Seconds (1966)
QFS No. 212 - Long drought of essays will be overcome by finally resuming periodic takes on films! We resume with John Frankenheimer’s Seconds (1966). Frankenheimer helmed some of the landmark films of the 1960s and ’70s and continued working into the 2000s. The great American filmmaker is one in a long line of great directors who started in television, working alongside the legend Sidney Lumet and, like Lumet, was influenced by the storytelling and production rigors required for the small screen.
Stand by Me (1986)
QFS No. 194 - To start the year, we need to honor a favorite filmmaker of many of ours. The truly tragic and shocking death of the legendary filmmaker and actor Rob Reiner has been on the minds of many of us for the last several weeks now. And while it’s important to mourn him and the horrific way his life unexpectedly ended, it’s also essential we remember him for all the joy he brought to our lives. And what an incredible life.
The Warriors (1979)
QFS No. 178 -The Warriors is one in a line of post-apocalyptic New York films, John Carpenter’s Escape from New York (1981, QFS No. 61) being one of the preeminent in the subgenre which we saw a few years ago together. Throw in a little Soylent Green (1976), I Am Legend (2007), Cloverfield (2008), the terrible End of Days (1999) and top it off with this week’s selection and you’ve got yourself the makings of a viable subgenre.
Empire of the Sun (1987)
QFS No. 177 - This year marks the 50th anniversary of Jaws (1975), the film that made Steven Spielberg a household name. So revisiting a Spielberg film feels like an appropriate thing to do as we approach the summer. You can make the case, as many have, that Spielberg invented the “summer movie” with Jaws. Empire of the Sun, however, is not a summer movie. I remember when it was released when I was a kid and the reaction to the film was lukewarm. “Lukewarm” or course, is a relative thing, given the stratospheric heights and expectations of a Spielberg film of the time.
The Italian Job (1969)
QFS No. 176 - Not to be confused with the 2003 Marky-Mark-starred remake of the same name, the original The Italian Job is your classic heist-crime-caper film. The movie is not Italian, unlike Rome, Open City (1945, QFS No. 174).
Terms of Endearment (1983)
QFS No. 175 - For our 175th film, the QFS Selection Committee chose one of the most decorated Oscar-winners in the last quarter of the 20th Century with eleven nominations and five wins, including for Best Picture. Terms of Endearment for a long time has been the most recent Best Picture winner I, your humble curator, have never seen.
Rome, Open City (1945)
QFS No. 174 - Oddly, this is our first QFS selection of a Roberto Rossellini film. One of the filmmakers who inspired Martin Scorsese (and whose daughter Isabella Rossellini was once married to Scorsese) and a pioneer of Italian post-war neorealist movement, his films have for some reason eluded our esteemed selection committee of excellence.
Chan is Missing (1982)
QFS No. 173 - Chan is Missing was the first feature film by an Asian American to have a significant theatrical release and critical reception – and it wasn’t all that long ago during most of our lifetime’s, 1982.
Out of the Past (1947)
QFS No. 172- You can’t possibly go wrong with two of the greatest faces and square jaws in movie history – Robert Mitchum and Kirk Douglas.
Devdas (2002)
QFS No. 171 - Devdas is probably the apex Bollywood film, the type of film that screams “Bollywood!” especially if you’re not from India and you think “what makes up a Bollywood film.” The most Bollywood of Bollywood films.
Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973)
QFS No. 170 - Sam Peckinpah is one of those filmmakers who’s beloved by a lot of people – especially filmmakers – and was known primarily for the Western genre, first as a writer then director. The Wild Bunch (1969) remains a classic (and violent) reinvention of the Western and a favorite of many. Straw Dogs (1971), The Getaway (1972), Convoy (1978), Cross of Iron (1977) are all revered in their own ways and I challenge you to find a better title than Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974).
Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
QFS No. 169 - Billy Wilder, one of the American greats, now can add another posthumous feather in his cap – three-time QFS selectee. There can be no greater honor. We previously selected The Lost Weekend (1947, QFS No. 84) and Ace in the Hole (1951, QFS 136), and this week’s selection Witness for the Prosecution has been on my to-see list for a while now.
The Seed of the Sacred Fig (2024)
QFS No. 168 -The Seed of the Sacred Fig has been on my list since I saw a riveting trailer and have read a little bit about the film. Shot in secrecy in Tehran, this will be our second film from Iran, after the terrific A Separation (2011, QFS No. 49), directed by Asghar Farhadi.
The Brutalist (2024)
QFS No. 167 -The Brutalist will be our longest QFS film selection, a full three minutes longer than Ben-Hur (1959, QFS No. 35).
Nickel Boys (2024)
QFS No. 166 - Here’s what I know about the film – Nickel Boys is based on a Colson Whitehead book, who is an author I tell people I’ve read but actually I have only had his Underground Railroad on my list for nearly a decade. And that concludes my knowledge of Nickel Boys.
A Complete Unknown (2024)
QFS No. 165 - Mangold, of course, is no stranger to big name music icon biopics, having directed Walk the Line (2005), the solid film about the life of Johnny Cash. That film earned Reese Witherspoon an Oscar for portraying June Carter Cash and a nomination for Joaquin Phoenix in the title role. Fast forward twenty years later and Timothee Chalamet is nominated for Best Actor with Edward Norton and Monica Barbaro getting nominations in the supporting categories.
Conclave (2024)
QFS No. 164 - It’s that time again – time to cram in a bunch of Academy Award nominees! Personally, I’m going to attempt to watch all of the Best Picture nominees before the broadcast on March 1st.
Lost Highway (1997)
QFS No. 163 - David Lynch, one of singular, most unique directors in American movie history sadly passed away this past week – a lifetime of cigarette smoking finally catching up to him. Graduate of the American Film Institute’s first-ever class, he was, of course, America’s only even slightly known surrealist or avant-garde filmmaker. Even then, Lynch could never be put into a single category.
Chungking Express (1994)
QFS No. 162 - Happy New Year! We resolve to watch movies and argue about them in a constructive manner!
Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)
QFS No. 161 - Yes, Umbrellas of Cherbourg (`964) may not seem like a holiday classic. But it very well could be!