Episodes
-
Was 1975 the best year ever for movies? Everybody says 1939, but you can make a very strong case that film hit its peak right here. Tarkovsky triumped with Mirror; Steven Spielberg dropped Jaws; Stanley Kubrick returned with Barry Lyndon; Dog One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest swept the Oscars; Monty Python and Rocky Horror redefined the comedy, the musical, and the cult classic - and hovering above them all is Chantal Akerman's fascinating, hypnotic Jeanne Dielman, just feted by Sight & Sound as the greatest film ever made. But of all those great movies (and more), which one best stands the test of time?
Join Rachel Schaevitz and Aaron Keck as they discuss the year in cinema, feminism, fops, faulty sharks, forgotten riots, and Fletcher - and then we dig into the data and the numbers (and our expert panel votes) to identify the best film of 1975.
The nominees are Barry Lyndon, Dog Day Afternoon, Jaws, Jeanne Dielman, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Who wins the Moonlight? -
What's the best year ever for a director? Victor Fleming co-directed Gone With The Wind and The Wizard of Oz in 1939; Ingmar Bergman released Wild Strawberries and The Seventh Seal in 1957; and Steven Spielberg dropped both Jurassic Park and Schindler's List in 1993. They're all contenders, but 1974 may have them all beat: not only is this the year Francis Ford Coppola finished Godfather II and The Conversation, it's also the year Mel Brooks wrapped up both Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein. Some folks are just overachievers.
Join Rachel Schaevitz and Aaron Keck as they discuss the year in cinema, the greatest moments in comedy, mental illness, Germany's guestworker program, sisters, daughters, and the year's top headlines - and then we dig into the data and the numbers (and our expert panel votes) to identify the best film of 1974. (This time, we're also joined by historian Jennifer Miller - whose research focuses on that guestworker program, the backdrop of Fassbinder's "Ali: Fear Eats the Soul.")
The nominees are Ali: Fear Eats the Soul, Chinatown, The Godfather: Part II, A Woman Under the Influence, and Young Frankenstein. Who wins the Moonlight? -
Missing episodes?
-
It's 1973, and it's a rough time in world and U.S. history. The Vietnam War is still raging, there's a massive oil shortage, and crime is rampant - even in the White House. So it's no surprise that our top films of '73 share a sort of unease about the present, channeled into horror (The Exorcist) or cynicism (Mean Streets) or nostalgia for the past (American Graffiti). They have that much in common - but which one film best stands the test of time?
Join Rachel Schaevitz and Aaron Keck as they discuss the year in cinema, emerging directors, awkward fight scenes, rock soundtracks, cursed productions, and the hotness (or lack thereof) of Donald Sutherland - and then we dig into the data and the numbers (and our expert panel votes) to identify the best film of 1973.
The nominees are American Graffiti, Badlands, Don't Look Now, The Exorcist, and Mean Streets. Who wins the Moonlight? -
Some years are easier than others. This time, we're tackling 1972, a year that has always been dominated by The Godfather. But while Brando and company are likely to take gold this time, it's still a fascinating battle for second - including a resurgence of European films, which had been lacking amidst the predominance of the New Hollywood movement.
Join Rachel Schaevitz and Aaron Keck as they discuss the year in cinema, the greatest film scores, the craziest lead actors, the best musical numbers, and the ploddiest sci-fi flicks - and then we dig into the data and the numbers (and our expert panel votes) to identify the best film of 1972.
The nominees are Aguirre, the Wrath of God, Cabaret, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, The Godfather, and Solaris. Who wins the Moonlight? -
The New Hollywood movement has been on the rise for the last few years, and by 1971 it's dominant. From directors like Altman, Friedkin, and Bogdanovich to actors like Bridges, Beatty and Hackman, we're now encountering all the stars that will define the industry for the next generation. But the old guard is still very much around - and standing amidst them all is Stanley Kubrick, who's back again with yet another visually striking masterpiece. But which one film best stands the test of time?
Join Rachel Schaevitz and Aaron Keck as they discuss the year in cinema, small-town tumbleweeds, decaying cities, fascism, and amoral antiheroes - this was a gritty year! - and then we dig into the data and the numbers (and our expert panel votes) to identify the best film of 1971.
