Film Honors: 1972

My own personal choices for the year. They reflect not just necessarily what I think is the best or essential cinema, but perhaps resonate with me or inspire, both at the time, and still today. Subject to alter choices if new viewings are worthy enough. Other published Film Honors posts can be found at the menu at the top of the page.

Picture Editing

Cabaret
The Getaway
The Godfather
The Poseidon Adventure
Viskningar och rop

Actor Support

James Caan (The Godfather)
Robert Duvall (The Godfather)
Joel Grey (Cabaret)
Clive Revill (Avanti!)
Fernando Rey (Le charme discret de la bourgeoisie)

Sound Design

Cabaret
Deliverance
The Godfather
Images
The Poseidon Adventure

Special Effects

Conquest of the Planet of the Apes
The Poseidon Adventure
Silent Running
Solaris
Tales from the Crypt

Actress Support

Harriet Andersson (Viskningar och rop)
Stéphane Audran (Le charme discret de la bourgeoisie)
Eileen Heckart (Butterflies Are Free)
Talia Shire (The Godfather)
Ingrid Thulin (Viskningar och rop)

Set Design

Cabaret
The Godfather
Roma
Solaris
Viskningar och rop

Costume Design

Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes
Antony and Cleopatra
Cabaret
The Godfather
Roma

Directing

Ingmar Bergman (Viskningar och rop)
Luis Buñuel (Le charme discret de la bourgeoisie)
Francis Ford Coppola (The Godfather)
Bob Fosse (Cabaret)
Milton Katselas (Butterflies Are Free)

Cast Ensemble

Cabaret
Deliverance
The Godfather
Le charme discret de la bourgeoisie
The Poseidon Adventure

Screenwriting Original

Robert Altman (Images)
Ingmar Bergman (Viskningar och rop)
Luis Buñuel, Jean-Claude Carrière (Le charme discret de la bourgeoisie)
Jeremy Larner (The Candidate)
Éric Rohmer (L’Amour l’après-midi)

Screenwriting Adapted

Jay Allen (Cabaret)
Leonard Gershe (Butterflies Are Free)
Mario Puzo, Francis Ford Coppola (The Godfather)
Anthony Shaffer (Sleuth)
Billy Wilder, I.A.L. Diamond (Avanti!)

Score Composing

Ralph Burns (Cabaret)
Quincy Jones (The Getaway)
Nino Rota (The Godfather)
John Williams (Images)
John Williams (The Poseidon Adventure)

Cinematography

Thomas Mauch (Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes)
Sven Nykvist (Viskningar och rop)
Geoffrey Unsworth (Cabaret)
Gordon Willis (The Godfather)
Vilmos Zsigmond (Images)

Actress Lead

Goldie Hawn (Butterflies Are Free)
Juliet Mills (Avanti!)
Liza Minnelli (Cabaret)
Cicely Tyson (Sounder)
Susannah York (Images)

Actor Lead

Edward Albert (Butterflies Are Free)
Marlon Brando (The Godfather)
Jack Lemmon (Avanti!)
Steve McQueen (The Getaway)
Al Pacino (The Godfather)

Motion Picture

Avanti! (Billy Wilder) Italy / USA
Butterflies Are Free (Milton Katselas) USA
Cabaret (Bob Fosse) USA
The Godfather (Francis Ford Coppola) USA
Images (Robert Altman) UK / US
L’Amour l’après-midi (Éric Rohmer) France
Le charme discret de la bourgeoisie (Luis Buñuel) France / Italy / Spain
Nybyggarna (Jan Troell) Sweden
Roma (Federico Fellini) Italy / France
Viskningar och rop (Ingmar Bergman) Sweden

It was hard to argue with the direction taken by AMPAS in their voting in 1972. What were your picks for this year – comment below.

Film Honors: 1963

My own personal choices for the year. They reflect not just necessarily what I think is the best or essential cinema, but perhaps resonate with me or inspire, both at the time, and still today. Subject to alter choices if new viewings are worthy enough. Other published Film Honors posts can be found at the menu at the top of the page.

Sound Design

The Birds
Cleopatra
Jason and the Argonauts
The Raven
The Sword in the Stone

Score Composing

Elmer Bernstein (The Great Escape)
Georges Delerue (Le Mépris)
Bernard Herrmann (Jason and the Argonauts)
Henry Mancini (The Pink Panther)
Alex North (Cleopatra)

Actor Support

Alain Delon (Il gattopardo)
Melvyn Douglas (Hud)
Hugh Griffith (Tom Jones)
John Huston (The Cardinal)
José Isbert (El verdugo)

Special Effects

The Birds
Cleopatra
From Russia with Love
Jason and the Argonauts
The Raven

Actress Support

Patricia Neal (Hud)
Suzanne Pleshette (The Birds)
Joyce Redman (Tom Jones)
Lilia Skala (Lilies of the Field)
Susannah York (Tom Jones)

Costume Design

8½
Cleopatra
Il gattopardo
Mikres Afrodites
Tom Jones

Screenwriting Adapted

Pasquale Festa Campanile, Enrico Medioli, Massimo Franciosa, Luchino Visconti, Suso Cecchi d’Amico (Il gattopardo)
Alekos Galanos (Ta Kokkina fanaria)
Norman Krasna (Sunday in New York)
Irving Ravetch, Harriet Frank Jr. (Hud)
Keith Waterhouse, Willis Hall (Billy Liar)

Set Design

8½
America America
Cleopatra
Il gattopardo
The Raven

Actor Lead

Tom Courtenay (Billy Liar)
Albert Finney (Tom Jones)
Marcello Mastroianni (8½)
Paul Newman (Hud)
Sidney Poitier (Lilies of the Field)

Picture Editing

8½
The Birds
The Great Escape
Il gattopardo
Le Petit Soldat

Screenwriting Original

Rafael Azcona (El verdugo)
Federico Fellini, Ennio Flaiano, Tullio Pinelli, Brunello Rondi (8½)
Jean-Luc Godard (Le Petit Soldat)
Maurice Richlin, Blake Edwards (The Pink Panther)
Arnold Schulman (Love with the Proper Stranger)

Cinematography

Raoul Coutard (Le Mépris)
Raoul Coutard (Le Petit Soldat)
Gianni Di Venanzo (8½)
Leon Shamroy (Cleopatra)
Giuseppe Rotunno (Il gattopardo)

Directing

Federico Fellini (8½)
Jean-Luc Godard (Le Mépris)
Jean-Luc Godard (Le Petit Soldat)
Alfred Hitchcock (The Birds)
Luchino Visconti (Il gattopardo)

Cast Ensemble

8½
The Great Escape
Il gattopardo
Ta Kokkina fanaria
Tom Jones

Actress

Brigitte Bardot (Le Mépris)
Tzeni Karezi (Ta Kokkina fanaria)
Anna Karina (Le Petit Soldat)
Shirley MacLaine (Irma la Douce)
Natalie Wood (Love with the Proper Stranger)

Motion Picture

8½ (Federico Fellini) Italy / France
Billy Liar (John Schlesinger) UK
The Birds (Alfred Hitchcock) USA
El verdugo (Luis García Berlanga) Spain / Italy
The Great Escape (John Sturges) USA
Il gattopardo (Luchino Visconti) Italy
Le Mépris (Jean-Luc Godard) France / Italy
Le Petit Soldat (Jean-Luc Godard) France
Nattvardsgästerna (Ingmar Bergman) Sweden
Ta Kokkina fanaria (Vasilis Georgiadis) Greece

The year of Claudia Cardinale. And of course the flourish of excellence in European cinema continues in fine style. Leave your comments below on your thoughts on the film year of 1963.

Film Honors: 1999

My own personal choices for the year. They reflect not just necessarily what I think is the best or essential cinema, but perhaps resonate with me or inspire, both at the time, and still today. Subject to alter choices if new viewings are worthy enough. Other published Film Honors posts can be found at the menu at the top of the page.

