2018 OSCAR NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED

"The Shape of Water",  Guillermo del Toro’s love story between a mute woman and a sea creature, leads the field of the 90th Academy Awards nominations with the film receiving thirteen. The dark comedy, "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" follows with nine nominations and "Dunkirk", Christopher Nolan's epic WWII drama, received seven.

This year, the Oscars sort of went back to the traditional way of announcing the nominations with Andy Serkis and Tiffany Haddish (who had to settle for this moment as they were passed over for Oscar nods for their highly praised work in "War For the Planet of The Apes" and "Girl Trip") were on board live with an unseen audience wildly applauding after each nomination was read. While Ms Haddish certainly brought some bright humor to the early morning presentation, we also had to endure her mangling many people's names throughout the brief telecast. Just a little rehearsal would have made the things run much more smoothly.

The nomination I'm most shocked and thrilled about is for Lesley Manville for her outstanding supporting performance in "Phantom Thread". I'm so glad she was not overlooked and she really deserves this honor. I'm also happy about the showing of "Get Out" with the socially-conscience horror film receiving a Best Picture nod and Jordan Peele getting two nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Director with him being only the fifth African-American to receive an Oscar nod in this category.

Other notable nominations include Rachel Morrison who became the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar for her work in "Mudbound". Greta Gerwig, whose coming-of-age dramedy, "Lady Bird" received five nominations, has become only the fifth woman nominated as Best Director.  Christopher Plummer, who quickly replaced the disgraced Kevin Spacey in the role of J. Paul Getty in the drama, "All The Money in The World", has become the oldest acting nominee in Oscar history at the age of eighty-eight for his supporting role in the film. And Meryl Streep has once again broken her own record by receiving her twenty-first acting nomination with her amazing performance in "The Post" while Roger Deakins received his fourteenth Best Cinematography nomination for his undeniably impressive work in "Blade Runner 2049" yet still has never won. I'm seriously rooting for you, Roger. You are long overdue.

The 90th Annual Academy Awards will be held on March 4, 2018 at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood with Jimmy Kimmel returning as host.

Here is the complete list of the 2018 Oscar Nominations:

Best Picture:

“Call Me by Your Name”
“Darkest Hour”
“Dunkirk”
“Get Out”
“Lady Bird”
“Phantom Thread”
“The Post”
“The Shape of Water”
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

Best Director:

Christopher Nolan, "Dunkirk"
Jordan Peele, "Get Out"
Greta Gerwig, "Lady Bird"
Paul Thomas Anderson, "Phantom Thread"
Guillermo del Toro, "The Shape of Water"

Best Actor:

Timothée Chalamet, “Call Me by Your Name”
Daniel Day-Lewis, “Phantom Thread”
Daniel Kaluuya, “Get Out”
Gary Oldman, “Darkest Hour”
Denzel Washington, “Roman J. Israel, Esq.”

Best Actress:

Sally Hawkins, “The Shape of Water”
Frances McDormand, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Margot Robbie, “I, Tonya”
Saoirse Ronan, “Lady Bird”
Meryl Streep, “The Post”

Best Supporting Actor:

Willem Dafoe, “The Florida Project”
Woody Harrelson, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Richard Jenkins, “The Shape of Water”
Christopher Plummer, “All the Money in the World”
Sam Rockwell, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

Best Supporting Actress:

Mary J. Blige, “Mudbound”
Allison Janney, “I, Tonya”
Lesley Manville, “Phantom Thread”
Laurie Metcalf, “Lady Bird”
Octavia Spencer, “The Shape of Water”

Best Adapted Screenplay:

James Ivory, "Call Me By Your Name"
Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber, "The Disaster Artist"
Scott Frank & James Mangold and Michael Green, "Logan"
Aaron Sorkin, "Molly's Game"
Virgil Williams and Dee Rees, "Mudbound"

Best Original Screenplay:

Emily V. Gordon & Kumail Nanjiani, "The Big Sick"
Jordan Peele, "Get Out"
Greta Gerwig, "Lady Bird"
Guillermo del Toro & Vanessa Taylor, "The Shape of Water"
Martin McDonagh, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

