt’s performance, one of the best of his career. The other scene in which Pitt shows off his skill is the finale, which I will address later. But Pitt’s performance is one of many in the film. Margot Robbie is brilliant as Sharon Tate, 10 year old Julia Butters astounds in her tragically limited role, and stars who only appear in one or two scenes (Al Pacino, Kurt Russell, the late Luke Perry, etc) make strong impressions. But the film’s defining performance belongs to Rick f***ing Dalton himself, Leonardo DiCaprio. It’s his performance in this film that dethrones The Wolf of Wall Street‘s Jordan Belfort as his career best (something I’m proud to say I called from the first trailer). His meltdown in his trailer after flubbing his lines is an all time moment that will live on as one of the film’s most famous. The all-around great acting is what solidifies the film as a masterpiece, and it makes the film fun to watch even as it doesn’t really seem to be doing anything.

That’s where I think people will be divided on this film. For the vast majority of its runtime, nothing really happens. It mainly consists of its characters hanging out and enjoying 1969, or at least Tarantino’s 1969. But even if you (wrongly) dislike this part, you’re bound to like what happens in the film’s brutal finale. The murders at the film’s center finally happen… kind of. The day before the Manson family members descend on Cielo drive is gone over in meticulous detail, with every action of Dalton and Booth and Tate and her housemates described by Kurt Russell’s narrator. Then it gets dark. Cliff smokes an acid-dipped cigarette and takes his pitbull for a walk, Rick gets even drunker than he already is and relaxes in his pool. But not before taking some time to scream at some hippies that he doesn’t want doing drugs in his neighborhood. The hippies, of course, are members of the Manson family, intent on committing the murders the film has been building up to (a TV in the final segment of the film even announces that what is happening next is “the moment you’ve all been waiting for” in an extremely self-aware and tongue-in-cheek moment). Cliff gets back just in time, resulting in a brilliant and quintessentially Tarantino sequence involving pitbull maulings, the consequences of the acid-dipped cigarette, and Chekhov’s flamethrower. It’s glorious. It’s fantastic to see the Manson family get what they deserve, and it’s exhilarating to watch Tarantino’s cinematic prowess make it happen.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is essential viewing for anyone who loves movies, the era of history in which it’s set, and especially those who love the work of Quentin Tarantino. If it is indeed his last film, it’s hard to think of a more fitting finish. It’s full of references to his previous work (Antonio Margheriti!) and it’s so distinctly Tarantino-esque that, maybe more than any other of his films, you’d be able to figure out who directed it in the opening five minutes. It’s been over a week since I saw it for the first time, and I still haven’t all the way processed how great it was. This film is perfect. If you haven’t seen it already, go do it. Something this good doesn’t happen often.

Every Martin Scorsese movie (that I’ve seen), ranked

I need a few more days to fully come to terms with Midsommar before I write about it, and the thing I’ve been planning to write for a while about the films of Claire Denis isn’t all the way there yet, so in the interim I’m gonna rank some stuff. Namely, (most of) the filmography of one of my absolute favorite filmmakers: Martin Scorsese. When I say most of, I mean I haven’t seen all of his films. The ones that will not be appearing on this list are- Who’s That Knocking at my Door, Boxcar Bertha, Alice Doesn’t Live here Anymore, New York, New York, The Color of Money, The Last Temptation of Christ, The Age of Innocence, Kundun, Bringing Out the Dead, The Aviator, and Silence. Which, now that I write it all out, seems like too much to leave out. But I’ve already written all this, so away we go. Also, only narrative feature films. So no New York Stories, Shine a Light, The Rolling Thunder Revue, The Last Waltz, etc. This list will be updated as I watch more of Scorsese’s films. Anyway for real now let’s go.

Honorable mention- Quiz Show

I’d like to use this opportunity as a reminder of two things- Martin Scorsese is in Quiz Show, and Quiz Show rules. I promise the list is about to start.

14- Casino (1995)

Blech. I don’t understand what people love about this movie. I mean, it has its moments. Joe Pesci’s narration cutting out mid-sentence because of his character’s death is straight-up brilliant. The blueberries scene is good. There’s a Saul Bass title sequence. And that’s it. Casino isn’t exactly a Goodfellas retread, but it isn’t not. Everything great about Goodfellas is duller and more mediocre here. The narration is overdone. De Niro is more subdued, less dynamic. Pesci is playing the same character but… less. It’s just less than Goodfellas. It’s also too long and weirdly boring. It’s like a predictive text Scorsese movie, and that’s not a good thing.

13- Hugo (2011)

I gotta be honest- I don’t really remember this one. Which, while it’s true that I saw it when I was very young, probably isn’t that good. What I do remember isn’t spectacular. The feeling I got kinda reminds me now of a 2010s Spielberg movie- not bad by any measure, but really unremarkable (shoutout to Bridge of Spies, however, that movie owns). It gets a pass over Casino because Casino sucks. Hugo, in my memory, is unremarkable at worst. Everything above here is phenomenal, so there’s nowhere else it could’ve been.

12- The King of Comedy (1983)

11 out of the 13 films on this list are masterpieces, this one is just the least amazing. It’s De Niro’s best against-type performance, and the story remains extremely relevant. The King of Comedy was what Scorsese settled on when De Niro expressed his desire to do a lighter film, after the two had collaborated on Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, and Raging Bull, among other things. The King of Comedy is as dark as any of them. But much funnier.

