Achieving major critical acclaim early in a career creates high expectations for everything that follows. That was certainly true for Alexander Payne after Election and Sideways were hailed as among the best films of their decades and earned Academy Award recognition. A film school graduate who started by directing softcore shorts for Playboy, Payne quickly … Read more

Early critical success creates expectations that can be hard to meet. Alexander Payne faced that exact pressure when Election and Sideways were hailed as defining films of their decades and earned Academy Award recognition. A film school graduate who briefly cut his teeth directing softcore features for Playboy, Payne quickly made a name for himself … Read more

Society of the Snow / La Sociedad de la Nieve (2023)Director: J.A. BayonaScreenwriters: J.A. Bayona, Bernat Vilaplana, Jaime Marques, Nicolás CasariegoStarring: Enzo Vogrincic, Agustín Pardella, Matías Recalt, Esteban Bigliardi, Diego Vigezzi, Fernando Contingiani “This is a place where life is impossible. Out here, we are an anomaly.” On October 13, 1972, a plane carrying 45 … Read more

Society of the Snow / La Sociedad de la Nieve (2023)Director: J.A. BayonaScreenwriters: J.A. Bayona, Bernat Vilaplana, Jaime Marques, Nicolás CasariegoStarring: Enzo Vogrincic, Agustín Pardella, Matías Recalt, Esteban Bigliardi, Diego Vigezzi, Fernando Contingiani “This is a place where life is impossible. Out here, we are an anomaly.” On October 13, 1972, a charter plane carrying … Read more

Blazing Saddles (1974)Director: Mel BrooksScreenwriters: Mel Brooks, Norman Steinberg, Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor, Alan UgerStarring: Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Harvey Korman, Madeline Kahn, Slim Pickens, Mel Brooks, Burton Gilliam, Alex Karras, David Huddleston, Liam Dunn, John Hillerman, George Furth, Jack Starrett, Carol Arthur, Richard Collier, Robyn Hilton, Dom DeLuise Every few years someone declares “They … Read more

Blazing Saddles (1974) Director: Mel BrooksScreenwriters: Mel Brooks, Norman Steinberg, Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor, Alan UgerStarring: Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Harvey Korman, Madeline Kahn, Slim Pickens, Mel Brooks, Burton Gilliam, Alex Karras, David Huddleston, Liam Dunn, John Hillerman, George Furth, Jack Starrett, Carol Arthur, Richard Collier, Robyn Hilton, Dom DeLuise “It’s often said that they … Read more

“You’re just a kid, you’re just beginning, and you’re smart.” – The Holdovers Alexander Payne’s 2023 film The Holdovers chronicles the unexpected bond that forms between a gruff classics teacher at an all-boys boarding school and the solitary student he supervises during the Christmas break. The movie thoughtfully traces a relationship that begins in friction … Read more

“You’re just a kid, you’re just beginning, and you’re smart.” – The Holdovers Alexander Payne’s latest feature, The Holdovers (2023), examines the quietly powerful relationship between a curmudgeonly classics teacher at an all-boys boarding school and the troubled boy he chaperones over the Christmas break. The film traces a layered dynamic that moves from friction … Read more

The Color Purple (2023)Director: Blitz BazawuleScreenwriter: Marcus GardleyStarring: Fantasia Barrino, Danielle Brooks, Taraji P. Henson, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins The Color Purple has been adapted to the screen more than once since Alice Walker published her novel in 1982. The 1985 film version remains a well-known adaptation; this 2023 production, directed by Blitz Bazawule, offers … Read more

The Color Purple (2023)Director: Blitz BazawuleScreenwriter: Marcus GardleyStarring: Fantasia Barrino, Danielle Brooks, Taraji P. Henson, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins Over the decades, Alice Walker’s 1982 novel The Color Purple has inspired multiple adaptations across media. The book’s best-known early film version was released in 1985 under the direction of Steven Spielberg. Nearly forty years later, … Read more