Best Foreign Language Film:

“A Fantastic Woman” (Chile)
“The Insult” (Lebanon)
“Loveless” (Russia)
“On Body and Soul (Hungary)
“The Square” (Sweden)

Best Animated Feature:

“The Boss Baby”
“The Breadwinner”
“Coco"
“Ferdinand"
“Loving Vincent"

Best Documentary Feature:

“Abacus: Small Enough to Jail"
“Faces Places"
“Icarus"
“Last Men in Aleppo"
“Strong Island"

Best Cinematography:

Roger Deakins, "Blade Runner 2049"
Bruno Delbonnel, "Darkest Hour"
Hoyte van Hoytema, "Dunkirk"
Rachel Morrison, "Mudbound"
Dan Laustsen, "The Shape of Water"

Best Film Editing:

Jonathan Amos, Paul Machliss, "Baby Driver"
Lee Smith, "Dunkirk"
Tatiana S. Riegel, "I, Tonya"
Sidney Wolinsky, "The Shape of Water"
Jon Gregory, "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"

Best Animated Short:

"Dear Basketball”
"Garden Party"
"Lou"
"Negative Space"
"Revolting Rhymes"

Best Documentary Short Subject:

“Edith + Eddie"
"Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405"
"Heroin(e)"
"Knife Skills"
"Traffic Stop"

Best Live Action Short Film:

"DeKalb Elementary"
"The Eleven O’Clock"
"My Nephew Emmett"
"The Silent Child"
"Watu Wote/All of Us"

Best Production Design:

Sarah Greenwood (Production Designer); Katie Spencer (Set Decorator), "Beauty and the Beast"
Dennis Gassner (Production Designer); Alessandra Querzola (Set Decorator), "Blade Runner 2049"
Sarah Greenwood (Production Designer); Katie Spencer (Set Decorator), "Darkest Hour"
Nathan Crowley (Production Designer); Gary Fettis (Set Decorator), "Dunkirk"
Paul D. Austerberry (Production Designer); Jeffrey A. Melvin & Shane Vieau (Set Decorator), "The Shape of Water"

Best Makeup and Hair:

Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinowski and Lucy Sibbick, "Darkest Hour"
Daniel Phillips and Lou Sheppard, "Victoria and Abdul"
Arjen Tuiten, "Wonder"

Best Costume Design:

Jacqueline Durran, "Beauty and the Beast"
Jacqueline Durran, "Darkest Hour"
Mark Bridges, "Phantom Thread"
Luis Sequeira, "The Shape of Water"
Consolata Boyle, "Victoria and Abdul"

Best Original Score:

Hans Zimmer, "Dunkirk"
Jonny Greenwood, "Phantom Thread"
Alexandre Desplat, "The Shape of Water"
John Williams, "Star Wars: The Last Jedi"
Carter Burwell, "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"

Best Original Song:

“Mighty River” from "Mudbound",  Written by Mary J. Blige, Raphael Saadiq & Taura Stinson
“Mystery of Love” from "Call Me by Your Name”, Written by Sufjan Stevens
“Remember Me” from "Coco", Written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez
“Stand Up for Something” from “Marshall”, Written by Diane Warren & Common
“This Is Me” from "The Greatest Showman", Written by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul

Best Sound Editing:

Julian Slater, "Baby Driver"
Mark Mangini & Theo Green, "Blade Runner 2049"
Alex Gibson & Richard King, "Dunkirk"
Nathan Robitaille & Nelson Ferreira, "The Shape of Water"
Ren Klyce & Matthew Wood, "Star Wars: The Last Jedi"

Best Sound Mixing:

Mary H. Ellis, Julian Slater & Tim Cavagin, "Baby Driver"
Mac Ruth, Ron Bartlett & Doug Hephill, "Blade Runner 2049"
Mark Weingarten, Gregg Landaker & Gary A. Rizzo, "Dunkirk"
Glen Gauthier, Christian Cooke & Brad Zoern, "the Shape of Water"
Stuart Wilson, Ren Klyce, David Parker & Michael Semanick, "Star Wars: The Last Jedi"