The nominees are A Clockwork Orange, Death in Venice, The French Connection, The Last Picture Show, and McCabe & Mrs. Miller. Who wins the Moonlight? -
1970 is a transition year for world history, and the movies are no different. With the studio system era in the rear view mirror and the French New Wave past its peak, the dawn of the 70s brings a whole new generation of filmmakers to center stage. For the second year in a row, the year's top films are all made by directors we've not yet encountered - though in a couple cases, we'll encounter those directors again, and again. But which one film best stands the test of time?
Join Rachel Schaevitz and Aaron Keck as they discuss the year in film, the New Hollywood movement, the Rolling Stones, and the cinematic genius of Omar Bradley - and then we dig into the data and the numbers (and our expert panel votes) to identify the best film of 1970.
The nominees are The Conformist, Five Easy Pieces, Gimme Shelter, MASH, and Patton. Who wins the Moonlight? -
The 1960s began with the rise of the French New Wave, but it ends with the dominance of the New Hollywood: a new generation of American filmmakers, inspired by their French counterparts, freed from the oppressive Hays Code, and reacting to a period of war, transformation, and social upheaval. The movies they made in 1969 were bleak, violent - and revolutionary, influencing cinema for decades to come. But which one film best stands the test of time?
Join Rachel Schaevitz and Aaron Keck as they discuss the year in cinema, the rise of pop music soundtracks, the kitchen sink drama, the revisionist Western, the bicycle, the motorcycle, and the bus - and then we dig into the data and the numbers (and our expert panel votes) to identify the best film of 1969.
The nominees are Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid, Easy Rider, Kes, Midnight Cowboy, and The Wild Bunch. Who wins the Moonlight? -
1968 is the year of the genre film! "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "Planet of the Apes" pioneered in science fiction, "Rosemary's Baby" is a horror classic, "Night of the Living Dead" practically invented the zombie trope, and "Once Upon a Time in the West" ranks among the greatest Westerns ever made. We're also in an era of independent film, with directors like George Romero and John Cassavetes leading the way. But in a year of beloved classics, which one film best stands the test of time?
Join the braaaainy Rachel Schaevitz and Aaron Keck as they discuss the year in cinema, realism in dialogue, gaslighting, monoliths, harmonicas, the bizarre life of Roman Polanski, and Stanley Kubrick's connection to Monty Python - and then we dig into the data and the numbers (and our expert panel votes) to identify the best film of 1968.
The nominees are Faces, Night of the Living Dead, Once Upon a Time in the West, Rosemary's Baby, and 2001: A Space Odyssey. Who wins the Moonlight? -
It's 1967, and the film world is about to be conquered by the New Hollywood: a new generation of young American actors and directors, influenced by the French New Wave, galvanized by tumultuous cultural and political movements, and liberated by the collapse of the stifling Hays code. This year, "the curve comes to reassert itself over the straight line," as the critic Philip Kemp said about "Playtime": norms and mores are violated, elites are exposed, marriages are exploded, weddings are disrupted, mud and blood are splattered, and structures fall. And after all that, we're left with five indelible films: which one comes out on top?
Join Rachel Schaevitz, Aaron Keck, and special guest Beverly Gray (author of "Seduced by Mrs. Robinson") as they discuss the year in cinema, the curve, the line, fedoras, fantasies, squibs, plastics, feminism, antifeminism, and the stunning rise of Dustin Hoffman - and then we dig into the data and the numbers (and our expert panel votes) to identify the best film of 1967.
The nominees are Belle de Jour, Bonnie & Clyde, The Graduate, Playtime, and Le Samourai. Who wins the Moonlight? -
Welcome to 1966, a year of tremendous turmoil worldwide, with the Cold War at its peak, the Vietnam War still on the rise, anti-colonial upheaval across the globe, and rapidly advancing movements for racial justice, gender equality, and sexual liberation. That's all reflected on screen too: the very best movies of 1966 all bring us into the lives of characters living through times of uncertainty, anxiety and possibility, when things have come unmoored, searching for a foundation or a sense of purpose - and sometimes failing to find it, or ruining themselves in the process. It's a heavy year - but these films are also a heck of a lot of fun to watch.
Join Rachel Schaevitz and Aaron Keck as they discuss the year in cinema, the swinging sixties, the death of the Hays code, Soviet censorship, the cost of war, "the Mount Everest of film," orgies, duels, and the misunderstood legacy of Clint Eastwood - and then we dig into the data and the numbers (and our expert-panel votes) to identify the best film of 1966.