Screenwriting Original

Pedro Almodóvar (Todo sobre mi madre)
Paul Thomas Anderson (Magnolia)
Alan Ball (American Beauty)
Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich)
Lynne Ramsay (Ratcatcher)

Screenwriting Adapted

Atom Egoyan (Felicia’s Journey)
Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor (Election)
Eric Roth, Michael Mann (The Insider)
Patricia Rozema (Mansfield Park)
Jim Uhls (Fight Club)

Costume Designing

An Ideal Husband
Mansfield Park
Sleepy Hollow
Titus
Topsy-Turvy

Set Designing

An Ideal Husband
Mansfield Park
The Matrix
Sleepy Hollow
Topsy-Turvy

Actor Support

Michael Caine (The Cider House Rules)
Chris Cooper (American Beauty)
Tom Cruise (Magnolia)
John Malkovich (Being John Malkovich)
Bill Murray (Rushmore)

Sound Designing

Fight Club
The Matrix
Sleepy Hollow
Three Kings
Toy Story 2

Actress Support

Lara Belmont (The War Zone)
Cameron Diaz (Being John Malkovich)
Angelina Jolie (Girl, Interrupted)
Catherine Keener (Being John Malkovich)
Julianne Moore (Magnolia)

Score Composing

Jon Brion (Magnolia)
Lisa Gerrard, Pieter Bourke (The Insider)
Thomas Newman (American Beauty)
Thomas Newman (The Green Mile)
Rachel Portman (The Cider House Rules)

Directing

Pedro Almodóvar (Todo sobre mi madre)
Paul Thomas Anderson (Magnolia)
Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne (Rosetta)
David Fincher (Fight Club)
Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich)

Cinematography

Yorgos Arvanitis, Andreas Sinanos (Mia aioniotita kai mia mera)
Robert Elswit (Magnolia)
Conrad L. Hall (American Beauty)
Emmanuel Lubezki (Sleepy Hollow)
Dante Spinotti (The Insider)

Picture Editing

Fight Club
The Insider
The Matrix
Lola rennt
Todo sobre mi madre

Special Effects

The Matrix
The Mummy
The Phantom Menace
Sleepy Hollow
Stuart Little

Cast Ensemble

Eyes Wide Shut
Magnolia
The Talented Mr. Ripley
Three Kings
Toy Story 2

Actor Lead

Russell Crowe (The Insider)
Matt Damon (The Talented Mr. Ripley)
Edward Norton (Fight Club)
Kevin Spacey (American Beauty)
Denzel Washington (The Hurricane)

Actress Lead

Annette Bening (American Beauty)
Émilie Dequenne (Rosetta)
Cecilia Roth (Todo sobre mi madre)
Hilary Swank (Boys Don’t Cry)
Reese Witherspoon (Election)

Motion Picture

American Beauty (Sam Mendes) USA
Being John Malkovich (Spike Jonze) USA
Fight Club (David Fincher) USA / Germany
The Insider (Michael Mann) USA
Lola rennt (Tom Tykwer) Germany
Magnolia (Paul Thomas Anderson) USA
The Matrix (Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski) USA / Australia 
Mia aioniotita kai mia mera (Theodoros Angelopoulos) Greece
Rosetta (Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne) France / Belgium
Todo sobre mi madre (Pedro Almodóvar) Spain

A real mixed bag of movies to close out the century, and a much greater showing for English-language films – scroll to the comments section below and share your thoughts of 1999.

Film Honors: 1962

My own personal choices for the year. They reflect not just necessarily what I think is the best or essential cinema, but perhaps resonate with me or inspire, both at the time, and still today. Subject to alter choices if new viewings are worthy enough. Other published Film Honors posts can be found at the menu at the top of the page.

Costume Design

Cartouche
Ilektra
Lawrence of Arabia
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Mutiny on the Bounty

Special Effects

The Brain That Wouldn’t Die
Dr. No
Lawrence of Arabia
The Longest Day
Mutiny on the Bounty

Actor Support

Giannis Fertis (Ilektra)
Karl Malden (Birdman of Alcatraz)
Anthony Quinn (Lawrence of Arabia)
Telly Savalas (Birdman of Alcatraz)
Omar Sharif (Lawrence of Arabia)

Sound Design

Ilektra
Lawrence of Arabia
The Longest Day
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Mutiny on the Bounty

Actor Lead

Tom Courtenay (The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner)
Burt Lancaster (Birdman of Alcatraz)
Jack Lemmon (Days of Wine and Roses)
Peter O’Toole (Lawrence of Arabia)
Gregory Peck (To Kill a Mockingbird)

Set Design

El Ángel Exterminador
Ilektra
Lawrence of Arabia
Le Procès
Mutiny on the Bounty

Score Composing

Elmer Bernstein (To Kill a Mockingbird)
Georges Delerue (Jules et Jim)
Bernard Herrmann (Cape Fear)
Maurice Jarre (Lawrence of Arabia)
Mikis Theodorakis (Ilektra)

Cinematography

Gianni Di Venanzo (L’Eclisse)
Walter Lassally (Ilektra)
Jean Rabier, Alain Levent (Cléo de 5 à 7)
Edmond Richard (Le Procès)
F.A. Young (Lawrence of Arabia)

Actress Support

Mary Badham (To Kill a Mockingbird)
Angela Lansbury (The Manchurian Candidate)
Jeanne Moreau (Le Procès)
Thelma Ritter (Birdman of Alcatraz)
Romy Schneider (Le Procès)

Actress Lead

Joan Crawford (What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?)
Bette Davis (What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?)
Anna Karina (Vivre sa vie)
Anna Magnani (Mamma Roma)
Jeanne Moreau (Jules et Jim)
Irene Papas (Ilektra)
Monica Vitti (L’Eclisse)

Picture Editing

Cléo de 5 à 7
Ilektra
Lawrence of Arabia
Le Procès
Vivre sa vie

Screenwriting Original

Agnès Varda (Cléo de 5 à 7)
Michelangelo Antonioni, Tonino Guerra, Elio Bartolini, Ottiero Ottieri (L’Eclisse)
Luis Buñuel, Luis Alcoriza (El Ángel Exterminador)
Jean-Luc Godard, Marcel Sacotte (Vivre sa vie)
Dino Risi, Ettore Scola, Ruggero Maccari (Il Sorpasso)

Screenwriting Adapted

Robert Bolt, Michael Wilson (Lawrence of Arabia)
Horton Foote (To Kill a Mockingbird)
Michalis Kakogiannis (Ilektra)
JP Miller (Days of Wine and Roses)
François Truffaut, Jean Gruault (Jules et Jim)

Directing

Michelangelo Antonioni (L’Eclisse)
Jean-Luc Godard (Vivre sa vie)
Michalis Kakogiannis (Ilektra)
David Lean (Lawrence of Arabia)
François Truffaut (Jules et Jim)
Agnès Varda (Cléo de 5 à 7)

Cast Ensemble

Birdman of Alcatraz
El Ángel Exterminador
Ilektra
Lawrence of Arabia
Le Procès

Motion Picture

Cléo de 5 à 7 (Agnès Varda) Italy / France
El Ángel Exterminador (Luis Buñuel) Mexico
Il Sorpasso (Dino Risi) Italy
Ilektra (Michalis Kakogiannis) Greece
Jules et Jim (François Truffaut) France
L’Eclisse (Michelangelo Antonioni) Italy
Lawrence of Arabia (David Lean) UK / USA
To Kill a Mockingbird (Robert Mulligan) USA
Le Procès (Orson Welles) France / Italy / Germany
Vivre sa vie (Jean-Luc Godard) France

Another great year, this 1960s phase is becoming something of a consistent classic era for cinema. What are your thoughts? Comments below.

Film Honors: The Films Of Tim Burton

I like to make all your lives easier so thought I would break down my own Film Honors featuring the films of Tim Burton in at-a-glance form. As you’ll discover, an abundance of mentions for many of his films given the technical flair Burton is renowned for, but no win for Directing or Motion Picture – with Batman winning a record 5 without either of those. Take a look if this is your thing:

Beetlejuice (1988)

(8 nominations; 1 win)

Sound Design
Special Effects
Set Design
Costume Design
Score Composing – Danny Elfman
Cast Ensemble
Actor Lead – Michael Keaton
Motion Picture

Batman (1989)

(10 nominations; 4 wins)

Special Effects
Sound Design
Score Composing – Danny Elfman
Picture Editing
Actor Lead – Jack Nicholson
Set Design
Costume Design
Cast Ensemble
Directing – Tim Burton
Motion Picture

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

(9 nominations; 1 win)

Directing – Tim Burton
Cast Ensemble
Special Effects
Cinematography – Stefan Czapsky
Costume Design
Set Design
Score Composing – Danny Elfman
Acting Lead – Johnny Depp
Motion Picture

Batman Returns (1992)

(8 nominations; 1 win)

Actress Lead – Michelle Pfeiffer
Sound Design
Score Composing – Danny Elfman
Special Effects
Picture Editing
Costume Design
Set Design
Motion Picture

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

(4 nominations; 0 wins)

Sound Design
Special Effects
Score Composing – Danny Elfman
Motion Picture

Ed Wood (1994)

(3 nominations; 0 wins)

Actor Support – Martin Landau
Costume Design
Cast Ensemble

Mars Attacks! (1996)

(2 nominations; 0 wins)

Sound Design
Special Effects

Sleepy Hollow (1999)

(5 nominations; 2 wins)

Costume Design
Set Design
Sound Design
Cinematography – Emmanuel Lubezki
Special Effects

Big Fish (2003)

(2 nominations; 0 wins)

Actor Support – Albert Finney
Costume Design

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)

(2 nominations; 0 wins)

Costume Design
Set Design

Alice in Wonderland (2010)

(5 nominations; 2 wins)

Set Design
Costume Design
Cast Ensemble
Special Effects
Score Composing – Danny Elfman

Feel free to comment below.

Film Honors: 1961

My own personal choices for the year. They reflect not just necessarily what I think is the best or essential cinema, but perhaps resonate with me or inspire, both at the time, and still today. Subject to alter choices if new viewings are worthy enough. Other published Film Honors posts can be found at the menu at the top of the page.