Best Visual Effects:

John Nelson, Paul Lambert, Richard R. Hoover and Gerd Nefzer, "Blade Runner 2049"
Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Jonathan Fawkner and Dan Sudick, "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2"
Stephen Rosenbaum, Jeff White, Scott Benza and Mike Meinardus, "Kong: Skull Island"
Ben Morris, Mike Mulholland, Chris Corbould and Neal Scanlon, "Star Wars: The Last Jedi"
Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett and Joel Whist, "War For The Planet of The Apes"

MY FAVORITE FILMS OF 2017

It appeared that the entire entertainment business was going to completely implode last year due to the seemingly endless revelations that one of our beloved and respected actor, director, executive or fill-in-the-blank was being accused of the heinous act of sexual harassment or assault. While many were shocked (or at least acted shocked), the truth is that Hollywood was built on the exploitation of beautiful women and some of the men in the business used their power to abuse and profit from many of the desperate people who simply wanted an opportunity to work. The one bright spot out of all of this is that victims will no longer have to be concerned about coming forward or being believed. And straight white males won't be the only ones making decisions or calling all the shots in Hollywood. Eventually.

As for the movies, there already appears to be a shift with a greater occurrence for women and people of color to get a chance to create in front of and behind the camera. Some of my favorite films of the past year involved many of these such opportunities. Let's hope (and make sure) that this will not be a short-lived trend by continuing to support and encourage these endeavors. Here are my selections of the best films of 2017 in no particular order:

"GET OUT"

"Get Out", the exceptional feature debut by Jordan Peele, is a clever social satire on race that uses the unlikely horror genre to make a statement. Daniel Kaluuya stars as a young African-American man who goes to an upstate New York town to visit the parents of his new white girlfriend (Allison Williams). While her folks (played by Bradley Whitford and Catherine Keener) appear to be an uber-liberal couple, there still seems to be something sinister lurking, not only with them but the entire town. "Get Out" is a well-made funny and scary film that has unexpectedly become a timely cultural phenomenon.

Click here to read review: "Get Out"

"DUNKIRK"

Christopher Nolan continues to astonish with his gifts as a master storyteller with his latest, "Dunkirk", a fact-based drama on the harrowing attempt to evacuate hundreds of thousands of Allied soldiers trapped on the beaches of Northern France during WW II. With the story told from three perspectives: land, sea, and air, we witness through the eyes of Tommy (Fionn Whitehead), a young British private frantically trying to stay alive on Dunkirk. The Royal Navy requests that civilian vessels sail out to try and rescue some of the trapped men and we have British fighter-aircraft trying to take down the German bombers. Nolan has placed a greater emphasis on visuals and music (with remarkable work by cinematographer, Hoyte van Hoytema and composer, Hans Zimmer) to heighten suspense and emotion but you don't need a lot of backstory or dialogue (which there is minimal) to understand the terror, fear and desperation of these soldiers as they are essentially sitting ducks on the beach as they wait, hoping that they'll eventually be rescued.

"THE POST"

What I found amazing about "The Post", Steven Spielberg’s riveting historical drama on the decision by the Washington Post to publish the Pentagon Papers, was how this drama managed to still be thrilling and intense despite knowing the eventual outcome of this event. The New York Times first began publishing the papers involving the Vietnam War but a court injunction forced them to stop. Tom Hanks plays the editor of the Post, Ben Bradlee who gets his hands on a copy of the classified documents and wants to release them in his paper. Meryl Steep delivers another memorable performance as Katharine Graham, now the publisher of the Washington Post after her husband‘s death and very concerned about the challenges of this position due to her inexperience and gender. With the decision to publish resting solely on her shoulders, Graham patiently listens to both sides with concerns from the Board over the newspaper's pending IPO and potential legal action while Bradlee is pushing this as an important First Amendment cause. In this era of trying to dismiss the media as nothing more than "fake news", "The Post" serves as a well-timed reminder of the importance of investigative journalism and the reporter's unwavering determination to make sure the truth continues to get out.

