Robert Carradine, the "Revenge of the Nerds" and "Lizzie McGuire" star, has died at age 71.

Robert Duvall - 📽️ Colors (Dennis Hopper, 1988) Duvall grants Hodges his signature weathered sincerity, and he steals the gang violence movie wholly, blowing a loose cannon Sean Penn off the screen. RIP to a versatile icon, who was legendary yet somehow slightly underappreciated of late. #filmsky

Oscar-winning documentary maker Frederick Wiseman is dead at age 96.

Chadwick Boseman and James van der Beek both died in their 40s of an illness that's treatable if a colonoscopy catches it but almost no insurer covers them for people under 45, this is what Engels meant by "social murder"

RIP Bud Cort. How else would you even pay tribute to him.

RIP Robert Duvall: as central to American film as anyone in his generation

Tom Noonan - 📽️ The House of the Devil (Ti West, 2009) RIP to one of my favourite character actors, an effortless master of quiet and haunting tone. Noonan makes West’s flawed Satanic haunted house movie spark to life in his handful of moments, superpowering any genre tale through talent. #filmsky

Michael Beach - 📽️ One False Move (Carl Franklin, 1992) Beach is wonderful against type as a quietly chilling, psychotic villain. His cold and brief remarks to crime partner Billy Bob Thornton in the car set the stage for an unpredictable neo-noir showdown with sheriff Bill Paxton at the climax.

Idris Elba - 📽️ No Good Deed (Sam Miller, 2014) Too few of Elba’s movies are as good as he deserves, and this is no exception. But he is the reason to see it, essentially as a home invasion horror monster, skulking across rooms and terrorizing Taraji P. Henson with lumbering physicality. #filmsky

Mark Boone Junior - 📽️ Trees Lounge (Steve Buscemi, 1996) Buscemi made the ultimate darkly comic bar movie, starring opposite his longtime stage comedy partner Boone as Mike—whose drinking is tearing his family life apart. The naturalistic character actor is at home in this phenomenal ensemble.

Zooey Deschanel - 📽️ All the Real Girls (David Gordon Green, 2003) This performance was a big deal in film fandom at the time, but the movie is mentioned a lot less today. Deschanel became one to watch months before Elf in Green’s drama as the naive Noel, spellbinding opposite a sly Paul Schneider.

Cate Blanchett - 📽️ The Life Aquatic witn Steve Zissou (Wes Anderson, 2004) A perfect naturally funny actor to play one normal character surrounded by weirdos, it’s a wonder Blanchett hasn’t returned to the Anderson universe. She’s so endearing as the reporter; I laugh just remembering the accent.

Arjun Rampal - 📽️ Om Shanti Om (Farah Khan, 2007) In the Bollywood masala modern classic starring Shah Rukh Khan, Rampal savours the part of deeply evil film producer Mukesh, who just can’t stop starting fires. His mistreatment of his wife (Deepika Padukone) frames the epic revenge story. #filmsky

Keith Carradine - 📽️ Trouble in Mind (Alan Rudolph, 1985) While mercilessly throwing fits, Rudolph muse Carradine shines as the chaotic Coop. In the surreal neo-noir, the incompetent gangster pisses off his wife (Lori Singer), a mob boss (Divine), and an ex-cop (Kris Kristofferson) in Rain City.

Hugh Laurie - 📽️ Sense and Sensibility (Ang Lee, 1995) Released thirty years ago today, this is one of the strongest ensembles ever. Oscar-winning screenwriter Emma Thompson adapted the role of the bitter Mr. Palmer with longtime friend Laurie in mind. His hilarity helps make it such a comfort film.

Michael McKean - 📽️ Clue (Jonathan Lynn, 1985) Released forty years ago today, Clue is anchored by only perfect performances. One of the most rewarding to revisit is a rarely funnier McKean, granting Mr. Green foppish cluelessness until his hysterical closing kiss-off line. The guy can do anything.

Paul Sparks - 📽️ Thoroughbreds (Cory Finley, 2018) One of our most versatile character actors, Sparks got a welcome longer showcase as Mark, controlling stepdad to Lily (Anya Taylor-Joy). He elicits such chills with every dismissive remark that his rowing machine becomes a creepy horror soundtrack.