The nominees are Andrei Rublev, Battle of Algiers, Blow Up, The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly, and Persona. Who wins the Moonlight? -
The 1960s are a great period for the movie musical, with all-time classics like West Side Story, My Fair Lady, Mary Poppins, and more. The era is also defined by the French New Wave, with one iconic film after another by Varda, Truffaut, Resnais, and all the rest. Maybe the most influential French New Wave director was Jean-Luc Godard - but so far, he's never won a Moonlight. Likewise, no musical has won a Moonlight since Singin' in the Rain back in 1952. Will one of those streaks change this year?
Join Rachel Schaevitz and Aaron Keck as they discuss the year in cinema, moviegoers' habits, Shakespeare adaptations, box office sensations, fourth-wall breakers, apartment-wall breakers, sexual liberation and the #MeToo movement - and then we dig into the data and the numbers (and our expert-panel votes) to identify the best film of 1965.
The nominees are Chimes at Midnight, Dr. Zhivago, Pierrot Le Fou, Repulsion, and The Sound of Music. Who wins the Moonlight? -
Here we are in 1964: one of the best years ever for movie musicals, with classics from Hollywood and Europe, and the breakout year for legendary directors like Sergio Leone and Stanley Kubrick. The French New Wave is rippling worldwide, the Cold War is as hot as it will ever be, and the Beatles have taken over the airwaves. All of those trends factor into our five Best Picture nominees, plus a few other classics that didn't quite make our cut. But which one film best stands the test of time?
Join Rachel Schaevitz and Aaron Keck as they discuss the year in cinema, Peter Sellers, P. L. Travers, clean old men, the filming of sand, secret New Wave films, secret horror movies, sung-through musicals, spoonfuls of sugar, and the merits of fighting in the War Room - and then we dig into the data and the numbers (and our expert panel votes) to identify the best picture of 1964.
The nominees (with apologies to Leone) are Dr. Strangelove, A Hard Day's Night, Mary Poppins, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, and Woman in the Dunes. Who wins the Moonlight? -
It's 1963, and the Cold War is at its peak - and luckily for us, so is cinema. Alfred Hitchcock continues his run with another horror classic, Jean-Luc Godard and Federico Fellini unveil masterpieces of their own, and Luchino Visconti returns with a lavish historical epic that only he could have made. But which one film of 1963 has best stood the test of time?
Join Rachel Schaevitz and Aaron Keck as they discuss the year in cinema, multilingual casts, Communist allegories, special effects, director's block, long arguments, and Steve McQueen - and then we dig into the data and the numbers (and our expert panel votes) to identify the best picture of 1963.
The nominees are The Birds, Contempt, 8 1/2, The Great Escape, and The Leopard. Who wins the Moonlight? -
Welcome to 1962, a year of geopolitical tension, rising anticolonialism, and (at least in the US) an urgent push for racial justice. In the theaters, the French New Wave hits its peak, David Lean attempts the biggest epic ever, and American filmmakers tackle racism, paranoia, and the whereabouts of Baby Jane. But which one film of 1962 has best stood the test of time?
Join Rachel Schaevitz and Aaron Keck as they discuss the year in cinema, the New Wave's "ideal woman," Agnes Varda's feminism, brownface casting, and Gregory Peck's acting abilities - and then we dig into the data and the numbers (and our expert panel votes) to identify the best picture of 1962.
The nominees are Cleo from 5 to 7, Jules et Jim, La Jetee, Lawrence of Arabia, and To Kill A Mockingbird. Who wins the Moonlight? -
It's 1961! Cold War tensions are at a fever pitch, the anti-colonial movement is rising, and in theaters, the French New Wave is at its peak. In Hollywood, moviegoers are getting their first looks at Audrey Hepburn's little black dress - and their first listen to the musical genius of (the late, great) Stephen Sondheim. Around the world, great directors like Luis Buñuel and Akira Kurosawa are making some of their most treasured classics. But which one film of 1961 has best stood the test of time?
Join Rachel Schaevitz and Aaron Keck as they discuss the year in cinema, the man with no name, unceremonious fight scenes, great animal actors, the absence of shadows, Last Supper parodies, Henry Mancini, actors in brownface and yellowface, the greatness of Rita Moreno, and the best strategy for winning at Nim - and then we dig into the data and the numbers (and our expert panel votes) to identify the best picture of 1961.