"LADY BIRD"

I must admit I have never been particularly enchanted by Greta Gerwig as an actor but with "Lady Bird", her solo feature debut as a writer and director, I now can say I have become a hardcore fan. Anchored by two incredible performances by Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf, this insightful and funny film tells the coming-of-age story of an average Sacramento high school senior trying to stand-out as a spectacular individual and her stormy relationship with her weary mother. With outstanding supporting work by Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges, Lois Smith, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Beanie Feldstein and rising star, Timothée Chalamet, "Lady Bird" is a perfectly crafted and wonderfully charming tale of the difficult time of adolescence and the uncertainty while facing impending adulthood.

"MOTHER!"

"mother!", a surreal, psychological horror drama from Darren Aronofsky, was one of the most fascinating movies of the year largely due to the extremely harsh critical reaction to it. Jennifer Lawrence stars as the title character, a young woman whose quiet life with her writer husband (Javier Bardem) at their isolated home is disrupted by the arrival of a mysterious couple (Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer). I really can't go much further in to describing this story but let's just say that "mother!" becomes far more disturbing, cryptic and deranged as it progresses. I know I loved being challenged and confused by the film and think "mother!" is an extraordinary achievement. But I'm aware that there were many who were very vocal about really not enjoying nor understanding this movie.

Click here to read review: "mother!"

"PHANTOM THREAD"

Watching "Phantom Thread", another excellent drama from one of the most interesting filmmakers working today, Paul Thomas Anderson, was a bittersweet experience for me due to the knowledge that this may be the final screen appearance by Daniel Day-Lewis. But what an incredible way to make an exit. Set in the world of London's haute couture in the 1950's, Day-Lewis plays Reynolds Woodcock, a master dressmaker who finds inspiration and companionship from a long line of beautiful young women. After meeting Alma (Vicky Krieps), an awkward waitress in the countryside, she quickly becomes his latest muse and lover. But she's unlike any of the previous women he has ever encountered. Strong-willed and opinionated, Alma creates a serious disruption to Woodcock's regimented and structured life. Day-Lewis and Krieps (an actress from Luxembourg who is relatively new to English-speaking audiences) are absolutely riveting but it is Lesley Manville, a veteran British actress best known for her work in several Mike Leigh films, who is the real knock-out here as Cyril, Woodcock's chilly and controlling sister who organizes his business and life.



"THE FLORIDA PROJECT"

Sean Baker is one of the most exciting and inventive indie filmmakers at this moment. Following "Starlet" and the iPhone-shot, "Tangerine", the writer/director's latest, "The Florida Project" continues his trend of telling fascinating and unconventional stories in a way that's thoughtful and entertaining. Set in Orlando at a motel near Disney World, we follow a six-year old wild child named Moonee (the delightful and charming Brooklynn Prince) who lives there with her even wilder and rowdy young mother, Halley (Bria Vinaite). They are dirt poor and Halley does whatever she can to make a buck. The motel is managed by Bobby (played by Willem Dafoe) who does what he can to help the mostly down-on-their-luck tenants, but he also has a business to run. What makes this film unforgettable is how Baker is shrewdly able to take us in to this world of the marginalized and disregarded to make us really see them and their plight.

"CALL ME BY YOUR NAME"

With impressive direction by Luca Guadagnino and an eloquent script by James Ivory, "Call Me By Your Name" is one of the most beautifully rendered romances I have ever seen. Timothée Chalamet (in a breakout performance) stars as Elio, a precocious seventeen year old spending the summer in the Italian countryside with his parents when he becomes infatuated with his father's (Michael Stuhlbarg) young, American assistant, Oliver (Armie Hammer in the film's other magnificent performance). This sensual and erotically-charged film is leisurely paced, taking it's time as the developing relationship unfolds, with both men hesitant to reveal their true desires, to eventual intimacy. And special mention must be given to Mr. Stuhlbarg who gives a tender and moving speech to his heartbroken son near the end of the film that just slayed me.

"THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MO"

Martin McDonagh has found considerable success with his plays and films by finding dark humor in tragic and disturbing situations. His most recent film, "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, MO" features a mother (Frances McDormand) filled with rage and frustration after the horrific murder of her teenage daughter. She lashes out against the local police department for not solving the crime by purchasing three billboards with a message on them demanding to know why. This is some pretty heavy stuff but it's also funny as hell. There are many outstanding performances here, including Woody Harrelson, Lucas Hedges, John Hawkes and Peter Dinklage yet most of the attention has been going to Sam Rockwell as a dim, racist cop (an exceptional actor who after many years of memorable yet little seen performances is finally getting his due) and Ms McDormand. I can't see any other actress who would have been able to bring this angry, quirky and unpleasant character to life and make her palatable and even sympathetic.

"GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, VOL.2", "SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING", "THOR: RAGNAROK", "WONDER WOMAN"

This was the year that the super-hero movie matured and tried to offer more than the routine. What these four films have in common is that each one offers a fresh spin on the genre and elevates it with an alternative perspective. "Spider-Man: Homecoming" was another reboot of the series but the focus this time was more on the human side of the man behind the mask, Peter Parker, who is now clearly a teenage boy, played with youthful enthusiasm by Tom Holland. Witty, thrilling and a lot of fun, I think this is the best of the Spider-Man movies. The same can be said about two sequels; "Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2" continues as a wacky and rambunctious intergalactic thrill ride by adding more stars (Kurt Russell, Sylvester Stallone) and making Groot even cuter. With a new director on board, "Thor: Ragnarok" seems to have pretended the previous Thor films didn't exist and Taika Waititi ("Hunt for the Wilderpeople") brings a much needed boost of irreverence and amusement to the very serious Norse God series. And finally we have the long-awaited (and long-overdue) big screen adaption of "Wonder Woman". Under Patty Jenkins' invigorating direction and a star-making turn from Gal Gadot, it didn't surprise me at all that this movie became one of the biggest box-office hits of the year.

Click here to read review: "Spider-Man: Homecoming"

Honorable Mention: "Atomic Blonde", "Battle of the Sexes", "Beatriz at Dinner", "The Big Sick", "Coco", "Columbus", "Girl Trip", "Good Time", "Ingrid Goes West", "Lady Macbeth", "A Quiet Passion", "Star Wars: The Last Jedi", "The Shape of Water", "The Square", "War For The Planet of the Apes"

2017 AFI FILM FESTIVAL PRESENTED BY AUDI

This year marks the fiftieth anniversary since the creation of the American Film Institute which was designed to save America’s precious motion picture heritage. After it was discovered in 1967 that less than 10% of American films were being properly preserved for future generations, AFI teamed with the Library of Congress to archive and store these important films. To date, 37,000 motion pictures are now safely preserved in the AFI Collection at the Library of Congress.

The American Film Institute later created a film festival to showcase exciting new films and this year's AFI Film Fest presented by Audi is set to begin on November 9th and concluding on November 16th. The event will be held once again at the TCL Chinese Theatres and the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood.

"Mudbound", a historical period drama co-written and directed by Dee Rees, will open this year's AFI Fest at the TCL Chinese Theatre. The film tells the story of two families following the end of World War II living in the rural South who struggle against financial hardships and racial tensions of the day. Carey Mulligan, Garrett Hedlund, Jason Mitchell, Jason Clarke, Jonathan Banks, Mary J. Blige and Rob Morgan star.



There are three Centerpiece Screenings: "Call Me By Your Name" from Italian filmmaker, Luca Guadagnino, "The Disaster Artist" by star and director, James Franco and "Hostiles", the latest from director, Scott Cooper.




A tribute to the Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker, Errol Morris ("The Thin Blue Line", "The Fog of War", "A Brief History of Time") will be held on November 11th along with a screening of his latest, "Wormwood", a Netflix six-part drama series.