Sound Design

Matka Joanna od aniolów
One Hundred and One Dalmatians
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
West Side Story
Yojimbo

Costume Design

Divorzio all’italiana
El Cid
The Guns of Navarone
West Side Story
Yojimbo

Cast Ensemble

Accattone
Judgment at Nuremberg
Matka Joanna od aniolów
West Side Story
Yojimbo

Set Design

El Cid
L’année dernière à Marienbad
The Pit and the Pendulum
West Side Story
Yojimbo

Special Effects

The Absent Minded Professor
The Guns of Navarone
Mysterious Island
The Pit and the Pendulum
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea

Score Composing

Saul Chaplin, Johnny Green, Sid Ramin, Irwin Kostal (West Side Story)
Giorgio Gaslini (La Notte)
Michel Legrand (Une Femme est une femme)
Henry Mancini (Breakfast at Tiffany’s)
Masaru Sato (Yojimbo)

Actor Support

Gunnar Björnstrand (Såsom i en spegel)
George Chakiris (West Side Story)
Jackie Gleason (The Hustler)
Fernando Rey (Viridiana)
George C. Scott (The Hustler)

Actress Support

Anna Ciepielewska (Matka Joanna od aniolów)
Silvana Corsini (Accattone)
Rita Moreno (West Side Story)
Monica Vitti (La Notte)
Lucyna Winnicka (Matka Joanna od aniolów)

Picture Editing

The Guns of Navarone
L’année dernière à Marienbad
Matka Joanna od aniolów
Yojimbo
West Side Story

Cinematography

Gianni Di Venanzo (La Notte)
Daniel L. Fapp (West Side Story)
Kazuo Miyagawa (Yojimbo)
Sacha Vierny (L’année dernière à Marienbad)
Jerzy Wójcik (Matka Joanna od aniolów)

Actor Lead

Franco Citti (Accattone)
Marcello Mastroianni (Divorzio all’italiana)
Marcello Mastroianni (La Notte)
Paul Newman (The Hustler)
Mieczyslaw Voit (Matka Joanna od aniolów)

Actress Lead

Harriet Andersson (Såsom i en spegel)
Piper Laurie (The Hustler)
Jeanne Moreau (La Notte)
Silvia Pinal (Viridiana)
Natalie Wood (Splendor in the Grass)

Screenwriting Original

Michelangelo Antonioni, Ennio Flaiano, Tonino Guerra (La Notte)
Ingmar Bergman (Såsom i en spegel)
Henri Colpi, Marguerite Duras, Gérard Jarlot (Une aussi longue absence)
Ennio De Concini, Alfredo Giannetti, Pietro Germi (Divorzio all’italiana)
Alain Robbe-Grillet (L’année dernière à Marienbad)

Screenwriting Adapted

Julio Alejandro, Luis Buñuel (Viridiana)
Sidney Carroll, Robert Rossen (The Hustler)
Jerzy Kawalerowicz, Tadeusz Konwicki (Matka Joanna od aniolów)
Ernest Lehman (West Side Story)
Abby Mann (Judgment at Nuremberg)

Directing

Michelangelo Antonioni (La Notte)
Ingmar Bergman (Såsom i en spegel)
Jerzy Kawalerowicz (Matka Joanna od aniolów)
Akira Kurosawa (Yojimbo)
Alain Resnais (L’année dernière à Marienbad)

Motion Picture

Accattone (Pier Paolo Pasolini) Italy
Divorzio all’italiana (Pietro Germi) Italy
L’année dernière à Marienbad (Alain Resnais) France / Italy
La Notte (Michelangelo Antonioni) Italy
Matka Joanna od aniolów (Jerzy Kawalerowicz) Poland
Såsom i en spegel (Ingmar Bergman) Sweden
Une Femme est une femme (Jean-Luc Godard) France
Viridiana (Luis Buñuel) Spain / Mexico
West Side Story (Robert Wise, Jerome Robbins) USA
Yojimbo (Akira Kurosawa) Japan

Wow, what a year – and I thought 1960 was immense. Good showing from Italy too. A real struggle to limit the film choices to 10. Tell us your great loves from 1961.

Film Honors: 1989

My own personal choices for the year. They reflect not just necessarily what I think is the best or essential cinema, but perhaps resonate with me or inspire, both at the time, and still today. Subject to alter choices if new viewings are worthy enough. Other published Film Honors posts can be found at the menu at the top of the page.

Actor Support

Danny Aiello (Do the Right Thing)
Sean Connery (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade)
James Earl Jones (Field of Dreams)
Martin Landau (Crimes and Misdemeanors)
Billy Zane (Dead Calm)

Special Effects

The Abyss
Back to the Future Part II
Batman
Ghostbusters II
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Sound Design

The Abyss
Back to the Future Part II
Batman
Ghostbusters II
Majo no Takkyūbin

Score Composing

Danny Elfman (Batman)
James Horner (Field of Dreams)
Gabriel Yared (Camille Claudel)
Maurice Jarre (Dead Poets Society)
Michael Nyman (Monsieur Hire)

Actress Support

María Barranco (Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios)
Brenda Fricker (My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown)
Laura San Giacomo (Sex, Lies, and Videotape)
Anjelica Huston (Enemies, a Love Story)
Lena Olin (Enemies, a Love Story)

Picture Editing

The Abyss
Batman
Born on the Fourth of July
Henry V
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Cinematography

Denis Lenoir (Monsieur Hire)
Pierre Lhomme (Camille Claudel)
Kenneth MacMillan (Henry V)
Mikael Salomon (The Abyss)
Sacha Vierny (The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover)

Actor Lead

Michel Blanc (Monsieur Hire)
Tom Cruise (Born on the Fourth of July)
Daniel Day Lewis (My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown)
Jack Nicholson (Batman)
Robin Williams (Dead Poets Society)

Set Design

The Abyss
Batman
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover
Driving Miss Daisy
Valmont

Costume Design

Batman
Camille Claudel
Henry V
Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios
Valmont

Actress Lead

Isabella Adjani (Camille Claudel)
Annette Bening (Valmont)
Sandrine Bonnaire (Monsieur Hire)
Carmen Maura (Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios)
Meg Ryan (When Harry Met Sally…)

Screenwriting Adapted

Shane Connaughton, Jim Sheridan (My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown)
Ron Kovic, Oliver Stone (Born on the Fourth of July)
Patrice Leconte (Monsieur Hire)
Hayao Miyazaki (Majo no Takkyūbin)
Bruno Nuytten (Camille Claudel)

Screenwriting Original

Woody Allen (Crimes and Misdemeanors)
Pedro Almodóvar (Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios)
Nora Ephron (When Harry Met Sally…)
Spike Lee (Do the Right Thing)
Tom Schulman (Dead Poets Society)

Cast Ensemble

Batman
Crimes and Misdemeanors
Dead Poets Society
Do the Right Thing
Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios

Directing

Pedro Almodóvar (Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios)
Tim Burton (Batman)
Patrice Leconte (Monsieur Hire)
Spike Lee (Do the Right Thing)
Rob Reiner (When Harry Met Sally…)

Clockwise: Pedro Almodóvar; Carmen Maura; Rossy de Palma; María Barranco; Antonio Banderas; Julieta Serrano

Motion Picture

Batman (Tim Burton) USA
Camille Claudel (Bruno Nuytten) France
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (Peter Greenaway) UK / France
Dead Poets Society (Peter Weir) USA
Do the Right Thing (Spike Lee) USA
Field of Dreams (Phil Alden Robinson) USA
Majo no Takkyūbin (Hayao Miyazaki) Japan
Monsieur Hire (Patrice Leconte) France
Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios (Pedro Almodóvar) Spain
When Harry Met Sally… (Rob Reiner) USA

As we say goodbye to the 1980s, we can now truly reflect on a decade of highs and lows for cinema. What were your favorites in this final year? Comment away.

 

 

 

Film Honors: 1988

My own personal choices for the year. They reflect not just necessarily what I think is the best or essential cinema, but perhaps resonate with me or inspire, both at the time, and still today. Subject to alter choices if new viewings are worthy enough. Other published Film Honors posts can be found at the menu at the top of the page.

Picture Editing

Die Hard
Mississippi Burning
Powaqqatsi
Salaam Bombay!
Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Actress Support

Juliette Binoche (The Unbearable Lightness of Being)
Anita Kanwar (Salaam Bombay!)
Jodhi May (A World Apart)
Linda Mvusi (A World Apart)
Michelle Pfeiffer (Dangerous Liaisons)

Sound Designing

Beetlejuice
Die Hard
Gorillas in the Mist
Mississippi Burning
Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Special Effects

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
Beetlejuice
Die Hard
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Willow

Actress Lead

Glenn Close (Dangerous Liaisons)
Jodie Foster (The Accused)
Barbara Hershey (A World Apart)
Isabelle Huppert (Une affaire de femmes)
Sigourney Weaver (Gorillas in the Mist)

Cinematography

Graham Berry, Leonidas Zourdoumis (Powaqqatsi)
Peter Biziou (A World Apart)
Blasco Giurato (Nuovo Cinema Paradiso)
Philippe Rousselot (Dangerous Liaisons)
Carlo Varini (The Big Blue)

Set Designing

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
Beetlejuice
Dangerous Liaisons
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Willow

Costume Designing

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
Beetlejuice
Dangerous Liaisons
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Willow

Score Composing

Danny Elfman (Beetlejuice)
Philip Glass (Powaqqatsi)
James Horner (Willow)
Maurice Jarre (Gorillas in the Mist)
Ennio Morricone, Andrea Morricone (Nuovo Cinema Paradiso)

Cast Ensemble

A Fish Called Wanda
Beetlejuice
Dangerous Liaisons
Salaam Bombay!
Scrooged

Actor Support

Salvatore Cascio (Nuovo Cinema Paradiso)
Kevin Kline (A Fish Called Wanda)
Michael Palin (A Fish Called Wanda)
Alan Rickamn (Die Hard)
Shafiq Syed (Salaam Bombay!)

