SMULTRONSTÄLLET (1957)

Our Swedish entry is, unsurprisingly, from Ingmar Bergman, about an old man taking a road trip that also ends up as sort of a trip through his life.

SERGEANT YORK (1941)

I have some thoughts about our American entry’s take on the intersection and patriotism, and also on the completely ridiculous accents basically everyone in this movie has. A lot of people like it though!

THE BLUE KITE (1993)

If given the choice, this would not be the entry of the Chinese government, which immediately banned this depiction of one family beaten down by two horrible decades of Chinese history.

UCHO (1970)

Our Winter World Cinema Festival begins with a Czech entry that was banned by the Communist Regime for 20 years because, well, its criticism of Communism ain’t subtle.

NEW MOVIE TIME CAPSULE!

Our new feature has our capsule thoughts on new movies in theaters and on streaming, in this case featuring three great women directors and also a new/old take on Shakespeare

A BEAUTIFUL MIND (2001)

Our “Film Odyssey” closes with the 2001 Best Picture winner, the rare biopic with a massive plot twist stuck in the middle.

PASQUALINO SETTEBELLEZE (1975)

Lina Wertmüller became the first ever female director nominated for Best Picture for a movie that, to my surprise, turned out to be about an amoral hatchet murderer trying to seduce his way out of a concentration camp.

FANNY OCH ALEXANDER (1982)

Ingmar Bergman’s final film is about kids at Christmas, and also basically every other thing you can think of.

MAGNOLIA (1999)

If not the best movie from director Paul Thomas Anderson, probably the definitive one, following a bazillion characters over one day in the San Fernando Valley. Also frogs rain from the sky.