The Closing Night Gala will be the world premiere of "All The Money in The World", the latest from Ridley Scott who will also be honored with a tribute and discussion following the screening. Based on the novel from John Pearson, the film recalls the true-life incident involving the kidnapping of the sixteen year-old grandson of billionaire J. Paul Getty (played by Kevin Spacey) and his shocking refusal to pay his ransom. Michelle Williams, Mark Wahlberg, Romain Duris, Charlie Plummer and Timothy Hutton also star.

UPDATE: Due to the disturbing allegations against actor Kevin Spacey, "All The Money In The World" has been cancelled as the Closing Night film. As for the film, in a most unusual move Christopher Plummer has been hired to re-film Spacey's role as J. Paul Getty with the plan to still release the film theatrically on December 22nd.

"Molly's Game", the feature directing debut by writer, Aaron Sorkin has been selected for the Closing Night Gala on November 16th. Based on a true story, Jessica Chastain stars as Molly Bloom who ran exclusive poker games for power players for years before getting busted by the FBI due to her unknowingly having the Russian mob playing at her club. Idris Elba plays her defense lawyer and the cast also includes Kevin Costner, Michael Cera, Chris O’Dowd and Bill Camp.



Two Special Presentations include a conversation with British director Christopher Nolan who is hot right now following his surprise summer hit, the WWII drama, "Dunkirk" and the eighty-nine year old French filmmaker, Agnes Varda will discuss her impressive career following a screening of her latest film, "Faces Places". Ms Varda will also be receiving an honorary Oscar on November 11th.

And for the first time, AFI Fest will be holding an annual retrospective to spotlight an important filmmaker of global significance and this year will be Robert Altman. The late writer/director will have twelve of his most essential films screened: "M*A*S*H" (1970), "McCabe & Mrs. Miller" (1971), "The Long Goodbye" (1972), "California Split" (1973), "Nashville" (1975), "3 Women" (1977), "Vincent & Theo" (1990), "The Player" (1992), "Short Cuts" (1993), "Kansas City" (1996), "Godford Park" (2001) and "A Prairie Home Companion" (2006). There will be a discussion following each screening and talent in attendance will be later announced.









There is much more with the best of new features, documentaries, shorts and world cinema to be screened throughout the eight day fest. Tickets for most screenings are free and Express passes are available for purchase. For the complete list of films, to get tickets and additional information, please click below:

AFI Film Fest 2017

2017 NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL

The 55th Annual New York Film Festival is almost ready to begin and will once again present a celebration of cinema with world premieres, documentaries, restorations, classic films and free talks. Beginning September 28th and running through October 15th, the Opening Night Film will be the world premiere of the latest from Richard Linklater, "Last Flag Flying". This sequel of the 1973 film, "The Last Detail", which was based on the book by Darryl Ponicsan (who co-wrote this script with Linklater), follows the same three men who served together in the marines and are reunited years later due to a tragic event. Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston and Laurence Fishburne take over the roles that were first played by Jack Nicholson, Randy Quaid, and Otis Young.



The Centerpiece Selection is "Wonderstruck", an adaption of the young-adult novel by "Hugo" author Brian Selznick from director Todd Haynes, tells parallel stories of two deaf children, one set in 1927 and the other 1977, largely told with minimum dialogue and which ultimately converge in an unexpected way.



The Closing Night Film is another world premiere and it's the latest feature from Woody Allen. "Wonder Wheel" stars Kate Winslet as a frustrated Coney Island housewife whose life is brightened when she meets a handsome lifeguard (Justin Timberlake). But when her husband's estranged daughter (Juno Temple) pays them a visit and has eyes for the lifeguard, complications are inevitable. A conversation with Ms Winslet which will have the Oscar-winning actress discussing her over twenty-year film career will be on October 13th.



There will be twenty-two other features from around the world that are a part of the Main Slate and include new works from Luca Guadagnino ("Call Me By Your Name"), Agnès Varda ("Faces Places"), Sean Baker ("The Florida Project"), Claire Denis ("Let The Sun Shine In"), Noah Baumbach ("The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)") and the feature directing debut by actress, Greta Gerwig ("Lady Bird").