Actor Lead

Gene Hackman (Mississippi Burning)
Dustin Hoffman (Rain Man)
Michael Keaton (Beetlejuice)
John Malkovich (Dangerous Liaisons)
Philippe Noiret (Nuovo Cinema Paradiso)

Directing

Stephen Frears (Dangerous Liaisons)
Krzysztof Kieślowski (Krótki film o milosci)
Krzysztof Kieślowski (Krótki film o zabijaniu)
John McTiernan (Die Hard)
Mira Nair (Salaam Bombay!)
Giuseppe Tornatore (Nuovo Cinema Paradiso)

Screenwriting Adapted

Jean-Claude Carrière, Philip Kaufman (The Unbearable Lightness of Being)
Mitch Glazer, Michael O’Donoghue (Scrooged)
Anna Hamilton Phelan, Tab Murphy (Gorillas in the Mist)
Christopher Hampton (Dangerous Liaisons)
Isao Takahata (Hotaru no haka)

Screenwriting Original

John Cleese, Charles Crichton (A Fish Called Wanda)
Krzysztof Kieslowski, Krzysztof Piesiewicz (Krótki film o milosci)
Krzysztof Kieslowski, Krzysztof Piesiewicz (Krótki film o zabijaniu)
Jeffrey Price, Peter S. Seaman (Who Framed Roger Rabbit)
Anne Spielberg, Gary Ross (Big)
Giuseppe Tornatore (Nuovo Cinema Paradiso)

Motion Picture

A Fish Called Wanda (Charles Crichton) UK / USA
Beetlejuice (Tim Burton) USA
Big (Penny Marshall) USA
Dangerous Liaisons (Stephen Frears) USA
Die Hard (John McTiernan) USA
Hotaru no haka (Isao Takahata) Japan
Krótki film o milosci (Krzysztof Kieślowski) Poland
Krótki film o zabijaniu (Krzysztof Kieślowski) Poland
Nuovo Cinema Paradiso (Giuseppe Tornatore) Italy
Salaam Bombay! (Mira Nair) India
Scrooged (Richard Donner) USA
A World Apart (Chris Menges) UK / Zimbabwe

A pretty strong year for solid comedy films, with a wide range of drama spreading the wealth for the cinema of 1988. Let us know your thoughts on the year in the comments below.

Film Honors: 1987

My own personal choices for the year. They reflect not just necessarily what I think is the best or essential cinema, but perhaps resonate with me or inspire, both at the time, and still today. Subject to alter choices if new viewings are worthy enough. Other published Film Honors posts can be found at the menu at the top of the page.

Cast Ensemble

Au revoir les enfants
Broadcast News
Full Metal Jacket
The Last Emperor
The Untouchables

Actress Support

Anne Archer (Fatal Attraction)
Sandrine Bonnaire (Sous le soleil de Satan)
Faye Dunaway (Barfly)
Olympia Dukakis (Moonstruck)
Anne Ramsay (Throw Momma from the Train)

Picture Editing

Full Metal Jacket
Hong gao liang
The Last Emperor
RoboCop
The Untouchables

Score Composing

Henri Dutilleux (Sous le soleil de Satan)
George Fenton, Jonas Gwangwa (Cry Freedom)
Ennio Morricone (The Untouchables)
Thomas Newman (Less Than Zero)
Alan Silvestri (Predator)

Actor Support

Sean Connery (The Untouchables)
R. Lee Ermey (Full Metal Jacket)
Gene Hackman (No Way Out)
Will Patton (No Way Out)
Denzel Washington (Cry Freedom)

Screenwriting Adapted

Sylvie Danton, Maurice Pialat (Sous le soleil de Satan)
Chen Jianyu, Zhu Wei (Hong gao liang)
Stanley Kubrick, Michael Herr, Gustav Hasford (Full Metal Jacket)
David Mamet (The Untouchables)
Steve Martin (Roxanne)

Screenwriting Original

Pedro Almodóvar (La ley del deseo)
Abbas Kiarostami (Khane-ye doust kodjast)
Louis Malle (Au revoir les enfants)
John Patrick Shanley (Moonstruck)
Éric Rohmer, Joelle Miquelle (Quatre aventures de Reinette et Mirabelle)

Sound Designing

Cry Freedom
Full Metal Jacket
The Last Emperor
Predator
RoboCop

Special Effects

Evil Dead II
Hellraiser
Innerspace
Predator
RoboCop

Actress Lead

Stéphane Audran (Babettes gæstebud)
Glenn Close (Fatal Attraction)
Gong Li (Hong gao liang)
Carmen Maura (La ley del deseo)
Sheila McCarthy (I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing)

Cinematography

Henri Alekan (Der Himmel über Berlin)
Gu Changwei (Hong gao liang)
Allen Daviau (Empire of the Sun)
Robert Richardson (Platoon)
Vittorio Storaro (The Last Emperor)

Costume Designing

Babettes Gæstebud
The Dead
The Last Emperor
Maurice
Hong gao liang

Set Designing

Empire of the Sun
The Last Emperor
Maurice
Hong gao liang
The Untouchables

Actor Lead

Gérard Depardieu (Sous le soleil de Satan)
Richard E. Grant (Withnail and I)
Boguslaw Linda (Przypadek)
Max von Sydow (Pelle erövraren)
Robin Williams (Good Morning, Vietnam)

Directing

Abbas Kiarostami (Khane-ye doust kodjast)
Stanley Kubrick (Full Metal Jacket)
Louis Malle (Au revoir les enfants)
Wim Wenders (Der Himmel über Berlin)
Zhang Yimou (Hong gao liang)

Motion Picture

Au Revoir Les Enfants (Louis Malle) France / West Germany
Der Himmel über Berlin (Wim Wenders) West Germany / France
Full Metal Jacket (Stanley Kubrick) UK / USA
Good Morning, Vietnam (Barry Levinson) USA
Hong gao liang (Zhang Yimou) China
Khane-ye doust kodjast (Abbas Kiarostami) Iran
La ley del deseo (Pedro Almodóvar) Spain
Przypadek (Krzysztof Kieślowsk) Poland
Quatre aventures de Reinette et Mirabelle (Éric Rohmer) France
The Untouchables (Brian De Palma) USA

A really tricky year to judge for films in 1987 – we had stories about children, about war, about crime, about taking your chances. Comment away with our highlights of the year in film.

Film Honors: 1986

My own personal choices for the year. They reflect not just necessarily what I think is the best or essential cinema, but perhaps resonate with me or inspire, both at the time, and still today. Subject to alter choices if new viewings are worthy enough. Other published Film Honors posts can be found at the menu at the top of the page.

* Where applicable and fair, the companion films Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources are judged individually, but in the event of the same nomination for both in any category an additional nominee will be selected also  – hence the six inclusions in certain categories, and eleven for Motion Picture.

Screenwriting Adapted *

Claude Berri, Gérard Brach (Jean de Florette)
Claude Berri, Gérard Brach (Manon des Sources)
Camille de Casabianca, Alain Cavalier (Thérèse)
Raynold Gideon, Bruce A. Evans (Stand by Me)
Lasse Hallström, Brasse Brännström, Per Berglund (Mitt liv som hund)
Michael Mann (Manhunter)

Screenwriting Original

Woody Allen (Hannah and Her Sisters)
Denys Arcand (Le Déclin de l’empire américain)
Paul Hogan, Ken Shadie, John Cornell (Crocodile Dundee)
Hanif Kureishi (My Beautiful Laundrette)
Marie Rivière, Éric Rohmer (Le rayon vert)

Costume Design *

A Room with a View
Jean de Florette
Labyrinth
Manon des Sources
The Mission
Thérèse

Set Design

A Room with a View
Aliens
Labyrinth
The Name of the Rose
Thérèse

Sound Design

A Better Tomorrow
Aliens
Labyrinth
Manhunter
Top Gun

Actor Support *

Daniel Auteuil (Jean de Florette)
Daniel Auteuil (Manon des Sources)
Michael Caine (Hannah and Her Sisters)
Dennis Hopper (Blue Velvet)
Yves Montand (Manon des Sources)
Tom Noonan (Manhunter)

Picture Editing

A Better Tomorrow
Aliens
The Color of Money
Manhunter
Thérèse

Actress Support

Emmanuelle Béart (Manon des Sources)
Elpidia Carrillo (Salvador)
Barbara Hershey (Hannah and Her Sisters)
Piper Laurie (Children of a Lesser God)
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (The Color of Money)

Cast Ensemble *

Aliens
Le Déclin de l’empire américain
Hannah and Her Sisters
Jean de Florette
Manon des Sources
Stand by Me

