The Five-Movies Test or: Which Director Has Had the Best Stretch of Consecutive Feature-Length Films in English?

Steven Hyden introduced his five-albums test more than a decade ago as a third way to judge a band, short of its popularity or its critical acclaim. While this one is not meant to stand on its own—for example, he’s not sure that either Bob Dylan nor the Rolling Stones had made five great albums… Read More The Five-Movies Test or: Which Director Has Had the Best Stretch of Consecutive Feature-Length Films in English?

May 5, 2022May 6, 2022 Tim1 Comment

Better than the Oscars: 10-6

The following is from my series of Oscar Best Picture rankings, as well as my strongly worded suggestions for what should have won from among the nominees. For an introduction to the project, click here. For a way to vote on some Oscar-related ideas, click here. If I’ve written a review on any of the… Read More Better than the Oscars: 10-6

July 18, 2018 Tim2 Comments

Better than the Oscars: 30-26

July 5, 2018 Tim1 Comment

Better than the Oscars: 75-71

June 7, 2018 Tim1 Comment

Lost Horizon (1937)

Dir. Frank Capra. Starring Ronald Colman, H.B. Warner, Thomas Mitchell While watching this movie, I couldn’t help but ask myself what device they were going to use to make sure Bob (Colman) left Shangri-La so we’d get our big finish. What they eventually choose is not bad on its face—Bob’s brother George (John Howard) has… Read More Lost Horizon (1937)

November 7, 2017 Tim2 Comments

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

Dir. Frank Capra. Starring Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore It’s a Wonderful Life presents an interesting viewing paradox to me. The movie was always going to get its due as a classic after it famously lost to The Best Years of Our Lives among moviegoers in December 1946. (The movie may not have been like, super popular,… Read More It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

October 19, 2017 Tim2 Comments

Better than AFI’s Top 100: 40-36

The following is part of an overview of the top 100 American narrative fiction feature films, from my perspective. For an introduction to the project and an index of other entries in the series, click here. For a list of more than 800 films which I considered for the top 450 and my eligibility qualifications, click here.… Read More Better than AFI’s Top 100: 40-36

June 10, 2017June 14, 2018 Tim1 Comment

Five Came Back (2017)

Dir. Laurent Bouzereau. I’ve spent some time thinking about what made Five Came Back so effective as a lens to view World War II, and at first I thought it was the subject matter. Entering this documentary and having little more prior knowledge than some vague understanding of John Ford and Frank Capra’s World War II service, I assumed that… Read More Five Came Back (2017)

April 13, 2017July 27, 2018 TimLeave a comment

Seeing Things Secondhand

Tag: Frank Capra