Other Special Events include the world premiere of "Spielberg", a documentary that traces the career and artistic growth of one of the world's most famous directors, "Trouble No More", which features newly restored concert footage from Bob Dylan's '79-'80 tour and a new restoration of the classic 1929 German silent film "Pandora's Box" which starred the iconic Louise Brooks.





And for the first time, the fest will feature a retrospective on an important figure in cinema and the first honored will be Robert Mitchum. This handsome and charismatic actor had an incredible career that went on for five decades. Mitchum worked with some of the finest filmmakers in Hollywood and appeared in nearly every genre imaginable. Twenty-four of the actor's best films will be screened including a new documentary by photographer, Bruce Weber, "Nice Girls Don’t Stay for Breakfast" which features footage of Mitchum during a photo shoot in the late 1990's.









For tickets and additional information, please click below:

2017 New York Film Festival

2017 FALL MOVIE PREVIEW

Another summer movie season has come to a close and it has proven to be somewhat of a disappointment with the films ranging from unnecessary sequels, underwhelming remakes to just plain awful. While there were a few bright spots ("Wonder Woman", "Spider-Man: Homecoming", "Baby Driver", "Girls Trip", "Dunkirk") but mostly there were just too many duds released ("The Mummy", "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales", "The Dark Tower", "Valerian & The City of a Thousand Planets" to name just a few). Now is the time to look forward to the fall, where the selection of films looks far more promising. Here are ten upcoming films that I'm particularly looking forward in seeing.

All release dates are subject to change:

"BATTLE OF THE SEXES"

Release date: September 22, 2017

I was around eleven years old when the events of the comedy-drama, "Battle of the Sexes" took place so I was aware yet not particularly interested in this gender war between tennis players Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King. But I'm very interested now in the retelling of this tension-filled showdown that took place in 1973. Steve Carell and Emma Stone star as the iconic tennis stars as we witness all of the outrageous theatrics that leads up to the dramatic match between them. Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris ("Little Miss Sunshine") directs.



"WOODSHOCK"

Release date; September 22, 2017

It seems Tom Ford may have inspired other fashion designers to get in to the movie business. The Mulleavy sisters, Laura and Kate (who design the women's clothing line, Rodarte) have written and directed their first feature, "Woodshock". With friend and muse, Kirsten Dunst as an executive producer and star, the film focuses on a grief-stricken woman living in Northern California. She works at a marijuana dispensary and when a powerful new strain is discovered, it quickly replaces lumber as a lucrative cash crop in the area. It shouldn't be much of a surprise that the visuals in the film are wildly vivid and disorienting.



"BLADE RUNNER 2049"

Release date: October 6, 2017

When "Blade Runner", a 1982 film directed by Ridley Scott and based on the Phillip K. Dick novel, "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep", was released, it was initially met with tepid critical reaction and middling box-office. Over time, the film became much more appreciated for it's inventive story-telling and groundbreaking visuals and is now considered a sci-fi classic. Now, thirty-five years later, a follow-up film has finally been made. "Blade Runner 2049" is set thirty years after the first film as a blade runner, Officer K (Ryan Gosling) begins to unravel a dangerous plot that could potentially end mankind. As he further investigates, it leads him to Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford),  a former blade runner who dropped out of sight years ago for a good reason. Denis Villeneuve ("Arrival") directs with Jared Leto, Robin Wright, Barkhad Abdi, Dave Bautista and Edward James Olmos (who also reprises his role in the original film) also starring.



"PROFESSOR MARSTON & THE WONDER WOMEN"

Release date : October 27, 2017

"Wonder Woman" became one of the biggest hits of the year and the timing couldn't be better to take a look at the unconventional life of that character's creator. "Professor Marston & The Wonder Women" examines Dr. William Moulton Marston (Luke Evans), a brilliant man who was a psychologist, inventor and most unlikely, a comic-book writer. We learn that the doctor, his wife (Rebecca Hall) and close friend to both (Bella Heathcote) were all involved in a highly unusual relationship and that these strong-willed women became the inspiration of his famous creation.