11- Cape Fear (1991)

Robert De Niro being one of the greatest actors in the history of film is a common theme on this list (part of why Casino is so bad is because his performance really isn’t that good). But taking on a role made iconic by Robert Mitchum, another of history’s greatest actors and improving on it (I won’t get into that now but there’s an argument to be made either way)? That’s an achievement on an impressive level. De Niro’s tour de force here powers Cape Fear to the status of one of the greatest remakes of a classic film ever, but the film succeeds for other reasons too. Nick Nolte is fantastic, and the neo-noir atmosphere is just so much fun. It’s a perfect follow-up to Goodfellas– scaled down and not trying to top it. And in doing so, it creates something of its own, something fantastic and brilliant.

10- Gangs of New York (2002)

We interrupt this Robert De Niro appreciation-fest to bring you Daniel Day-Lewis. Day-Lewis dominates the film so much as the diabolical gangster Bill “the butcher” Cutting that he received an oscar nomination for Best Lead Actor (it’s totally a supporting role. A big one, but still a supporting one). It’s a career highlight that clearly laid the groundwork for his absolute best role in There Will be Blood. Outside of Day-Lewis, there’s still a lot in this one. Gangs is an epic film that was the start of Scorsese’s collaboration with Leonardo DiCaprio. It also features turns from Cameron Diaz, John C. Reilly, Liam Neeson, and Brendan Gleeson, all of whom are various degrees of great. It’s visually brilliant, which is even more impressive when you find out that there’s exactly one piece of CGI: the elephant (which they wanted to do practically!). At its worst, Gangs of New York drags a little. At its best, it’s a masterwork, an odyssey of redemption and honor that serves as maybe the most integral part of Scorsese’s chronicles of New York besides Taxi Driver. Scorsese is the best New York filmmaker, by the way. Sorry Woody Allen. Also, Gangs of New York is one of the most nominated films in oscar history to not receive a single award (It had 10 nods. True Grit in 2010 and American Hustle in 2013 also had 10, while the record is shared by The Turning Point in 1977 and The Color Purple in 1985).

9- Shutter Island (2010)

Mysterious, eerie, and dark as hell, this period stunner wouldn’t work as well as it does in the hands of a lesser filmmaker. While Scorsese’s films aren’t typically this genre-specific, he kills it with this one. Gorgeously shot by Tarantino regular Robert Richardson, Shutter Island is entirely atmospheric. And WOW what an atmosphere. I first saw this one knowing nothing about it except that it was directed by Scorsese and it had a great twist (it does). I wasn’t expecting the masterpiece of a slow burn thriller I proceeded to experience. It was after watching this that I first realized that DiCaprio is one of the greatest actors of all time (this was before having seen The Wolf of Wall Street and The Revenant). Mark Ruffalo is great as usual, as is Ben Kingsley. And MAX VON SYDOW is in it. It’s a perfect movie. Also, it’s almost a shame to mention this because it takes away from what a gloriously brilliant achievement the film is, but the twist is all-time. Up there with Fight Club and The Sixth Sense.

8- Mean Streets (1973)

Eighth place feels incredibly low for the movie that, in one scene, invented both movies and music. Seriously, watch it.

Oh, and also it was Martin Scorsese’s first commercial success and it launched the career of Robert De Niro. Richie Aprile from The Sopranos is in it. I’m not sure I have to say any more, but I’m gonna. It features a brilliant opening scene (below), one of Harvey Keitel’s greatest performance (although he is outdone by De Niro to the point that Scorsese replaced Keitel as his leading man in the next movie he did). It features brilliant examinations of some of Scorsese’s most important themes, such as masculinity and Catholic guilt. And it’s seventh on this list. That should tell you something.

7- After Hours (1985)

Is this the most underrated film of all time? Considering it’s directed by a legendary auteur and is solidly well-known, probably not, but it’s up there simply because it’s SO GOOD. The true essence of a midnight movie, this one works best when watched at night (In my experience, Eraserhead and Kill Bill are other great midnight movies, if you’re looking for recommendations). The brilliance of After Hours is that it’s absolutely nuts. Guy meets girl, guy goes to girl’s apartment to buy magnet, guy is wrongfully blamed for girl’s death, guy spends the night on the run, guy gets built into a sculpture that is then stolen. Not exactly a classic story. Directed by Scorsese, but you would never know it. He’s having fun here- you can see it in the camera angles (think the falling keys), in the general absurdity of the comedy, and in the fact that it’s focused on entertaining before making a broad statement about human nature. In this case, that isn’t a problem. There’s truly nothing like it.

6- The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

This list has been going through masterpieces since the 11 spot, but this is where it gets real. The Wolf of Wall Street is many things, which is only fitting because it’s a film that deals entirely in excess. The sex, the drugs, the length, the language (record for uses of “f**k” in a movie that isn’t about swearing), they all serve one purpose: to further the theme of excess. Jordan Belfort’s lifestyle isn’t presented this way by Scorsese just because, it’s to tell the story accurately. The story is one of American greed in its purest form. How quickly greed takes over and the kind of things it does to people. It’s like Goodfellas, if the violence were traded in for financial scams. Also, DiCaprio has never been as good and Jonah Hill is revelatory. The Wolf of Wall Street is a glorious, phenomenal sensory overload of a movie. One of the greatest films of the 2010s. And it only gets better from here.

5- The Irishman (2019)

Scorsese’s latest is clearly one of his masterpieces. It earns every second of its titanic length with brilliant performances across the board (Pacino is a god), masterful storytelling, and a brilliant commentary on human mortality. It’s a late-career work in every sense, but that doesn’t mean he’s slowed down. The Irishman could probably be ranked below Wolf of Wall Street, but it could also be one or even two spots higher. It’s a breathtaking feat of cinematic excellence, the kind of thing that Scorsese does far more often than he has any right to. Reviewed in greater depth here.