Directing *

Claude Berri (Jean de Florette)
Claude Berri (Manon des Sources)
James Cameron (Aliens)
Alain Cavalier (Thérèse)
David Lynch (Blue Velvet)
Michael Mann (Manhunter)

Cinematography *

Chris Menges (The Mission)
Bruno Nuytten (Jean de Florette)
Bruno Nuytten (Manon des Sources)
Tony Pierce-Roberts (A Room with a View)
Jean-François Robin (37°2 le matin)
Philippe Rousselot (Thérèse)

Special Effects

Aliens
Big Trouble in Little China
The Fly
Labyrinth
Short Circuit

Actor Lead

Jean-Hugues Anglade (37°2 le matin)
Gérard Depardieu (Jean de Florette)
Yves Montand (Jean de Florette)
Gary Oldman (Sid and Nancy)
James Woods (Salvador)

Score Composing

John Barry (Peggy Sue Got Married)
James Horner (Aliens)
Ennio Morricone (The Mission)
Jean-Claude Petit (Jean de Florette)
Gabriel Yared (37°2 le matin)

Actress Lead

Béatrice Dalle (37°2 le matin)
Marlee Matlin (Children of a Lesser God)
Catherine Mouchet (Thérèse)
Sigourney Weaver (Aliens)
Chloe Webb (Sid and Nancy)

Motion Picture

37°2 le matin (Jean-Jacques Beineix) France
Aliens (James Cameron) USA
Blue Velvet (David Lynch) USA
Le Déclin de l’empire américain (Denys Arcand) Canada
Jean de Florette (Claude Berri) France / Italy
Manhunter (Michael Mann) USA
Manon des Sources (Claude Berri) France / Italy / Switzerland
Matador (Pedro Almodóvar) Spain
Mitt liv som hund (Lasse Hallström) Sweden
Stand by Me (Rob Reiner) USA
Thérèse (Alain Cavalier) France

Thank God for international cinema (France, in particular, again), giving the 1980s some oomph it so needed. What did you think of this year for films?

Film Honors: 1985

My own personal choices for the year. They reflect not just necessarily what I think is the best or essential cinema, but perhaps resonate with me or inspire, both at the time, and still today. Other published Film Honors posts can be found at the menu at the top of the page.

Cinematography

Philippe Rousselot (The Emerald Forest)
Takao Saitô, Shôji Ueda, Asakazu Nakai (Ran)
John Seale (Witness)
Carlo Varini (Subway)
David Watkin (Out of Africa)

Special Effects

Back to the Future
Brazil
Cocoon
Day of the Dead
Fright Night

Sound Design

Back to the Future
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome
Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters
Ran
Subway

Actor Support

Klaus Maria Brandauer (Out of Africa)
Robert De Niro (Brazil)
Ian Holm (Brazil)
Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future)
Wadeck Stanczak (Rendez-vous)

Costume Designing

The Color Purple
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome
Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters
Out of Africa
Ran

Actress Support

Sonia Braga (Kiss of the Spider Woman)
Anjelica Huston (Prizzi’s Honor)
Macha Méril (Sans toit ni loi)
Kelly McGillis (Witness)
Oprah Winfrey (The Color Purple)

Set Designing

Brazil
The Color Purple
Legend
Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters
Ran

Score Composing

John Barry (Out of Africa)
Philip Glass (Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters)
Maurice Jarre (Witness)
Ennio Morricone (Red Sonja)
Zoran Simjanović (Otac na službenom putu)

Directing

Hector Babenco (Kiss of the Spider Woman)
Emir Kusturica (Otac na službenom putu)
Akira Kurosawa (Ran)
Agnès Varda (Sans toit ni loi)
Peter Weir (Witness)

Screenwriting Adapted

Richard Condon, Janet Roach (Prizzi’s Honor)
Horton Foote (The Trip to Bountiful)
Kurt Luedtke (Out of Africa)
Menno Meyjes (The Color Purple)
Leonard Schrader (Kiss of the Spider Woman)

Screenwriting Original

Bob Gale, Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future)
Terry Gilliam, Tom Stoppard, Charles McKeown (Brazil)
William Kelley, Earl W. Wallace (Witness)
Abdulah Sidran (Otac na službenom putu)
Agnès Varda (Sans toit ni loi)

Actor Lead

Harrison Ford (Witness)
William Hurt (Kiss of the Spider Woman)
Raul Julia (Kiss of the Spider Woman)
Jack Nicholson (Prizzi’s Honor)
Eric Stoltz (Mask)

Actress Lead

Juliette Binoche (Rendez-vous)
Sandrine Bonnaire (Sans toit ni loi)
Whoopi Goldberg (The Color Purple)
Mirjana Karanović (Otac na službenom putu)
Grazyna Szapolowska (Bez konca)

Picture Editing

Back to the Future
Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters
Ran
Sans toit ni loi
Subway

Cast Ensemble

Brazil
The Color Purple
The Goonies
Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters
Ran

Motion Picture

Back to the Future (Robert Zemeckis) USA
Bez konca (Krzysztof Kieślowski) Poland
Brazil (Terry Gilliam) UK / USA
The Color Purple (Steven Spielberg) USA
Kiss of the Spider Woman (Hector Babenco) Brazil / USA
Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (Paul Schrader) USA
Otac na službenom putu (Emir Kusturica) Yugoslavia
Ran (Akira Kurosawa) Japan / France
Sans toit ni loi (Agnès Varda) France
Witness (Peter Weir) USA

Film Honors: 1984

My own personal choices for the year. They reflect not just necessarily what I think is the best or essential cinema, but perhaps resonate with me or inspire, both at the time, and still today. Other published Film Honors posts can be found at the menu at the top of the page.

Screenwriting Original

Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis (Ghostbusters)
Theodoros Angelopoulos, Tonino Guerra, Thanassis Valtinos (Taxidi sta Kythira)
Joel Coen, Ethan Coen (Blood Simple)
Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, Rob Reiner (This Is Spinal Tap)
Éric Rohmer (Les nuits de la pleine lune)

Screenwriting Adapted

Philip Kaufman (The Right Stuff)
David Lean (A Passage to India)
Bruce Robinson (The Killing Fields)
Peter Shaffer (Amadeus)
Sam Shepard (Paris, Texas)

Costume Designing

Amadeus
Dune
Once Upon a Time in America
A Passage to India
Places in the Heart

Set Designing

Amadeus
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Once Upon a Time in America
A Passage to India
Places in the Heart

Actress Support

Peggy Ashcroft (A Passage to India)
Drew Barrymore (Irreconcilable Differences)
Elizabeth Berridge (Amadeus)
Nastassja Kinski (Paris, Texas)
Tuesday Weld (Once Upon a Time in America)

Actor Support

Ed Harris (The Right Stuff)
Fabrice Luchini (Les nuits de la pleine lune)
Haing S. Ngor (The Killing Fields)
Sam Shepard (The Right Stuff)
M. Emmet Walsh (Blood Simple)

Picture Editing

Amadeus
Blood Simple
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
The Right Stuff
The Terminator

Cinematography

Giorgos Arvanitis (Taxidi sta Kythira)
Ernest Day (A Passage to India)
Caleb Deschanel (The Right Stuff)
Robby Müller (Paris, Texas)
Miroslav Ondrícek (Amadeus)

Actress Lead

Judy Davis (A Passage to India)
Sally Field (Places in the Heart)
Nastassja Kinski (Maria’s Lovers)
Pascale Ogier (Les nuits de la pleine lune)
Gena Rowlands (Love Streams)

Sound Designing

Amadeus
Ghostbusters
Gremlins
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
The Terminator

Special Effects

Ghostbusters
Gremlins
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
The Terminator

Actor Lead

F. Murray Abraham (Amadeus)
Tom Hulce (Amadeus)
Manos Katrakis (Taxidi sta Kythira)
Harry Dean Stanton (Paris, Texas)
Sam Waterston (The Killing Fields)

Score Composing

Carter Burwell (Blood Simple)
Ry Cooder (Paris, Texas)
Maurice Jarre (A Passage to India)
Eleni Karaindrou (Taxidi sta Kythira)
Ennio Morricone (Once Upon a Time in America)

Cast Ensemble

Amadeus
A Passage to India
The Right Stuff
This Is Spinal Tap
Taxidi sta Kythira

Directing

Theodoros Angelopoulos (Taxidi sta Kythira)
James Cameron (The Terminator)
Joel Coen, Ethan Coen (Blood Simple)
Milos Forman (Amadeus)
Wim Wenders (Paris, Texas)

Motion Picture

Amadeus (Milos Forman) USA
Blood Simple (Joel Coen, Ethan Coen) USA
Ghostbusters (Ivan Reitman) USA
Gremlins (Joe Dante) USA
The Killing Fields (Roland Joffé) UK
Les nuits de la pleine lune (Éric Rohmer) France
Paris, Texas (Wim Wenders) West Germany / France
The Terminator (James Cameron) USA
This Is Spinal Tap (Rob Reiner) USA
Taxidi sta Kythira (Theodoros Angelopoulos) Greece

So the 1980s started to pick up finally. What were your dos and don’ts from the cinematic year that was 1984? Comment away.