Nobuko Miyamoto - 📽️ A Taxing Woman (Jūzō Itami, 1987) Itami’s muse Miyamoto got one of her best roles as the tax investigator in this crime comedy. It’s hard to be prepared for the effortless deft tonal balance in their films together, and she plays this like an eccentric noir detective. #filmsky

Me in the Criterion Closet: wow Hollow Man, what a film Criterion employee: you aren’t allowed to bring movies in Me in the Criterion Closet shaking my sleeves in an odd way: wow Hollow Man 2, what a film

My students are doing a Movie Poster Assignment, and I'm also participating. I chose Do the Right Thing

Fuck. She was a legend of Canadian film and tv. variety.com/2026/tv/news...

Goodnight to the brilliant and beloved Catherine O’Hara, whose presence brought so much joy to our screens. Here she is giving one of her scene-stealing performances as Gail, the Mister Softee vendor, in Martin Scorsese's AFTER HOURS (1985). ❤️

Kate Hudson - 📽️ Something Borrowed (Luke Greenfield, 2011) Hudson remixes her How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days manic comedy here, this time for a romcom villain role of sorts with a tiny bit of heart. Hudson is often capable of being great in a lesser movie and this is one such instance. #filmsky

Rose Byrne - 📽️ The Meddler (Lorene Scafaria, 2016) As the screenwriter daughter of overbearing protagonist Susan Sarandon, Byrne is so deft hopping comedy and drama as each scene demands. Her consistency guarantees more interesting roles to come forever, and she lands every single joke in anything.

Congrats to Kylie Minogue’s daughter, Rose Byrne, on her Oscar nomination

the entire timeline has spoken with one voice. and they're saying "Delroy Lindo"

Roger Allers, the co-director of ‘The Lion King’ and ‘Open Season’, has sadly passed away at the age of 76. He also directed The Prophet, the Oscar-nominated The Little Matchgirl, was a storyboard artist on The Little Mermaid, Head of Story on Beauty and the Beast and more.

Eva Mendes - 📽️ Holy Motors (Leos Carax, 2012) I miss Mendes acting, but at least she got to shine in a film this good, as the kidnapped model. Carax’s surrealist masterpiece has nothing but perfect performances from the likes of Édith Scob, Kylie Minogue, Michel Piccoli, and the great Denis Lavant.

Roger Allam - 📽️ Speed Racer (Lana and Lilly Wachowski, 2008) The always underappreciated Allam (V for Vendetta, The Queen) manages to be a cartoon villain come to life in the Wachowskis’ pretty delightful bomb turned cult movie. Few play pompous entitlement quite so naturally and entertainingly.

Lili Taylor - 📽️ Say Anything… (Cameron Crowe, 1989) This would be less of an enduring classic without such a funny supporting character as Taylor’s Corey. She has attitude for days, and an endless trove of songs about her ex (Loren Dean). Taylor can deliver any barb so satisfyingly. P.S. Joe lies!

Keira Knightley - 📽️ A Dangerous Method (David Cronenberg, 2012) Knightley’s leading role is one of her best performances. As psychiatric hospital patient Sabrina, her interactions with Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender) and Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen) are the kink-infused highlights of the picture.

Charles Durning - 📽️ Home for the Holidays (Jodie Foster, 1995) Foster stacked the cast of her Thanksgiving family ensemble film. None of them is as fun as king character actor Durning, who gets all the best lines as the tired patriarch. He also gets a love triangle and climactic emotional speech.

Little Children. And the film is great.

Farewell to John Cunningham.

We lost a true king today. Rest in peace to the great Marcus Gilbert, aka Lord Arthur from Army of Darkness.

Evening viewing recommendation? Watch Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles's blistering sci-fi thriller BACURAU (2019) — an audacious, furiously entertaining model of genre art as a vehicle for political resistance.