4- The Departed (2006)

*Insert depahted joke*. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk about this, my second favorite Scorsese movie. The plot is so genius, complex, and Scorsese-an that it’s crazy that Scorsese didn’t think of it (for those uninitiated, it’s a remake of Infernal Affairs, a 2002 Hong Kong film). With the combination of director and plot, the least The Departed could’ve been was only slightly great. Instead, it’s an all timer. Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio are equally brilliant as the gangster inside the cops and the cop inside the mob, respectively. Mark Wahlberg is awesome. For real, the only other place the guy is this good is Boogie Nights (another of my favorite films. Huh.), and you could argue that he should’ve won the oscar for supporting actor over Alan Arkin for Little Miss Sunshine (but damn is Arkin great in that). But the true best performance goes to the one and only Jack Nicholson (this has become a rundown of the greatest actors ever. All that’s missing is Brando). Nicholson is so unbelievably entertaining, over the top, and just plain great. I’ve seen it said that he tanks the movie and isn’t good. To that I simply say no. It’s one of the best performances of his career, and I understand the gravity of that statement. Also, in the last like 20 minutes it devolves into a Shakespearean tragedy. Huge plus.

3- Raging Bull (1980)

The greatest sports movie of all time. The (tied) greatest ever De Niro performance (I can never decide between this and Taxi Driver so I’ll call it a tie). The greatest study of self ruination that Scorsese ever accomplished (the two films above this are studies of ruination by other things). Raging Bull‘s one-two punch (sorry) of De Niro and technical wizardry (commonly referred to as the best edited film of all time. In my opinion, that’s probably correct, but Thelma Schoonmaker’s best work is the Sunday, May 11th sequence in Goodfellas. Rant over) cements it as a legendary work. It’s a boxing movie on multiple levels- sure, it deals with Jake LaMotta’s career inside the ring, but it’s also the story of his fight outside of it. And the technical genius of all involved elevate it into a masterpiece (in a way quite similar to the 2009 Claire Denis film White Material, which I will be discussing in a later post. Yeah I’m plugging my own stuff, so what?).

2- Taxi Driver (1976)

A visionary exploration of madness unlike any other. There’s so much going on within Taxi Driver: the film is simultaneously an indictment of the Vietnam war, the vigilante mindset, politics, and child prostitution. And yet it’s an indictment of none of these things. It presents them not positively or negatively, they are. Is Travis Bickle a hero, as he believes himself to be, or is he a violent psychopath? Is he actually lauded for his crimes, or is he imagining this reality as he dies? The film not only refuses to answer these questions, but it doesn’t provide a way to feel about it. It’s a film so important to cinematic history that anything else would feel like piling on. Peter Boyle, who plays “Wizard” in this, is the monster from Young Frankenstein.

1- Goodfellas (1990)

Full disclosure: this is my absolute single favorite film of all time. Nothing else comes close. So it was impossible for me to rank the films of Martin Scorsese with total objectivity. Even so, I have to feel that this would come in first if I could. It’s perfect in every way: Schoonmaker’s aforementioned editing is at its peak, Scorsese’s direction is as good as it’s ever been, the acting all around is brilliant. Liotta, Pesci, Bracco, and Sorvino turn in career bests and De Niro is amazing too. His facial acting in the bar when he decides to whack Morrie is completely incredible. That scene is a microcosm of why the film is so great- it’s the epitome of Scorsese’s cinematic sensibilities. That acting combined with the brilliance of the Sunshine of your Love needle drop and the use of slo-mo is a perfect example of the singular style that propels it into the annals of all time greatness. I could go on listing moments for days- Billy Batts’ death, the tracking shot through the Copacabana, the May 11th sequence, the opening scene, the third wall break, the Layla montage- but the point is already made. The film is perfect, and it’s the summation of Scorsese’s career and the highest peak he’s ever reached. And now we wait for The Irishman.

Alright, I’m gonna talk about Enemy for a little while

Before I begin, let me be clear that this is not just going to contain spoilers, but it’s really gonna be about spoilers. If you haven’t seen Enemy, go watch it without knowing anything about it. It’s on Netflix. Go now.

Denis Villeneuve’s 2013 film Enemy is peculiar, to say the least. In it, Jake Gyllenhaal (in maybe his best performance, second only to Nightcrawler) plays a burnt-out history professor who discovers his exact double in the background of a movie. He meets up with said double (also Gyllenhaal), an aspiring actor, who is a jackass who proceeds to blackmail teacher Gyllenhaal into swapping places so actor Gyllenhaal can have sex with teacher Gyllenhaal’s girlfriend. Actor Gyllenhaal and teacher Gyllenhaal’s girlfriend die in a car crash and teacher Gyllenhaal assumes actor Gyllenhaal’s identity. It’s a bizarre plot, and it creates a totally unique atmosphere of unease and confusion. No explanation is given as to any confusing plot elements, and it wraps up as an incredibly well-done thriller with a lot to think about.

Oh, I forgot one thing: Enemy concludes with teacher Gyllenhaal, having taken on actor Gyllenhaal’s identity, asks his wife (Sarah Gadon, in an unreal performance), if they have anything going on that night, because he needs to go out to his weird spider sex club thing (more on that later). She doesn’t reply, Gyllenhaal goes to check on her and instead finds A GIANT GODDAMN TARANTULA in her place. Fin.

