R.I.P. Vilmos Zsigmond (1930-2016)

Vilmos Zsigmond

On January 1, 2016, cinematographer Vilmos Zsimond died at the age of 86. Over the course of his career, he worked in a variety of mediums, specifically in documentary and feature films. Among his most noteworthy collaborators are Steven Spielberg, Robert Altman, and Woody Allen. In 1977, he received the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for Close Encounters of the Third Kind. He was an endorser of the Tiffen filters method and helped to turn such classic films such as The Deer Hunter and McCabe & Mrs. Miller into gorgeous films. Along with his impressive legacy on screen, he is considered by many, including the International Cinematographers Guild, to be one of the most influential cinematographers in history.

17 Pleasant Surprises on BBC's Greatest American Films

Left to right: Lupita Nyong'o and Chiwetel Ejiofor in 12 Years a Slave

Today marks the release of the latest "Best Movies Ever" list. This time, it comes from BBC Culture and it focuses on the Best American Films (click link for commentary on Top 25). While it features a lot of familiar, obvious choices (Citizen Kane, The Godfather, and Vertigo tops yet another list), the list has its share of surprises both great and bad (omission of most recent films, animated films, and directors). Instead of arguing about every last thing that is wrong with this list (where's Paul Thomas Anderson  and The Coen Brothers?), it does feature a lot of pleasant surprises. The following is a list of films that made the list that you wouldn't expect and definitely should check out ASAP.

Birthday Take: Julie Christie in "McCabe & Mrs. Miller" (1971)

Julie Chritie

Welcome to The Birthday Take, a column dedicated to celebrating Oscar nominees and winners' birthdays by paying tribute to the work that got them noticed. This isn't meant to be an exhaustive retrospective, but more of a highlight of one nominated work that makes them noteworthy. The column will run whenever there is a birthday and will hopefully give a dense exploration of the finest performances and techniques applied to film. So please join me as we blow out the candles and dig into the delicious substance.