Film Honors: 1983

My own personal choices for the year. They reflect not just necessarily what I think is the best or essential cinema, but perhaps resonate with me or inspire, both at the time, and still today. Subject to alter choices if new viewings are worthy enough. Other published Film Honors posts can be found at the menu at the top of the page.

Screenwriting Adapted

Robert Bresson (L’Argent)
James L. Brooks (Terms of Endearment)
Ronald Harwood (The Dresser)
Alan J. Pakula (Sophie’s Choice)
Willy Russell (Educating Rita)

Screenwriting Original

Ingmar Bergman (Fanny and Alexander)
Costas Ferris, Sotiria Leonardou (Rembetiko)
Larry Gelbart, Murray Schisgal, Don McGuire, Barry Levinson, Elaine May (Tootsie)
Éric Rohmer (Pauline à la plage)
Paul D. Zimmerman (The King of Comedy)

Costume Designing

Danton
The Dresser
Heat and Dust
Rembetiko
Return of the Jedi

Set Designing

Danton
The Dresser
Rembetiko
Return of the Jedi
Scarface

Actress Support

Themis Bazaka (Rembetiko)
Suzanne Flon (One Deadly Summer)
Teri Garr (Tootsie)
Linda Hunt (The Year of Living Dangerously)
Jessica Lange (Tootsie)

Picture Editing

The Dead Zone
Flashdance
Rembetiko
Return of the Jedi
Scarface

Sound Designing

The Dresser
Rembetiko
Return of the Jedi
Sans soleil
Scarface

Actor Support

Steven Bauer (Scarface)
Nikos Dimitratos (Rembetiko)
Nikos Kalogeropoulos (Rembetiko)
Jerry Lewis (The King of Comedy)
Jack Nicholson (Terms of Endearment)

Cinematography

Russell Boyd (The Year of Living Dangerously)
Alan Hume, Alec Mills (Return of the Jedi)
Sven Nykvist (Fanny and Alexander)
Gordon Willis (Zelig)
Takis Zervoulakos (Rembetiko)

Actress Lead

Isabelle Adjani (One Deadly Summer)
Sotiria Leonardou (Rembetiko)
Shirley MacLaine (Terms of Endearment)
Meryl Streep (Sophie’s Choice)
Debra Winger (Terms of Endearment)

Cast Ensemble

Fanny and Alexander
Rembetiko
Return of the Jedi
Scarface
Terms of Endearment

Directing

Ingmar Bergman (Fanny and Alexander)
Robert Bresson (L’argent)
Brian De Palma (Scarface)
Costas Ferris (Rembetiko)
Sydney Pollack (Tootsie)

Actor Lead

Tom Courtenay (The Dresser)
Albert Finney (The Dresser)
Dustin Hoffman (Tootsie)
Al Pacino (Scarface)
Christopher Walken (The Dead Zone)

Special Effects

The Dark Crystal
Krull
Return of the Jedi
Superman III
WarGames

Score Composing

Michael Gore (Terms of Endearment)
James Horner (Gorky Park)
Maurice Jarre (The Year of Living Dangerously)
John Williams (Return of the Jedi)
Stavros Xarchakos (Rembetiko)

Motion Picture

The Dead Zone (David Cronenberg) USA
Fanny och Alexander (Ingmar Bergman) Sweden / France / West Germany
L’argent (Robert Bresson) France / Switzerland
Pauline à la plage (Éric Rohmer) France
Rembetiko (Costas Ferris) Greece
Return of the Jedi (Richard Marquand) USA
Sans soleil (Chris Marker) France
Scarface (Brian De Palma) USA
Terms of Endearment (James L. Brooks) USA
Tootsie (Sydney Pollack) USA

* * * * *

So one film dominates, and the final part of a trilogy picks up technical prizes, but 1983 in cinema feels less competitive than many. Thoughts?

Film Honors: 2006

My own personal choices for the year. They reflect not just necessarily what I think is the best or essential cinema, but perhaps resonate with me or inspire, both at the time, and still today. Subject to alter choices if new viewings are worthy enough. Other published Film Honors posts can be found at the menu at the top of the page.

Actress Support

Adriana Barraza (Babel)
Stine Fischer Christensen (Efter brylluppet)
Déborah François (L’enfant)
Rinko Kikuchi (Babel)
Maribel Verdú (El laberinto del fauno)

Actor Support

Alan Arkin (Little Miss Sunshine)
Steve Carell (Little Miss Sunshine)
Jackie Earle Haley (Little Children)
Rolf Lassgård (Efter brylluppet)
Sergi López (El laberinto del fauno)

Sound Designing

Casino Royale
Children of Men
El laberinto del fauno
The Fountain
Papurika

Special Effects

Casino Royale
El laberinto del fauno
The Fountain
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
Superman Returns

Picture Editing

Babel
Children of Men
The Departed
El laberinto del fauno
United 93

Cast Ensemble

Babel
The Departed
Little Miss Sunshine
United 93
Volver

Cinematography

Matthew Libatique (The Fountain)
Emmanuel Lubezki (Children of Men)
Guillermo Navarro (El laberinto del fauno)
Rodrigo Prieto (Babel)
Gökhan Tiryaki (Iklimler)

Directing

Pedro Almodóvar (Volver)
Susanne Bier (Efter brylluppet)
Guillermo del Toro (El laberinto del fauno)
Asghar Farhadi (Chaharshanbe Suri)
Paul Greengrass (United 93)

Score Composing

Philip Glass (The Illusionist)
Clint Mansell (The Fountain)
Javier Navarrete (El laberinto del fauno)
Gustavo Santaolalla (Babel)
Hans Zimmer (The Da Vinci Code)

Screenwriting Adapted

Aline Brosh McKenna (The Devil Wears Prada)
Alfonso Cuarón, Timothy J. Sexton, David Arata, Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby (Children of Men)
Todd Field, Tom Perrotta (Little Children)
Seishi Minakami, Satoshi Kon (Papurika)
William Monahan (The Departed)

Screenwriting Original

Pedro Almodóvar (Volver)
Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine)
Susanne Bier, Anders Thomas Jensen (Efter brylluppet)
Noah Baumbach (The Squid and the Whale)
Asghar Farhadi, Mani Haghighi (Chaharshanbe Suri)

Actress Lead

Ivana Baquero (El laberinto del fauno)
Penélope Cruz (Volver)
Helen Mirren (The Queen)
Shu Qi (Zuihao de shiguang)
Hedieh Tehrani (Chaharshanbe Suri)

Costume Designing

El laberinto del fauno
The Illusionist
Marie Antoinette
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
The Prestige

Set Designing

El laberinto del fauno
The Fountain
Man cheng jin dai huang jin jia
Marie Antoinette
The Prestige

Actor Lead

Leonardo DiCaprio (The Departed)
Hugh Jackman (The Fountain)
Mads Mikkelsen (Efter brylluppet)
Clive Owen (Children of Men)
Jérémie Renier (L’enfant)

Motion Picture

Efter brylluppet (Susanne Bier) Denmark / Sweden
Children of Men (Alfonso Cuarón) UK / USA
Chaharshanbe Suri (Asghar Farhadi) Iran
El laberinto del fauno (Guillermo del Toro) Spain / Mexico
L’enfant (Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne) Belgium
Papurika (Satoshi Kon) Japan
Paradise Now (Hany Abu-Assad) Palestine / Israel / Netherlands / Germany / France
United 93 (Paul Greengrass) UK / USA / France
Volver (Pedro Almodóvar) Spain
Zuihao de shiguang (Hou Hsiao-Hsien) Taiwan

The Mexicans were coming. One of the great international years in fact. Comment away on your views of 2006 in the section below.

 

Film Honors: 2005

My own personal choices for the year. They reflect not just necessarily what I think is the best or essential cinema, but perhaps resonate with me or inspire, both at the time, and still today. Subject to alter choices if new viewings are worthy enough. Other published Film Honors posts can be found at the menu at the top of the page.