So what I will attempt to discern, in the following series of inane ramblings, is the answer to this simple question: what the actual hell does it all mean? First, some background on the spider: spiders are something of a theme throughout Enemy. The opening scene takes place in a strange place (the aforementioned spider sex club, which I promise I will address in greater detail) in which there is a spider shown (as well as Jake Gyllenhaal). There is a very notable scene in the middle of the film in which a giant spider-like alien thing is shown atop the city of Toronto, the setting of the film (see image below). And in the climactic car crash, the camera slowly zooms towards the windshield, which is prominently cracked in the shape of a spider web. So there is some precedent for the spider at the end, it just isn’t clear what the spiders all represent. Or is it?

Obviously it isn’t. It’s a total nightmare to try to figure out what it all means, but I think I’ve landed on something. There are countless interpretations of the ending, and they all depend on where you stand on one important issue in the film- if teacher Gyllenhaal, named Adam Bell, and actor Gyllenhaal, named Anthony Claire, are two sides of the same person. Adam is the character that is introduced first. His life doesn’t seem to be going too great, he’s shown to be living in a small apartment and working a repetitive job. His apartment is dimly lit and illuminated by a tan-yellowish hue (this is, in fact, important). Adam is timid, and presented as something of a nice guy. Anthony, by contrast, is a brash jerk who spends his time lecturing his wife on the importance of keeping blueberries in the house (somehow, also important) and driving around on a motorcycle. His apartment is shown to be more spacious and, notably, better lit. The lighting of Adam’s apartment is the shade in which most of the movie is shot, except for the scenes in Anthony’s apartment- with a few exceptions. I’ll get back to that, as the main concern right now is if Adam and Anthony are the same person. In my opinion, they are, and here’s why.

Personality-wise, Adam and Anthony are polar opposites, yet physically they are the exact same, down to identically placed scars and, oddly, the same exact style of beard. One could make the argument that they are separated twins, but two things disprove this. The first is the beard- it’s the exact same. That would be a huge coincidence if they were just twins. The second is the better evidence. Towards the end of Enemy, Anthony goes to meet with his mother (Isabella Rossellini) who adamantly debunks the idea that he had a twin or even a brother. This conversation also yields a few more interesting things: Anthony has historically had trouble committing to women (SUPER important), that she’s proud of his good job, and that she disapproves of his “dreams of becoming a third rate actor”. So obviously, being an actor is not his primary job. But being a professor could be. This is pretty good evidence that they’re two sides of the same person, but there is a lot more. In every scene in which they are seen together, there are no other characters present. The only exception is when Adam is driving away from their first actual meeting and Anthony drives past him on his motorcycle… with a helmet on. Additionally, in the scene where Anthony’s wife Helen goes to see Adam at his work, Anthony picks up her call immediately after Adam disappears from view. Finally, after Adam and Anthony switch places, Helen asks Adam the question “How was school?”. Now this is a tricky one, as there is a case to be made that Helen realized that they had switched and, not caring, targeted the question at Adam. While this makes sense, there is also a different (and super long) explanation.

My theory as to what happens in the movie (up to the spider part) goes like this: Adam is the real person. It’s Anthony’s life that’s real, and Anthony is his actual name, but Adam is his actual conscience. He teaches history at a local college and on the side aspires to be an actor. He cheats on his wife, runs spider sex clubs (soon, I promise) and is just generally a bad person. His wife gets pregnant and, whether it’s out of a fear of commitment or a realization that he’s probably unfit to be a father, creates an alter-ego (Adam). In Adam’s life, he cheats on his wife with another woman and totally rejects his career as an actor (hence Adam saying that he doesn’t really like movies). It is stated that he has been absent from his talent agency for six months, the same amount of time Helen has been pregnant. His actual life, as Anthony, disgusts his Adam persona, who attempts to reject everything about Anthony (he doesn’t like blueberries, which Anthony is shown to love, as well as the movie thing). Helen, concerned, goes to see him at work and is shaken up, not because Adam looks exactly like Anthony, but because Anthony doesn’t recognize her. Eventually, Adam realizes that he can’t run from his life any more and slips back into his actual role. The car crash represents the killing of one split personality (the Anthony half) as well as the end of his relationships with other women, as his girlfriend is also killed in the crash. When Adam returns home, an important thing happens. Anthony’s apartment takes on the lighting that had been previously confined to Adam’s apartment for the duration of the movie. Why does this happen? Look at Anthony’s fear of commitment. While he’s Adam, his apartment takes on that shade to represent the sleaziness of what he’s doing (in abandoning his wife and cheating on her). Anthony’s apartment is more appealing, as it’s where he’s being faithful to his wife and doing what he should be. So why does the apartment take on this quality? He intends to return to his old ways. And this is where the spider sex club comes into play.

An unfortunate disclaimer- I cannot provide any guesses as to what exactly goes on in what I’m referring to as the spider sex club, but it feels like a safe guess to say that it involves the nouns in the title. What he do know is that Anthony runs this club. He is seen there during its only actual appearance in the opening scene, and his landlord makes a reference to needing to get back because he couldn’t stop thinking about it. The landlord also mentions that the key has been thrown out. In the final scene, Anthony opens a package that contains a new key. He promptly decides to reopen the club that night, leaving Helen alone (“I have to go out”). The club represents his failure to stay faithful to Helen, as right after he decides to reopen it, she turns into a giant spider. Or at least, I originally thought she turned into a giant spider. In my first interpretation of the ending of the film, the spider represents his fear of commitment. He sighs when confronted with it because he knows that, now that he has returned to his life, he has to face this fear. This isn’t far off from what I believe now, but it also differs in two major ways. The way I see it now, she doesn’t turn into the spider, she is eaten by it. And the spider doesn’t represent Anthony’s fear of commitment, it represents Anthony. So to summarize- the spider, representing Anthony, eats Helen following Anthony’s decision to return to his life as an underground club operator behind her back. This represents Anthony sacrificing Helen to pursue his own interests, and also his reluctance to commit to her. Anthony sighs after seeing the spider, because he realizes that he has to face what it represents: himself. He comes face to face with himself. Sound familiar?

