The parameters of the exercise seemed simple enough: pick a favorite film from each year of my life. Progress on the series has been slow for an unexpected reason. I… Continue reading "Favorite Film Series: Jesus Christ Superstar (Jewison, 1973)"
There is an irony or a writer’s lesson or something to be gleaned from the fact that I started the “Favorite Film Series” because I wanted an excuse to write… Continue reading "Favorite Film Series: The Godfather (Coppola, 1972)"
I promised myself I would limit myself to no more than one paragraph about the films I didn't pick.
Claire’s Knee is my favorite film from my least favorite year of film history.
When we speak of our "favorite" movies, books, or music, repetition is the most common metric to measure our enthusiasm. There is an inescapable (if at times embarrassing) logic to that measurement. If I have watched Zoolander a half dozen times and Army of Shadows only twice, does that not indicate that I like the former more than the latter?
"Take your stinking paws off me, you damn, dirty ape!"
Some films go down easy. They become personal favorites based on fond memories of entertaining first viewings shared with friends and family. One revisits them with nostalgia or pauses from… Continue reading "Favorite Film Series: In Cold Blood (Brooks, 1967)"
Editor’s Note: In 2017, a popular meme on Facebook asked respondents to list their favorite films for each year of their lives. While I didn’t make a list at that… Continue reading "Favorite Film Series: A Man for All Seasons (Zinnemann, 1966)"
