Review: A Separation (2011)

Leila Hatami and Peyman Moadi in this powerful drama.

Directed by Asghar Farhadi
Produced by Asghar Farhadi
Written by Asghar Farhadi
Starring Leila Hatami, Peyman Moadi, Shahab Hosseini, Saren Bayat, Sarina Farhadi, Babak Karimi, Ali-Asghar Shahbazi, Shirin Yazdanbakhsh, Kimia Hosseini, and Merila Zarei

Best Cinematography: 1960s

1960: Psycho (John L. Russell)

Oscar winner: Sons and Lovers (B&W),

Spartacus (Color)

Was this film nominated?: Yes

Cover Girl (1944) vs. Pal Joey (1957)

Both of these classic musicals feature bombshell Rita Hayworth. Find out the winner after the cut. (SPOILERS)

Review: Tape (2001)

Ethan Hawke gives an outstanding performance.

Directed by Richard Linklater
Produced by Alexis Alexanian, Anne Walker-McBay, and Gary Winick
Written by Stephen Belber (play/screenplay)
Starring Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard, and Uma Thurman

Top 10 Best Picture Oscar Winners

For the past 84 years, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has held an annual awards ceremony honoring the "best" in film. Though, their picks are not always deserved, and many of their decisions - both contemporary and classic ones - are strongly questionable, to put it lightly. While films like Citizen Kane, Raging Bull, and Apocalypse Now have been nominated, they have been beaten by films like How Green Was My Valley, Ordinary People, and Kramer vs. Kramer. But the Academy occasionally makes the right decision, or at least a very good one. Check out some of the great picks after the cut.

Review: Jackie Brown (1997)

Grier and Jackson in Tarantino's fine film.

Directed by Quentin Tarantino
Produced by Lawrence Bender
Written by Quentin Tarantino (script); Elmore Leonard (book)
Starring Pam Grier, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Forster, Bridget Fonda, Michael Keaton, and Robert De Niro

Films I Saw in August

Monroe is adorable in The Seven Year Itch.

I had an extremely good month of films, tying last month's tally.

The Best:
1. The Seven Year Itch - ****
2. Ghost World - ****
3. The Thing (1982) - ****
4. No End - ****
5. Werckmeister Harmonies - ****
6. Snatch - ****
7. La Promesse - ****
8. White Heat - ****
9. Manic - ***1/2
10. They Drive by Night - ***1/2

More after the cut.