In conclusion, Enemy is nuts. If you’ve seen it, I hope this makes it a bit clearer (even though it almost definitely won’t). If you haven’t, come on. My instructions were so clear. Watch it anyway, because it rules. Join me next week, or whenever I’ve gained the required energy (probably never), when I tackle Mulholland Drive. Also Jake Gyllenhaal is one of the greatest actors of his generation. Now to end this post the only way it could possibly end:

The 25 greatest shots in cinematic history

I should begin this list with a disclaimer: it isn’t really meant to be taken seriously. At some point the ranking becomes pointless, as some shots aren’t deceptively better than others, or it’s too hard to choose. This was a fool’s errand, and I don’t necessarily stand by my ranking. Except number one, that one is absolutely and indisputably correct.

There are a lot of factors at play here- how well they fit in with their individual films is a big one, as is visual stunning-ness (I think that’s a thing). However, because of the former, I didn’t feel as though I should incorporate shots from films I haven’t seen. So before the list begins, a quick look at a few absolutely stunning shots from films I haven’t seen yet:

Blade Runner 2049, Denis Villenueve, 2017

And now for the list (and again, this is a largely arbitrary ranking):

25- The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014, Wes Anderson)

Wes Anderson’s magnum opus possesses his trademark visual perfectionism in intense and overpowering excess. The use of color in the film is one of its more notable qualities, and this is on display in the above shot.

24- L.A. Confidential (1997, Curtis Hanson)

Curtis Hanson’s brilliant look at corruption in the 1950s LAPD, adapted from the James Ellroy novel of the same name, isn’t known for its visuals- the film is one of the all time greats (and very high up on my list of all-time favorites) due to the masterful character study at its center. And the culmination of the arc of one said character, Guy Pearce’s Ed Exley, takes place immediately preceding this shot. The moment that it’s associated with doesn’t entirely get this shot on the list- it’s pretty fantastic visually, too.

23- There Will be Blood (2007, Paul Thomas Anderson)

There Will be Blood is a dark movie (massive understatement). In this shot, the idyllic blue sky is violently interrupted by a manifestation of Daniel Plainview’s thirst for oil- an explosion of darkness, flame, and smoke that disrupts its peaceful surroundings. It’s hard to think of a better metaphor for There Will be Blood’s central conflict.

22- Kill Bill vol. 1 (2003, Quentin Tarantino)

I just want it to be known that the House of Blue Leaves scene at the climax of Kill Bill’s first half is an awesome, perfect scene in which stuff like this happens every so often and also hundreds of people lose limbs and lives in swordfights. Nuts.

21- Blue Velvet (1986, David Lynch)

I couldn’t explain the significance of the central metaphor of Blue Velvet in a paragraph that’s supposed to be this short, so suffice it to say that if you haven’t seen this film, this image isn’t as haunting to you. If you have, you know why it’s up this high. If you haven’t, you probably shouldn’t watch it unless you can handle some upsetting stuff.

20- Reservoir Dogs (1992, Quentin Tarantino)

Reservoir Dogs’ opening credits sequence is pure style- the slo-mo, the music, the close-ups. The first shot of said sequence is iconic, and it lands on this list as both a perfect intro to the film and to Tarantino’s career.

19- Seven (1995, David Fincher)

By now you know the finale of Seven- even if you haven’t seen it, you probably know what happens after this. But if you have seen it, it holds more weight- it’s the first shot that isn’t drenched in the perennial rain, smog, and despair of the unnamed city in which the majority of the film takes place. This is a reprieve from that, although it’s soon revealed that just as much sinister stuff can happen in brightness as in darkness.

18- Sunset Boulevard (1950, Billy Wilder)

Man, the guts it takes to open your film with narration from the main character’s dead body floating in a swimming pool. Sunset Boulevard was directed by legendary auteur and Super Gutsy Filmmaking Guy™ Billy Wilder, who completely redefined the American cinema for decades. Shots like this go a long way towards explaining why.

17- A Clockwork Orange (1971, Stanley Kubrick)

By FAR the most represented filmmaker on this list is Stanley Kubrick, and his A Clockwork Orange (based on an equally astounding book by Anthony Burgess) is one of four films to be represented twice (one of those was also directed by Kubrick). A Clockwork Orange’s opening scene ranks among the greatest ever- the slow pan back accompanied by Malcolm McDowell’s menacing narration and the chilling synth score form something legendary, indelible, and terrifying.

16- Moonlight (2016, Barry Jenkins)

This list’s most recent film, and a deserving one- Moonlight is, in my opinion, the greatest film of the 21st century, and one of the greatest of all time. Jenkins, between this and last year’s If Beale Street Could Talk (robbed of a best picture nod), has cemented himself as maybe the best filmmaker in the world, mainly due to his gift at creating brilliant and beautiful imagery, much like one of his greatest influences…

15- Fallen Angels (1995, Wong Kar-Wai)

…Wong Kar-Wai, who rules. There’s no way to differentiate between any given artistically brilliant frame in Wong’s masterpiece, In the Mood For Love, so I opted for this shot from the ending scene of Fallen Angels, a movie drenched head-to-toe in the auteur’s legendary and intense style, yet in possession of the same inner longing as ITMFL. I almost prefer Fallen Angels (well, it’s obviously not better, but I almost like it better), if only because of that final scene, which is one of the all time greats. The collaboration between Kar-Wai and longtime DP Christopher Doyle has rarely been better. The neon green of the tunnel that has been seen many times before in the film finally reaches its conclusion, its final purpose, before the camera pans upwards to reveal a glimpse of sunlight, a first in a movie completely bathed in neon and darkness.

