Movie of the Week: 'Sorcerer' (1977)

The 1970's were referred to collectively as 'the American New Wave' for a reason: beginning with "Bonnie and Clyde" in 1967 and ending (roughly) in 1980 with "Heaven's Gate" and "Raging Bull", some of the best films ever made were committed to celluloid, fueled by decades of anger and resentment of Cold War-era America. For a wide variety of reasons, these movies were allowed to push previously untouched envelopes, and one of the most stationary averse of these was William Friedkin's "The Exorcist", which to this day remains one of the nastiest films to gross more than $500 million (until "Transformers 4" came along, that is). Frankly, the success of Friedkin and his grotesque horror film is astounding, and gave the young director enough Hollywood credit to do whatever film he wanted. That film was "Sorcerer".

Movie of the Week: 'The Prowler' (1951)

Part of the enduring power of film noir is its ability to capture the anger and darkness that bubbled under the surface of postwar America. Under all the triumphalism of the 40's and the forced sense of normalcy in the 50's, there lay a deep-seated sense of resentment that often reared its head from the shadows and permanent night of some of these noir pictures. There is perhaps no better example than eclectic director Joseph Losey's "The Prowler".

Top 15 American Films of All Time

The evolution of American film is something that has been endlessly fascinating for me. Even after broadening my horizons with the revelations that were the films of Godard, Kurosawa, et al., I have always returned to American cinema. From the early days of D.W. Griffith to the present day auteurs like Paul Thomas Anderson, the evolution of American cinema, that often derisively-used term, is something massive, complex, and awesome to behold. Below are fifteen essential pictures that simultaneously define and reflect American culture and values.
Note: I've excluded the likes of "Citizen Kane" and the first two "Godfather" films because nothing new can possibly be written about them despite their respective unadulterated brilliance. Also, these are fifteen essential films, not the fifteen essential films, so read accordingly. Thanks for reading!

MOVIE OF THE WEEK: 'The Bride Wore Black' (1968)

All right, this is hopefully the first of many in a regular series featuring movies that deserve some extra attention. Inevitably, not all of them will be Great Cinema, but I'll try to keep it interesting with entries that might be a little off the beaten path for the casual moviegoer. Thanks for reading!

The Best Films of the Year (So Far)

"Locke"

It's been an exceptional year for movies, a point that will be driven into the ground given the glut of quality movies coming in the coming months. Fall is, of course, Oscar season, but this year it just seems like an embarrassment of riches. From big prestige pics like "Interstellar" and "Fury" to the artier likes of "Birdman" and "Nightcrawler", there's a little something for everyone. This is of course, a blessing and a treat, but it seems inevitable that some of the films from the other nine months might get lost in the shuffle. It seems now like a better time than any to take stock of what has truly been a magnificent year for cinema.