Actor Support

Niels Arestrup (De battre mon coeur s’est arrêté)
George Clooney (Syriana)
Clifton Collins Jr. (Capote)
Jake Gyllenhaal (Brokeback Mountain)
Yûya Yagira (Dare mo Shiranai)

Score Composing

Alexandre Desplat (De battre mon coeur s’est arrêté)
James Horner (The New World)
Dario Marianelli (Pride & Prejudice)
Gustavo Santaolalla (Brokeback Mountain)
Shigeru Umebayashi, Peer Raben (2046)

Cast Ensemble

Crash
Good Night, and Good Luck
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Pride & Prejudice
Sin City

Cinematography

Dion Beebe (Memoirs of a Geisha)
Chung Chung-hoon (Chinjeolhan Geumja-ssi)
Christopher Doyle, Yiu-Fai Lai, Pung-Leung Kwan (2046)
Robert Elswit (Good Night, and Good Luck)
Emmanuel Lubezki (The New World)

Actress Support

Amy Adams (Junebug)
Maria Bello (A History of Violence)
Anne Hathaway (Brokeback Mountain)
Michelle Williams (Brokeback Mountain)
Ziyi Zhang (2046)

Screenwriting Original

Christian Carion (Joyeux Noël)
Michael Haneke (Caché)
Hirokazu Koreeda (Dare mo Shiranai)
Jeong Seo-kyeong, Park Chan-wook (Chinjeolhan Geumja-ssi)
Kar-Wai Wong (2046)

Screenwriting Adapted

Jacques Audiard, Tonino Benacquista (De battre mon coeur s’est arrêté)
Shane Black (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang)
Jeffrey Caine (The Constant Gardener)
Dan Futterman (Capote)
Larry McMurtry, Diana Ossana (Brokeback Mountain)

Actor Lead

Daniel Auteuil (Caché)
Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote)
Heath Ledger (Brokeback Mountain)
Joaquin Phoenix (Walk the Line)
David Strathairn (Good Night, and Good Luck)

Special Effects

Batman Begins
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
King Kong
War of the Worlds

Costume Designing

2046
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Memoirs of a Geisha
Pride & Prejudice

Set Designing

2046
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Memoirs of a Geisha
Pride & Prejudice

Sound Designing

Dalkomhan insaeng
King Kong
Munich
Sin City
War of the Worlds

Picture Editing

2046
Chinjeolhan Geumja-ssi
Dalkomhan insaeng
Memoirs of a Geisha
Munich

Actress Lead

Juliette Binoche (Caché)
Felicity Huffman (Transamerica)
Reese Witherspoon (Walk the Line)
Lee Young-ae (Chinjeolhan Geumja-ssi)
Ziyi Zhang (Memoirs of a Geisha)

Directing

Park Chan-wook (Chinjeolhan Geumja-ssi)
Michael Haneke (Caché)
Hirokazu Koreeda (Dare mo Shiranai)
Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain)
Kar-Wai Wong (2046)

Motion Picture

2046 (Kar-Wai Wong) Hong Kong
Born Into Brothels: Calcutta’s Red Light Kids (Zana Briski,Ross Kauffman) India
Brokeback Mountain (Ang Lee) USA
Caché (Michael Haneke) France
Capote (Bennett Miller) USA / Canada
Chinjeolhan Geumja-ssi (Park Chan-wook) South Korea
Dare mo Shiranai (Hirokazu Koreeda) Japan
De battre mon coeur s’est arrêté (Jacques Audiard) France
A History of Violence (David Cronenberg) USA
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (Shane Black) USA

* * * * *

Fair to say that Asia pretty much dominate this year for me. What were your big guns and surprise packages for 2005? Comments below always welcome.

Film Honors: 1982

My own personal choices for the year. They reflect not just necessarily what I think is the best or essential cinema, but perhaps resonate with me or inspire, both at the time, and still today. Subject to alter choices if new viewings are worthy enough. Other published Film Honors posts can be found at the menu at the top of the page.

Cinematography

Jordan Cronenweth (Blade Runner)
Ron Fricke (Koyaanisqatsi)
Xaver Schwarzenberger (Die Sehnsucht der Veronika Voss)
Dean Semler (The Road Warrior)
Billy Williams, Ronnie Taylor (Gandhi)

Picture Editing

Blade Runner
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Koyaanisqatsi
The Road Warrior
Tenebre

Sound Designing

Blade Runner
Conan the Barbarian
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
The Road Warrior
The Thing

Special Effects

Blade Runner
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
The Thing
TRON

Actress Support

Stéphane Audran (Coup de Torchon)
Isabelle Huppert (Coup de Torchon)
Lesley Ann Warren (Victor/Victoria)
Tuesday Weld (Author! Author!)
Sean Young (Blade Runner)

Actor Support

André Dussollier (Le beau mariage)
Louis Gossett Jr. (An Officer and a Gentleman)
Rutger Hauer (Blade Runner)
Robert Preston (Victor/Victoria)
Bruce Spence (The Road Warrior)

Score composing

Philip Glass (Koyaanisqatsi)
Basil Poledouris (Conan the Barbarian)
Ravi Shankar, George Fenton (Gandhi)
Vangelis (Blade Runner)
John Williams (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial)

Costume Designing

Blade Runner
Die Sehnsucht der Veronika Voss
Gandhi
The Road Warrior
Victor/Victoria

Set Designing

Blade Runner
Die Sehnsucht der Veronika Voss
Gandhi
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Victor/Victoria

Cast Ensemble

Blade Runner
Diner
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Gandhi
Victor/Victoria

Actor Lead

Ben Kingsley (Gandhi)
Jack Lemmon (Missing)
Paul Newman (The Verdict)
Philippe Noiret (Coup de Torchon)
Al Pacino (Author! Author!)

Actress Lead

Julie Andrews (Victor/Victoria)
Jessica Lange (Frances)
Béatrice Romand (Le beau mariage)
Sissy Spacek (Missing)
Rosel Zech (Die Sehnsucht der Veronika Voss)

Directing

John Carpenter (The Thing)
Rainer Werner Fassbinder (Die Sehnsucht der Veronika Voss)
George Miller (The Road Warrior)
Ridley Scott (Blade Runner)
Steven Spielberg (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial)

Screenwriting Adapted

Blake Edwards (Victor/Victoria)
Hampton Fancher, David Webb Peoples (Blade Runner)
Costa-Gavras, Donald E. Stewart (Missing)
David Mamet (The Verdict)
Bertrand Tavernier, Jean Aurenche (Coup de Torchon)

Screenwriting Original

Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Pea Fröhlich, Peter Märthesheimer (Die Sehnsucht der Veronika Voss)
Israel Horovitz (Author! Author!)
Barry Levinson (Diner)
Melissa Mathison (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial)
Éric Rohmer (Le beau mariage)

Motion Picture

Author! Author! (Arthur Hiller) USA
Blade Runner (Ridley Scott) USA / Hong Kong
Coup de Torchon (Bertrand Tavernier) France
Die Sehnsucht der Veronika Voss (Rainer Werner Fassbinder) West Germany
Diner (Barry Levinson) USA
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (Steven Spielberg) USA
Koyaanisqatsi (Godfrey Reggio) USA
Missing (Costa-Gavras) USA
The Road Warrior (George Miller) Australia
Victor/Victoria (Blake Edwards) UK / USA

Spielberg again. Still something of a diluted start to the decade, but let’s hear your thoughts on the matter in the comments below.

Film Honors: 1981

My own personal choices for the year. They reflect not just necessarily what I think is the best or essential cinema, but perhaps resonate with me or inspire, both at the time, and still today. Subject to alter choices if new viewings are worthy enough. Other published Film Honors posts can be found at the menu at the top of the page.

Cinematography

Russell Boyd (Gallipoli)
Douglas Slocombe (Raiders Of The Lost Ark)
Vittorio Storaro (Reds)
Geoffrey Unsworth, Ghislain Cloquet (Tess)
Jost Vacano (Das Boot)

Picture Editing

Chariots of Fire
Gallipoli
Possession
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Reds

Actress Support

Jenny Agutter (An American Werewolf in London)
Karen Allen (Raiders of the Lost Ark)
Jane Fonda (On Golden Pond)
Anne-Laure Meury (La femme de l’aviateur)
Maureen Stapleton (Reds)

Actor Support

Ian Holm (Chariots of Fire)
Bill Hunter (Gallipoli)
Bill Kerr (Gallipoli)
Jack Nicholson (Reds)
Howard E. Rollins Jr. (Ragtime)

Score Composing

Randy Newman (Ragtime)
Freddy Quinn, Peer Raben (Lola)
Philippe Sarde (Tess)
Vangelis (Chariots of Fire)
John Williams (Raiders of the Lost Ark)

Sound Designing

An American Werewolf in London
Das Boot
Excalibur
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Reds

Costume Designing

Lola
Mephisto
Quartet
Ragtime
Tess

Set Designing

Lola
Mephisto
Quartet
Ragtime
Raiders of the Lost Ark

Special Effects

An American Werewolf in London
Clash of the Titans
Escape from New York
Possession
Raiders of the Lost Ark

Cast Ensemble

Chariots of Fire
Lola
Ragtime
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Reds

Actress Lead

Isabelle Adjani (Possession)
Diane Keaton (Reds)
Nastassja Kinski (Tess)
Meryl Streep (The French Lieutenant’s Woman)
Barbara Sukowa (Lola)

Directing

Rainer Werner Fassbinder (Lola)
Wolfgang Petersen (Das Boot)
Steven Spielberg (Raiders of the Lost Ark)
Peter Weir (Gallipoli)
Andrzej Zulawski (Possession)

Actor Lead

Warren Beatty (Reds)
Henry Fonda (On Golden Pond)
Klaus Maria Brandauer (Mephisto)
Armin Mueller-Stahl (Lola)
Paul Newman (Absence of Malice)

Screenwriting Adapted

Gérard Brach, Roman Polanski, John Brownjohn (Tess)
Wolfgang Petersen (Das Boot)
István Szabó, Péter Dobai (Mephisto)
Ernest Thompson (On Golden Pond)
Michael Weller (Ragtime)

Screenwriting Original

Warren Beatty, Trevor Griffiths (Reds)
Pea Fröhlich, Peter Märthesheimer, Rainer Werner Fassbinder (Lola)
Andre Gregory, Wallace Shawn (My Dinner with André)
John Landis (An American Werewolf in London)
Éric Rohmer (La femme de l’aviateur)

Motion Picture

Człowiek z żelaza (Andrzej Wajda) Poland
Das Boot (Wolfgang Petersen) West Germany
Gallipoli (Peter Weir) Australia
Lola (Rainer Werner Fassbinder) West Germany
Mephisto (István Szabó) Hungary
My Dinner with André (Louis Malle) USA
Possession (Andrzej Zulawski) France / West Germany
Raiders of the Lost Ark (Steven Spielberg) USA
Reds (Warren Beatty) USA
Tess (Roman Polanski) France / UK

Let’s talk about the cinema of 1981 – comment away in the section below.