14- Vertigo (1958, Alfred Hitchcock)

There isn’t much more to be said about Vertigo, the king of the most recent Sight and Sound poll. There is no misplaced step, no frame unnecessary. The scene where Madeline jumps into the water is incredible, because it displays this shot, illustrating the beauty of San Fransisco and the surrounding scenery before immediately depicting an attempted suicide. Alfred Hitchcock, ladies and gentlemen.

13- Apocalypse Now (1979, Francis Ford Coppola)

Apocalypse Now’s vibrant, surreal, and dangerous atmosphere is its most important quality, as the film’s crux is the slow descent of everything in its universe into madness, into hell on earth. The visuals of Coppola and cinematographer Vittorio Storaro go a long way towards turning the film into what it as become, as it has two spots on this list.

12- Fight Club (1999, David Fincher)

David Fincher’s dark visual style is incredibly effective in films such as Seven and The Social Network, but it’s at its apex in Fight Club. The best shot in the film is the last, as the film’s themes- of inner conflict and lunatics causing destruction- come full circle in the last scene. The narrator and Marla Singer look out on the mayhem that’s been caused, The Pixies’ Where is My Mind plays, “You met me at a very strange time in my life”, it all comes together to form one of the all time great endings. I’m just now realizing I shouldn’t have said any of that.

11- The Shining (1980, Stanley Kubrick

Out of all of the brilliant shots in The Shining (in the snow, “HEEEEEEEEERE’S JOHNNY!), this is the greatest and most haunting one. Kubrick deploys his trademark one point perspective and fames this scene in an unforgettable way. It’ll stay with you forever, and ever, and ever (sorry).

10- The Third Man (1949, Carol Reed)

Honorable mention to the final shot, but my love of the final scene will have to wait for another time. The one that makes the cut is this one, at the conclusion of the climactic chase in the sewers. Reed’s legendary noir puts Joseph Cotten’s Holly Martins through hell, but at the end of it all, there is a way out. There’s a light at the end of the darkness.

Ok I couldn’t help it here’s the last scene.

9- The Seventh Seal (1957, Ingmar Bergman)

Ingmar! This shot has ingrained itself into popular culture more than any other from Bergman’s legendary career (thanks Bill & Ted, I guess), and come on- it’s a guy playing chess with death. That’s awesome. This shot rules, this scene rules, this film rules.

8- Apocalypse Now (1979, Francis Ford Coppola)

The vast majority of Apocalypse Now’s imagery can be described best as haunting. The film portrays Vietnam as a hell unlike anything else, and it all comes down to that one symbol- the helicopters. They are the lasting legacy. Out of all of its most parodied moments, the helicopters rank near, if not at, the top.

7- Vertigo (Alfred Hitchcock, 1958)

One of Vertigo’s defining aspects is the revolutionary and hypnotic use of color. The use of green in this scene, when Judy “becomes” Madeline, is downright trance-inducing. It’s the kind of visual artistry that causes the viewer to experience a bit of the titular condition. On a side note, Hitchcock is one of the greatest directors ever in terms of visuals, and it’s a pity he didn’t make more appearances on this list (this is it).

6- 2001: A space odyssey (1968, Stanley Kubrick)

Well, here it is: the most visually stunning film of all time. This list could’ve pretty much been “Top 25 shots from 2001” (I held myself to 2). Kubrick’s supreme artistry has never been better, as he creates a masterpiece by stringing together awe-inspiring and astounding images. More on 2001 to come, but I’d like to take this opportunity to push my propaganda that HAL has one of the greatest deaths in movie history.

I mean COME ON.

5- A Clockwork Orange (1971, Stanley Kubrick)

Seriously, a fifth of the entries on this list are from Kubrick films, and one of the four from before the list. That’s insane. This Clockwork Orange shot is one of the best from his illustrious career. It frames Alex and his droogs in the background, their shadows occupying the foreground. It’s ominous, brilliant, and it does so much to communicate the themes of the film, which (hot take time) is Kubrick’s best. Don’t hold me to that, I could change my mind in favor of 2001 or even The Shining tomorrow.

4- Mulholland Dr. (2001, David Lynch)

I couldn’t tell you what Mulholland Dr is actually about, but it seems pretty clear that one of the themes is, in some extremely twisted way, being lost in the nightmare that is Los Angeles. This shot puts the figure at its center in at the very bottom, allowing her to occupy an extremely little amount of space. What fills the rest? Towering palm trees, telephone poles, and eerie light. Mulholland Dr is an astounding, dumbfounding, totally nonsensical, brilliant, perplexing film that makes no sense and compels an insane amount of thought (I saw it five months ago and still dedicate a lot of time to trying to crack it). This shot communicates both the alluring beauty and sinister atmosphere of the film, which is why I love it so much.

3- Ikiru (1952, Akira Kurosawa)

Ikiru, Kurosawa’s best film (fight me), culminates in heartbreaking fashion. The protagonist, resigned, spends his final night basking in the result of the only thing that he did in his life- his government work. He enjoys the park he helped make possible, and this act is the most fun he’s ever really had. It snows, and he gets one final moment of beauty in his life. If you needed confirmation as to how great this scene is, it gets homaged in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. For real, watch this movie, even if you’ve never seen a foreign film in your life. It’s so great.