"MY FRIEND DAHMER"

Release date: November 3, 2017

John "Derf" Backderf wrote a memoir on his teenage friendship with Jeffrey Dahmer who would grow-up to become an infamous serial killer. But he took the unusual step of creating it as a graphic novel. Marc Meyers has adapted the novel and directed "My Friend Dahmer" and cast Ross Lynch, an actor formerly associated with Disney Channel programming, as Dahmer. While not exactly attempting to make him sympathetic, the teenage Dahmer is revealed to be a lonely and tormented young man who drank to excess, displayed strange behavior and was oddly fascinated with roadkill.



"MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS"

Release date: November 10, 2017

"Murder on The Orient Express", the 1934 Agatha Christie novel, had previously been made in to a popular 1974 film by Sidney Lumet and featured an all-star cast that included Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Sean Connery, Vanessa Redgrave and Ingrid Bergman who won the Best Supporting Actress Award for her role. So I guess the time must be right for a remake. Kenneth Branagh not only directs but also has taken on the juicy role of Hercule Poirot, the internationally famous French detective, who works to solve the crime on this train. This is also a star-filled event and features Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Josh Gad, Leslie Odom Jr. ("Hamilton"), Michelle Pfeiffer and Johnny Depp.



"THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI"

Release date: November 10, 2017

Frances McDormand makes a long overdue return to the big-screen with a starring role in "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri", the latest from playwright/filmmaker Martin McDonagh ("In Bruges", "Seven Psychopaths"). She plays Mildred Hayes, a mother, grieving over the murder of her daughter, who becomes angry and frustrated that no arrest has been made in this crime. Deciding to take a stand and draw attention to this, Mildred rents three billboards that publicly shames the town sheriff (Woody Harrelson) and his police department. Sam Rockwell, John Hawkes and Peter Dinklage also star.



"CALL ME BY YOUR NAME"

Release date: November 24, 2017

"Call Me By Your Name", based on the book by André Aciman, tells the story of Elio (Timothée Chalamet), an American teenager spending the summer with his parents at their Italian villa. Oliver (Armie Hammer), a handsome academic friend of the family, comes to stay for a visit. Elio is fascinated by this slightly older man, with a deep friendship developing before their relationship becomes more intimate. Luca Guadagnino directs from an adapted screenplay from legendary filmmaker, James Ivory ("A Room With a View", "Howard's End", "Maurice").



"THE SHAPE OF WATER"

Release date: December 8, 2017

Guillermo del Toro, the Mexican filmmaker who has made two of my favorite films, "The Devil's Backbone" and "Pan's Labyrinth", has returned with another dark fantasy, "The Shape of Water". While those previous films focused on young protagonists fighting against the supernatural, his latest is more of an adult romance. Set in the 1960's during the Cold War, Elisa (Sally Hawkins) is a lonely, mute woman who works as a janitor at a U.S. government laboratory. She discovers a secret experiment; an amphibious creature (Doug Jones) held in a water tank. Elisa makes an emotional connection with it and determined to set it free. Michael Shannon and Octavia Spencer co-star. The film will make it's world premiere at the Venice Film Festival and will also be screened at this year's Toronto fest.



"STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI"

Release date: December 15, 2017

The highly anticipated follow-up to 2015's "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is finally here. With Rian Johnson ("Looper") taking over directing duties from J.J. Abrams, "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" continues where we left off with the aspiring Jedi, Rey (Daisy Ridley) finding Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) on an isolated island but soon discovers he's no longer the heroic Jedi warrior of the past. Meanwhile, Finn (John Boyega), the former stormtrooper turned reluctant hero, is on a new mission for the Resistance with just a mechanic (Kelly Marie Tran) by his side. Oscar-winner, Benicio Del Toro and Laura Dern are new additions to the series with undisclosed roles.