Film Honors: 1979

My own personal choices for the year. They reflect not just necessarily what I think is the best or essential cinema, but perhaps resonate with me or inspire, both at the time, and still today. Subject to alter choices if new viewings are worthy enough. Other published Film Honors posts can be found at the menu at the top of the page.

Cinematography

Michael Ballhaus (Die Ehe der Maria Braun)
David Eggby (Mad Max)
Jörg Schmidt-Reitwein (Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht)
Vittorio Storaro (Apocalypse Now)
Derek Vanlint (Alien)

Actor Support

Bruno Cremer (Une histoire simple)
Robert Duvall (Apocalypse Now)
Ian Holm (Alien)
Dennis Hopper (Apocalypse Now)
Ricky Schroder (The Champ)

Set Designing

Alien
Die Blechtrommel
Die Ehe der Maria Braun
Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht
Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Costume Designing

Die Blechtrommel
Die Ehe der Maria Braun
La cage aux folles
Monty Python’s Life of Brian
Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht

Actress Support

Arlette Bonnard (Une histoire simple)
Éva Darlan (Une histoire simple)
Diane Keaton (Manhattan)
Meryl Streep (Manhattan)
Katharina Thalbach (Die Blechtrommel)

Sound Designing

Alien
Apocalypse Now
The Lord of the Rings
Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht
Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Picture Editing

Alien
Apocalypse Now
Mad Max
Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht
Rocky II

Special Effects

Alien
The Lord of the Rings
Moonraker
The Muppet Movie
Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Actor Lead

Jack Lemmon (The China Syndrome)
Yves Montand (Clair de femme)
Al Pacino (…And Justice for All)
Martin Sheen (Apocalypse Now)
Jon Voight (The Champ)

Score Composing

Jerry Goldsmith (Alien)
Peer Raben (Die Ehe der Maria Braun)
Leonard Rosenman (The Lord of the Rings)
Philippe Sarde (Une histoire simple)
Popol Vuh (Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht)

Directing

Francis Ford Coppola (Apocalypse Now)
George Miller (Mad Max)
Volker Schlöndorff (Die Blechtrommel)
Ridley Scott (Alien)
Rainer Werner Fassbinder (Die Ehe der Maria Braun)

Cast Ensemble

Alien
Apocalypse Now
Die Ehe der Maria Braun
Manhattan
Quadrophenia

Actress Lead

Sally Field (Norma Rae)
Jane Fonda (The China Syndrome)
Romy Schneider (Clair de femme)
Romy Schneider (Une histoire simple)
Hanna Schygulla (Die Ehe der Maria Braun)

Screenwriting Adapted

Jean-Claude Carrière, Volker Schlöndorff, Franz Seitz, Günter Grass (Die Blechtrommel)
Costa-Gavras (Clair de femme)
John Milius, Francis Ford Coppola (Apocalypse Now)
Irving Ravetch, Harriet Frank Jr. (Norma Rae)
Francis Veber, Édouard Molinaro, Marcello Danon, Jean Poiret (La Cage aux Folles)

Screenwriting Original

Woody Allen, Marshall Brickman (Manhattan)
Valerie Curtin, Barry Levinson (…And Justice for All)
Pea Fröhlich, Peter Märthesheimer, Rainer Werner Fassbinder (Die Ehe der Maria Braun)
Mike Gray, T.S. Cook, James Bridges (The China Syndrome)
Krzysztof Kieślowski (Amator)

Motion Picture

Alien (Ridley Scott) UK / USA
Amator (Krzysztof Kieślowski) Poland
…And Justice for All (Norman Jewison) USA
Apocalypse Now (Francis Ford Coppola) USA
The China Syndrome (James Bridges) USA
Die Blechtrommel (Volker Schlöndorff) West Germany / Yugoslavia / Poland / France
Die Ehe der Maria Braun (Rainer Werner Fassbinder) West Germany
La cage aux folles (Édouard Molinaro) France / Italy
Mad Max (George Miller) Australia
Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht (Werner Herzog) West Germany

Film Honors: 1978

My own personal choices for the year. They reflect not just necessarily what I think is the best or essential cinema, but perhaps resonate with me or inspire, both at the time, and still today. Subject to alter choices if new viewings are worthy enough. Other published Film Honors posts can be found at the menu at the top of the page.

Cinematography

Néstor Almendros (Days of Heaven)
William A. Fraker (Heaven Can Wait)
Sven Nykvist (Höstsonaten)
Ermanno Olmi (L’albero degli zoccoli)
Vilmos Zsigmond (The Deer Hunter)

Picture Editing

Dawn of the Dead
Days of Heaven
The Deer Hunter
The Fury
Midnight Express

Actor Support

Halvar Björk (Höstsonaten)
Bruce Dern (Coming Home)
Gene Hackman (Superman)
John Hurt (Midnight Express)
Christopher Walken (The Deer Hunter)

Actor Lead

Jon Voight (Coming Home)
Richard Gere (Days of Heaven)
Robert De Niro (The Deer Hunter)
Warren Beatty (Heaven Can Wait)
Brad Davis (Midnight Express)

Set Designing

Days of Heaven
Heaven Can Wait
L’albero degli zoccoli
Superman
Violette Nozière

Costume Designing

Days of Heaven
Grease
L’albero degli zoccoli
Violette Nozière
A Wedding

Score Composing

Dave Grusin (Heaven Can Wait)
Pierre Jansen (Violette Nozière)
Pierre Jansen (La dentellière)
Ennio Morricone (Days of Heaven)
John Williams (Superman)

Sound Designing

Dawn of the Dead
Halloween
Piranha
Superman
Watership Down

Special Effects

Dawn of the Dead
The Fury
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Piranha
Superman

Cast Ensemble

The Deer Hunter
Heaven Can Wait
L’albero degli zoccoli
Midnight Express
Watership Down

Screenwriting Orginal

Ingmar Bergman (Höstsonaten)
Nancy Dowd, Waldo Salt, Robert C. Jones (Coming Home)
Terrence Malick (Days of Heaven)
Ermanno Olmi (L’albero degli zoccoli)
Deric Washburn, Michael Cimino, Louis Garfinkle, Quinn K. Redeker (The Deer Hunter)

Screenwriting Adapted

Odile Barski, Hervé Bromberger, Frédéric Grendel (Violette Nozière)
Claude Goretta, Pascal Lainé (La Dentellière)
Elaine May, Warren Beatty (Heaven Can Wait)
Martin Rosen (Watership Down)
Oliver Stone (Midnight Express)

Actress Support

Stéphane Audran (Violette Nozière)
Dyan Cannon (Heaven Can Wait)
Florence Giorgetti (La dentellière)
Amy Irving (The Fury)
Meryl Streep (The Deer Hunter)

Actress Lead

Ingrid Bergman (Höstsonaten)
Jane Fonda (Coming Home)
Isabelle Huppert (La dentellière)
Isabelle Huppert (Violette Nozière)
Liv Ullmann (Höstsonaten)

Directing

Ingmar Bergman (Höstsonaten)
Claude Chabrol (Violette Nozière)
Michael Cimino (The Deer Hunter)
Terrence Malick (Days of Heaven)
Alan Parker (Midnight Express)

Motion Picture

Coming Home (Hal Ashby) USA
Days of Heaven (Terrence Malick) USA
The Deer Hunter (Michael Cimino) USA
Halloween (John Carpenter) USA
Heaven Can Wait (Warrenn Beatty) USA
Höstsonaten (Ingmar Bergman) Sweden / West Germany
L’albero degli zoccoli (Ermanno Olmi) Italy
La dentellière (Claude Goretta) France
Midnight Express (Alan Parker) UK / USA / Turkey
Violette Nozière (Claude Chabrol) France / Canada

The cinema of 1978 proved to have plenty of scope as the decade headed towards its end, and some very strong performances by actresses. What shone for you this year – comment below.

Woo L.A. Podcast #4: A Late Best Of 2016 In Film

Welcome to the podcast number four. I am joined by the host Al (@AlRob_MN), his roomie Julia (@Reality_Diva1), and Joel (@JoeM_136) makes a swift return. We have a theme tune too now, and Al is also dabbling with some section-defining jingles – work like a charm. Discussion-wise, the four of us touch on our final “best of” for the films of 2016, as mine were announced and published a while back and are old news, you’ll get a chance to hear who shone brightest for Joel, Julia, and Al. We also manage to recommend a large handful of worthy movies from 2017 so far. Tune in, and get commenting while you’re at it. Enjoy.