20 years ago today. Thanks to Scott, Adam, and Jason for having the vision to start this thing that changed my life.

Go see this incredible doc and take a deep post-film dive with a panel discussion that gives a local focus to this important issue.

Sinead got such a raw deal. The absolute bravery it took to stand up to the most powerful organization in history is unimaginable, and everyone who turned their back on her should be ashamed. I hope she now has the peace she was denied in life.

One week away from Sight and Sound Summer Vacation. What better way to start than the most effervescent musical of all time?

Why you should watch this: Arguably the best film musical of all time. A joyous love letter to Hollywood. Every song is an absolute banger.

Why you should watch this: Anvil Orchestra will be creating the soundtrack live, right in front of you. After almost a century, the editing still feels contemporary. A visionary example of both documentary and experimental film.

Why you should watch this: This is the girl. The dreamy fantasy of making it big in Hollywood vs. the corrupt reality. A riddle that spirals out of your reach the more you try to grasp it. Silencio.

Why you should watch this: It’s an anti-colonialist political film that’s also bananas sexy. Bodies shimmer in the heat like a fever dream. That last scene.

Why you should watch this: It dragged science fiction out of the era of rubber suits and paper plate spaceships. The best way to see it is on 70mm Somerville Theatre. Why would you still have an Alexa after watching this?

Why you should watch this: The unbearable longing of neighbors. Nat King Cole’s songs. Maggie Cheung’s dresses.

Why you should watch this: A ruthlessly honest meditation on family and the passing of time. Ozu’s minimalist style leaves plenty of room for emotion. Chishu Ryu and Setsuko Hara: the eternal father and daughter.

Why you should watch this: It was the top film for 5 decades. Just as relevant now as it was 80 years ago: An arrogant tycoon runs for public office hoping that the adulation of the masses will fill the hole in his heart because his parents didn’t love him enough. Sound familiar?

Why you should watch this: It’s the BLADE RUNNER of psychological thrillers: It bombed on release, but went on to influence everything in its genre. The IB Technicolor print is the closest you’ll ever get to how it looked in 1958. Barbara Bel Geddes steals every scene she’s in.

Forever grateful for havens like the Brattle Theatre to screen 35mm prints of WHITE HEAT and THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE back to back. They’ve shown more reverence to the history of WB than Zaslav ever could.

Why you should watch this: According to the 2022 Sight and Sound critics poll, it’s the Greatest Film of All Time. You won’t see it on a screen this big (or on 35mm film) any time soon. Everything falls apart very slowly, then very quickly.

If you saw WINTER KILLS Somerville Theatre this weekend, you should check out this doc from 2003 (I think from a DVD release?). The behind-the-scenes story is more bonkers than the film itself: youtube.com/watch?v=Xs7wxv…

Support seeing films in local theaters

The great Boston AA Film Fest (@baaff.bsky.social) has become a true multimedia festival with music and literature components in addition to film and series television. Many hidden gems to discover here, so check out their lineup and dive in. Happy 15th!!