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.

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.

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.

Martha Plimpton - 📽️ 200 Cigarettes (Risa Bramon Garcia, 1999) This is an underrated New Year’s movie, very entertaining off its ace cast including Courtney Love, Kate Hudson, Paul Rudd, and two Afflecks. Plimpton stands out, typically hilarious anxiously hosting a party only to miss the bulk of it.

Jessica Chastain - 📽️ Take Shelter (Jeff Nichols, 2011) In her breakthrough year of films, Chastain gave one of her best performances to date opposite Michael Shannon. While he is plagued by apocalyptic visions and mental illness, Chastain as his wife is the expressive, pained audience character.

Julianne Nicholson - 📽️ August: Osage County (John Wells, 2013) One of the best in the game, Nicholson savours every minute of one of the three main roles in this fire ensemble, with Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep. She’s the MVP of the adaptation of the tough Tracy Letts play, breaking your heart.

William Richert - 📽️ My Own Private Idaho (Gus Van Sant, 1992) You gotta wish director Richert had been in more films when you see him as Bob Pigeon, a lustfully twisted take on Shakespeare’s Falstaff. He strides with verve and spars in verse delightfully with River Phoenix, Keanu Reeves, and Flea.

Ray Wise - 📽️ Good Night, and Good Luck (George Clooney, 2005) David Strathairn finally got his long-deserved plaudits and nominations for his starring role in the polished historical drama. The other real money role goes to the inimitable Wise as the tragic heart of the piece. What a voice!

Larry Miller - 📽️ 10 Things I Hate About You (Gil Junger, 1999) The Shakespeare-based teen comedy has a bulletproof ensemble. Kudos to the extremely unheralded and consistent Miller, playing overprotective father to Julia Stiles and Larisa Oleynik with manic-comic aplomb. It’s one of his best roles.

It appears that the news has broken that Caden Mark Gardner and I have programmed a series on Trans Filmmakers for the Criterion Channel. These films will be available in April www.criterion.com/current/post...

Sad news. Mary Beth Hurt was such an interesting, spiky actress--it was always a pleasurable jolt when she showed up on screen. I would recommend Interiors, Chilly Scenes of Winter, or The World According to Garp as starting points. variety.com/2026/film/ne...

Rest in peace, James Tolkan; a fantastic character actor.

If you were ever thinking "What were the movies like in the 1970s and '80s?," you might well land on "They were like Valerie Perrine." Farewell to her. ❤️

There's a very cheap little horror movie, "Coherence," where Nicholas Brendon essentially plays himself as a washed-up alcoholic TV star. He improvised it all. He's the best thing in it. There was a lot of talent in this guy that never saw the light of day.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer star, Nicholas Brendon, has passed away at the age of 54. 🕊️ Read More: bit.ly/3NAJybe

The full performance of “I Lied To You” from ‘SINNERS’ at the 98th Oscars. #Sinners #Oscars2026

“Tonight we are celebrating people, not AI. Animation is more than a prompt, it’s an art form that needs to be protected.” — Will Arnett presenting the awards for Animation at the Oscars

@angelicabastien.bsky.social and i answer the question of the moment: "what does "sinners" record-breaking oscar nomination haul mean?" for the academy? everything. for the future of black film? history tells us it won't change much. for @vulture.com.

William Wellman's NOTHING SACRED (1937) w/ Fredric March and Carole Lombard is now on Criterion Channel. This is the MoMA restoration from the original Technicolor separations, w/ warm, golden tones that are completely lost in other transfers. It looks and sounds glorious. #FilmSky

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.