The nominees are Breakfast at Tiffany's, Last Year at Marienbad, Viridiana, West Side Story, and Yojimbo. Who wins the Moonlight? -
We've arrived at the 1960s, and the decade begins with a bang: 1960 brings us five of the most indelible, acclaimed, celebrated, homaged, and influential movies ever made. In Europe, Jean-Luc Godard, Michelangelo Antonioni, and Federico Fellini are changing the game; in the States, Billy Wilder and Alfred Hitchcock deliver two of their most treasured classics, one a brilliant comedy, the other a shocking slasher. They're all great - but which one film from 1960 has best stood the test of time?
Join Rachel Schaevitz and Aaron Keck as they discuss the year in cinema, the French New Wave, jump cuts, paparazzi, awful Cannes screenings, "reciprocal pity," great last lines, theater rules, and hot-water heaters - and then we dig into the data and the numbers (and our expert panel votes) to identify the best picture of 1960.
The nominees are The Apartment, L'Avventura, Breathless, La Dolce Vita, and Psycho. Who wins the Moonlight? -
We've arrived at the end of our third decade! And it's a busy, transformative period for the movies. The French New Wave has kicked into high gear; the Hays Code is finally in decline; and Alfred Hitchcock is in the middle of (arguably) the greatest run of films a director's ever had. But which one film from 1959 has best stood the test of time?
Join Rachel Schaevitz and Aaron Keck as they discuss the year in cinema, the French New Wave, auteur theory, cross-dressing, Cary Grant impressions, "raising hell," Alain Resnais' strangely linear career arc, the emerging dominance of color film, how to commit petty property crime, and Abraham Lincoln's nose - and then we dig into the data and the numbers (and our expert panel votes) to identify the best picture of 1959.
The nominees are The 400 Blows, Hiroshima Mon Amour, North By Northwest, Pickpocket, and Some Like It Hot. Who wins the Moonlight? -
We're nearing the end of the 1950s, and it's an exciting period for the movies. The French New Wave is stirring, Eastern European artists are emerging, and Alfred Hitchcock, already far and away our most acclaimed director, is about to have an incredible run that (arguably) tops everything that's come before. But which one film has best stood the test of time?
Join Rachel Schaevitz and Aaron Keck as they discuss the year in cinema, cool titles, misleading titles, Miles Davis, Bernard Hermann, Godard's leading men, modern technology, 50s-era psychology, and Mexican accents (or the lack thereof) - and then we dig into the data and the numbers (and our expert panel votes) to identify the best picture of 1958.
The nominees are Ashes & Diamonds, Elevator to the Gallows, Mon Oncle, Touch of Evil, and Vertigo. Who wins the Moonlight? -
In film history, there are certain years that stand out. 1939 may be the most famous example, but there are some years that shine even brighter than that. We've arrived at 1957, arguably the best year ever for movies - with two classic war movies, possibly the greatest courtroom drama of all time, masterpieces by Kubrick and Fellini and Kurosawa - and not one but two all-timers from Ingmar Bergman, who might have had the best year ever for a film director. But which one film, out of all those, has best stood the test of time?
Join Rachel Schaevitz and Aaron Keck as they discuss the year in cinema, existentialism, "date bait," spontaneous parades, unnamed jurors, trench warfare, and the perils of showing an antiwar movie to the troops who fought in that very war - and then we dig into the data and the numbers (and our expert panel votes) to identify the best picture of 1957.
The nominees are Bridge on the River Kwai, Nights of Cabiria, Paths of Glory, The Seventh Seal, and Twelve Angry Men. (With apologies to Wild Strawberries, Throne of Blood, and The Sweet Smell of Success!) Who wins the Moonlight? -
Thus far in our journey through cinema history, we've nominated a lot of "genre" films - but very few have won. So far we only have one sci-fi/horror winner, 1935's Bride of Frankenstein, and no Western winners at all. But 1956 gives us one film that's often described as the greatest Western ever made - and another film that's been called the best B horror flick. Will one of them finally break through?
Join Rachel Schaevitz and Aaron Keck as they discuss the year in cinema, satiric melodrama, phallic hobby horses, realistic prison breaks, pod people, dish detergent, the Holocaust, the war in Algeria, the hero's journey, Ahab, Homer, and what to do when your protagonist is downright evil - and then we dig into the data and the numbers (and our expert panel votes) to identify the best picture of 1956.
The nominees are Invasion of the Body Snatchers, A Man Escaped, Night and Fog, The Searchers, and Written on the Wind. Who wins the Moonlight? - Show more