2- 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968, Stanley Kubrick)

I’ve said all I can about 2001 and about Kubrick. This is one of the film’s most legendary shots, and with good reason. Kubrick’s one point perspective returns, and the sci-fi brilliance of the film shines through in this iconic, fantastic shot. It probably would be number one on the lists of most people dedicated enough to make one. But it has to settle for number two here, taking a backseat to…

1- The Exorcist (1973, William Friedkin)

C H I L L S. The Exorcist spends most of its runtime building to a conclusion in which nothing good can happen. It reaches that conclusion with this- the arrival of Father Merrin. This is the last thing that happens before the exorcism, and everything about it works. The silhouette of the priest, the streetlight, the mist coming from the house. Perfection.

That’s it. Again, I take no responsibility for the rankings except number one, which I completely stand by. Feel free to disagree, and if you take one thing from this, let it be that Stanley Kubrick was a god.

American Beauty: an infuriating and at times brilliant movie

Today I decided that it was time to finally get to watching American Beauty. The 1999 film won the Oscar for best picture, and is fiercely debated up to today, 20 years later. Some call it a classic, some going so far as to label it one of the worst movies ever made.

It’s kind of both.

There are moments, moments of phenomenal acting or filmmaking, that elevate it to the status of a truly great film (see Kevin Spacey’s delivery of “I rule”, which is one of my favorite movie moments ever and which I will be referring to multiple times). And there are moments, like oh I don’t know EVERY FREAKING SCENE WITH WES BENTLEY’S ATROCIOUS CHARACTER, that are war crimes and ruin the film. So what I’m trying to say is that my feelings on American Beauty, a couple hours removed from my first watch, are complicated. I’ve more or less settled (for now) on the idea that it’s equal parts masterwork and dumpster fire. So let’s get into why.

I’ll start with the good: the acting is among the best ever (save for Peter Gallagher and Thora Birch, who does have some good moments. Wes Bentley doesn’t turn in a bad performance, it’s just that the character makes me want to hurt something). Spacey (setting aside the fact that he’s an awful person who deserves what he’s getting) is amazing in this film, and deserving of his Oscar. His scenes are darkly comic and his acting is spellbinding (the line deliveries on “I Rule” and “Don’t interrupt me” are amazing). Maybe even better is Annette Bening, who was robbed of the Oscar. Chris Cooper, even though he’s playing Every Chris Cooper Character, nails it and steals all of his scenes as an abominable homophobic possible-nazi. The scenes concentrated around these characters are brilliant and eminently entertaining and thought provoking.

Which brings me to the bad. Some scenes, and there’s no better way to put this, SUCK. The plastic bag scene? GARBAGE. The scene where Cooper erroneously thinks his son is sexually involved with Spacey’s character (aged super poorly, by the way) due to a poorly-placed wall? STUPID AS HELL. COMICALLY DUMB. “Why did you film the frozen hobo? Because it was beautiful” OH MY GOD SHOOT ME IN THE FACE. This is a case of a film that thinks it’s super smart but isn’t (some took issue with Vice last year for the same thing, but that one actually is smart). It’s in these moments when it feels like Crash, which (unlike American Beauty) is wholly awful and has no redeeming qualities (OK, one: Matt Dillon is pretty great). Again, the Wes Bentley character is a pestilence.

So that leaves the ugly. Which, of course, is the movie’s treatment of its characters. It’s a great film when it seems like it doesn’t condone the actions of Spacey’s or Bentley’s characters. These are, like every other character, reprehensible, awful people. If the movie had realized this and depicted them as such, then there would be few to no issues. But it didn’t, so it ends up a deeply flawed movie that also happens to be really good. The ending seems to serve as redemption, of sorts, for Spacey’s character, or at least it establishes him as a good person. And this is where it lost me. Up to that point, you could subscribe to the interpretation that it’s presenting its characters as the despicable people they are. But it diverts from this and presents Spacey’s character as a hero, glamorizing the awful things he does for the vast majority of the runtime. This is without even mentioning the ugliest part, which is the Lolita-esque plot that feels as though it’s painting Mena Suvari’s character as equally, if not more, responsible. Also, Bentley doesn’t get excused for being a massive creep and total sociopath just because Chris Cooper’s character is far worse. Like I said, deeply flawed.

So American Beauty is difficult. I wanted to love it, and there’s so much of it to love, but there’s also way too much that dwarves that and makes it hard to view at as truly great. It ends up falling in the middle, getting a rating that’s pretty much average. Except it’s anything but. It’s thoroughly bipolar, with every scene being either great or painfully bad. The message it’s trying to get across is heavy-handed and feels wrong. Its morals are hard to get past, and it does feel somewhat dated. But there are spots of brilliance and mastery (I need to say this again: the plastic bag scene isn’t one of these). There are spots that feel like they’re taken from a masterwork, and they kind of are. Yet they’re also from a garbage movie. It’s still not super clear to me. Maybe it will be at some point. I don’t know. Whatever. I just love the “I rule” scene.

Looking back on some notable cinematic mothers

In honor of Mother’s day coming up in a few days, I’ve decided to write about some of the most touching mother-child stories in cinematic history: Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho and Notorious, the original The Manchurian Candidate and Friday the 13th, and Brian de Palma’s Carrie.

By now, you have realized that the word “touching” is inaccurate. So rather, stay put for some of the most… let’s say interesting mothers in film history. (Spoilers ahead for all those mentioned above, but I mean come on, if you haven’t seen at least Psycho, if not all of those, by this point, then what are you doing?)