David Tomlinson - 📽️ Mary Poppins (Robert Stevenson, 1965) People know the performance, but Tomlinson’s name deserves to be as known for it as his co-stars. George Banks has the film’s biggest emotional arc, and for such a grump initially, his inner child payoff is so riveting and cathartic. 🪁

Rachel McAdams - 📽️ The Family Stone (Thomas Bezucha, 2005) Released 20 years ago today. Everyone who watches this unhinged comedy seems to mainly agree on McAdams. Amy is the most fun for being simultaneously the heart, the laughs, the attitude, and the best scene partner to the great Diane Keaton.

Miguel Ferrer - 📽️ RoboCop (Paul Verhoeven, 1987) This is essentially the greatest cheesy sci-fi ensemble of character actors ever assembled: Kurtwood Smith, Ray Wise, Ronny Cox, Paul McCrane, Dan O’Herlihy… Best in show for me is Ferrer as the ladder-climbing, coked-out Bob Morton, a decoy subplot.

Willem Dafoe - 📽️ Light Sleeper (Paul Schrader, 1992) The stylish neo-noir casts Schrader muse Dafoe in the lead as a New York City drug dealer facing a midlife crisis. His conflicted, absorbing performance anchors a strong film opposite Susan Sarandon, Dana Delany, Victor Garber, and Sam Rockwell.

Bruce Willis - 📽️ The Fifth Element (Luc Besson, 1997) Sure, it’s a hit modern classic. Milla Jovovich, Gary Oldman, and Chris Tucker distract a lot memorably with their flashy and loud performances. But Korben Dallas deserves credit as one of Willis’ most gripping roles, selling the bizarre world.

Toshiro Mifune - 📽️ Stray Dog (Akira Kurosawa, 1949) It’s hard to call anything from the legendary actor-director collaboration forgotten. But Stray Dog gets too little credit as a contender for their very best. It’s a sweaty heatwave mystery with a riveting Mifune spiraling into consumed obsession.

James Badge Dale - 📽️ 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (Michael Bay, 2016) “You’re in my world now.” Dale played the late Tyrone Woods in this film—which contends as the best, grittiest, and most coherent in Bay’s oeuvre. The movie works because you buy his innate gravitas and authority.

Holt McCallany - 📽️ Shot Caller (Ric Roman Waugh, 2017) Waugh’s best films (Felon, Snitch) never seem to get credit in their time. McCallany always rules, but as Aryan Brotherhood shot caller The Beast, he steals the movie in a scant few scenes. It’s sheer presence sizing up Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.

Nicole Kidman - 📽️ The Others (Alejandro Amenábar, 2001) Big at the time and discussed too little since, The Others holds up even better than I recalled. It’s also a peak showcase for Kidman doing movie star shit, a wartime drama smuggled inside a horror movie, as she spars with Fionnula Flanagan.

Dorothy Malone - 📽️ The Big Sleep (Howard Hawks, 1946) This scene is legendary in its way for many, but still in the spirit of this account. It might be the smallest role to steal a great, classic film. Her unnamed clerk’s instant steamy flirtation with Humphrey Bogart must be seen to be believed.

Brendan Fraser - 📽️ Gods and Monsters (Bill Condon, 1998) It’s a simple task: hold your own opposite Ian McKellen as he gives perhaps the performance of the 1990s. McKellen was rightly celebrated, but there were too few shouts for Fraser as essentially the insecure, stoic POV of this great film.

Antonio Banderas - 📽️ Interview with the Vampire (Neil Jordan, 1994) Banderas’ rendition of Armand is vital for leaning more into the intended homoeroticism of Anne Rice’s books than anyone else in the cast. There’s not enough of him, but his seductive camp take playing with the candle really pops.

Brent Briscoe - 📽️ A Simple Plan (Sam Raimi, 1998) Raimi’s neo-noir thriller is probably his most grounded film, and it’s one of his best. After they find a bunch of money, Briscoe shines as the sad and desperate Lou while his two cohorts spiral into violence. He gets to do some divine drunk acting.

Stellan Skarsgård uses his Golden Globe speech for ‘SENTIMENTAL VALUE’ to advocate for movie theaters: “In a cinema, where the lights go down and eventually you share the pulse with other people, that is magic. Cinema should be seen in cinemas” #StellanSkarsgård #SentimentalValue #GoldenGlobes2026