Steven Spielberg and AFI Announce the AFI Movie Club for At-Home Fans

Posted on March 31, 2020 at 12:55 pm

The American Film Institute (AFI) announced today the launch of AFI Movie Club – a daily virtual gathering to leverage our collective love of film on behalf of optimism in this time of global uncertainty. AFI Trustee Steven Spielberg introduced the inaugural film, THE WIZARD OF OZ, in a video that reminds in a timely manner, “There’s no place like home.”

AFI – the authority on American film – will continue to select an iconic movie each day for the world to watch together, creating a communal viewing experience during these unprecedented times of social distancing. Other special guests will announce select AFI Movies of the Day in short videos posted on AFI.com and social media platforms. Audiences can “gather” at AFI.com/MovieClub to view the featured movie of the day with the use of their preexisting streaming services. The daily film selections will be supported by fun facts, family discussion points and exclusive material from the AFI Archive to enrich the viewing experience. Audiences can continue the conversation online using the hashtag #AFIMovieClub.

“AFI’s goal is to live in a world of art above anxiety,” said Bob Gazzale, President and CEO. “We’re honored to have Steven Spielberg, the greatest storyteller of our day, lead the way.”

More Movies to Watch at Home: Recommendations from The Washington Post, AWFJ, and Rogerebert.com

Posted on March 24, 2020 at 10:57 am

Great recommendations for movies to watch at home from my friends and colleagues:

The Washington Post:

This is a great list, with Martin Scorsese’s quirky comedy “After Hours,” my favorite film of last year, “The Last Black Man in San Francisco,” and the under-seen documentary that is a powerful reminder of what connects all humans, “Life in a Day.”

The Alliance of Women Film Journalists:

This is a wildly varied assortment, reflecting the wide range of the AWFJ’s members. It includes Drew Barrymore’s roller derby film “Whip It,” the Ruth Bader Ginsburg documentary “RBG,” the zombie comedy “Shaun of the Dead,” and Barbra Streisand’s Oscar-winning performance in “Funny Girl.”

Rogerebert.com editor Brian Tallerico has put together all of the resources for watching the films that Roger Ebert certified as “great.” Try “Diva,” “M,” “A Hard Day’s Night,” “Mr. Hulot’s Holiday,” and “On the Waterfront.”

And the contributors to rogerebert.com have also suggested some of our favorites, including one of the craziest movies of all time, “Madame Satan,” which we showed here in Washington as a part of our pre-Code series.

100 Years of Black Film

Posted on January 2, 2020 at 12:00 pm

This outstanding new history of black filmmakers is available for free! It includes everything from Hollywood classics (Hattie McDaniel and Sidney Poitier as the first black performers to win Oscars) to the unsung innovators like Oscar Micheaux, who responded to the racism of D.W. Griffith’s “The Birth of a Nation” with “Within Our Gates, the pioneers of the Blaxploitation era, and Barry Jenkins’ “Moonlight” winning the Best Picture Oscar. The #Oscarssowhite protests, Motown’s Berry Gordy’s films like “Lady Sings the Blues” and “The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings,” and Tyler Perry establishing his own (wildly successful) studio. Highly recommended!

Bonham’s Auction: Hollywood Treasures from Mitzi Gaynor, William Wellman, and More

Posted on December 8, 2019 at 9:59 pm

Bonham’s has a dazzling array of Hollywood treasures for sale in their latest auction, including Mitzi Gaynor’s costume collection, artifacts from “Gone With the Wind” (you can get an annotated screenplay, costume sketch, Scarlett’s necklace, Rhett’s vest, or even Margaret Mitchell’s contract with MGM!), and the bodice from Theda Bara’s “Cleopatra” costume! There’s an “Adventures of Robin Hood” book signed by the cast, Paul Henreid’s jacket from “Casablanca,” a dress worn by Barbara Stanwyck and Teresa Wright in two different films, a vest worn by Bob Hope in “The Princess and the Pirate,” and a prop poster for “Springtime for Hitler” from “The Producers.” There’s even a pair of Darth Vader gloves from the original “Star Wars” (now known as “A New Hope”).

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Trailer: The Movies That Made Us on Netflix

Posted on December 3, 2019 at 6:03 pm

The only think I love to watch as much as a great movie is some behind the scenes looks at great movies. The films in “The Movies That Made Us,” a new Netflix series that is a spin-off of their popular “The Toys That Made Us,” may not be “great,” but they are deliciously watchable and deeply beloved, including “Home Alone,” “Die Hard,” and “Dirty Dancing.”