The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

In a performance that should’ve won her an oscar (although nominated, she lost to Patty Duke in The Miracle Worker), Angela Lansbury portrays the mother of Korean War hero Raymond Shaw, a woman obsessed with only one thing: power. She marries a senator (reminiscent of Joseph McCarthy) and acts as a sort of twisted puppeteer behind his rise to power through fear. To this end, she brainwashes her son to carry out an assassination for political purposes. Shaw, upon having this plot revealed to him (by none other than Frank Sinatra), takes the somewhat extreme (although reasonable, due to the events of the film) step of killing his mother and the senator, before he kills himself. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that a mother who drives her son to this ins’t exactly the best. And again, Lansbury is completely fantastic.

Psycho (1960) & Notorious (1946)

As one could discern from pretty much any of his films, Alfred Hitchcock had kind of a rough relationship with mothers. In his films, the mother is almost always an antagonistic character, which is a product of his complicated relationship with his own mother. The two most prominent examples of this are in his landmark Psycho and his classic Notorious.

In Notorious, Austrian silent film star Leopoldine Konstantin plays the scheming mother of Claude Rains (in his best performance after Casablanca), a nazi war criminal hiding out in Brazil. When Ingrid Bergman’s Alicia Huberman gets married to Rains as part of a government operation and Rains finds out, his mother suggests poisoning Bergman’s character. While the main conflict of the movie is Huberman’s twisted relationship with Cary Grant, the climax of the film (and second most intense scene after the scene in the wine cellar) features Rains carrying out his mother’s plan and poisoning Alicia. She suffers throughout the remainder of the film before Grant’s character comes to rescue her. The conclusion of Notorious brings the film full circle in something of a typical, twisted, Hitchcockian romantic way. Yet the cause of the action that brings the film to its end it spurred on by the mother. This cements Hitchcock’s distaste for mothers in Notorious, and in doing so pushes the film over the finish line and creates one of his greatest accomplishments.

In Psycho, obviously, the mother/son relationship is a little different than most other movies. Norman Bates’s relationship with his mother is… intimate. In fact, a lot of the reason that Psycho works as well as it does, which is to say about as well as anything does, is because of the dynamic created by the hidden (or, as it turns out, not hidden) antagonist throughout the majority of the movie. The “mother” is responsible for some of the greatest moments in the whole movie, such as the brilliant ending monologue (she wouldn’t even harm a fly), the reveal of the real mother (one of the most frightening moments in the whole film), the murder of Milton Arbogast (the single most terrifying moment in the whole film and an absolute masterwork of direction) and of course, the shower scene (I don’t think I have to give any explanation here). While Anthony Perkins turns in a great performance as Norman Bates and Janet Leigh is exceptional as Marion Crane (well, while she’s alive), it could be argued that the mother steals the film and makes it what it is, and that’s a testament to Hitchcock’s skill as a director.

Friday The 13th (1980)

Speaking of villainous horror movie mothers who spend most of the film in the shadows (wow, that’s a niche category), you really can’t beat Mrs. Voorhees in the original Friday the 13th. Before I begin here, full disclosure: I’m not a fan of this movie. It has some redeeming qualities (holy crap, is that Kevin Bacon?), and is no way a failure, it spends most of its runtime trying to be Halloween. However, one of those redeeming qualities is the twist that the killer is not Jason, but in fact his mother. Sure, some of the impact is lessened by the fact that it’s an incredibly well-known twist, yet it’s a brilliant subversion of horror movie tropes. The effectiveness of the twist is due in large part to how unbelievably creepy Betsy Palmer is in the role. The movie ramps up the intensity at an incredible level the moment she is revealed to be the killer, and it does a very good job of keeping the intensity up until the final jump scare (a final jump scare that manages to be scarier than anything else in the movie, another niche category. More on that in a second). The character of Mrs. Voorhees does an excellent job of elevating the film, which speaks to the quality of the character.

Carrie (1976)

The scariest part of Brian de Palma’s classic Carrie is of course that final jump scare, but Piper Laurie’s character comes pretty close. Laurie plays the titular character’s fundamentalist Christian mother, a psychotic being of pure evil whose only purpose is to make Carrie’s life somehow even worse than her classmates try to make it. Margaret White manages to be perhaps the single most evil screen mother in a couple of ways. The first is that Laurie turns in an all-time performance. She was nominated for the Oscar for best supporting actress, but lost to Beatrice Straight in Network (which, I mean, I love Network a lot, but come on, she’s in one scene). Although Sissy Spacek turns in another legendary performance as the eponymous protagonist, Laurie steals every scene she’s in. The second reason that the character is so terrifying is simply the painfully sad irony of her: Carrie’s life is miserable, and the person who should be there for her to lean on is so awful to her that, when she’s just had the worst experience of her life (understatement), she exacerbates the situation by literally trying to kill her daughter. The previously mentioned mothers on this list are terrible, but nobody actually went that far.

I close with the absolute worst mother in film history. I am talking, of course, about Nancy’s mom in the original A Nightmare on Elm Street. I can’t even bring myself to write an entire paragraph about her. All the adults in that movie are idiots and watching them ruin the lives of their children is a special kind of torment, but she stands alone. Ok, quick tangent for a second: she KNOWS that Krueger is out there and she KNOWS what he intends to do, yet not only does she not believe her daughter, SHE INTENTIONALLY PREVENTS HER FROM TRYING TO SAVE HER OWN LIFE. SHE WANTS HER TO DIE. SHE’S FAR WORSE THAN FREDDY KRUEGER. So in conclusion, happy mother’s day, and screw you, the mom from Nightmare on Elm Street.