Hello Reader, Joan Micklin Silver was writing and directing movies in 1970s America when very few women were. Elaine May’s A New Leaf came a few years before Silver’s first feature, but Silver pre-dated filmmakers like Claudia Weill, Nora Ephron, and more who followed in her footsteps. Her four features are all excellent, and a great B Side to the era's films — the Jewishness of a Woody Allen movie without all the creepiness, the emancipated women of Mazursky but told by a woman. But what...
10 days ago • 2 min read
Hello Reader, You are receiving this as a paying subscriber to The Globetrotting Watchlist (which includes Film Adventurer and Cinephile Members), a monthly newsletter that helps you expand your cinematic horizons through streaming recommendations for the best socially progressive under-the-radar films worldwide. Your support helps us pay our expenses to keep Seventh Row, a non-profit, ad-free and online. What's Inside the Globetrotting Newsletter This month, I'm recommending: Winter in...
17 days ago • 7 min read
Hello Reader, Today, I want to take you behind the scenes of Nurri’s journey with Reel Ruminators. Before we dive in, you should know that Nurri started exactly where you might be right now: ❌ Unexcited about mainstream cinema, which doesn’t reflect her eclectic tastes ❌ Frustrated that it’s impossible to attend every film festival to discover the best under-the-radar international films ❌ Overwhelmed by the sheer number of films out there, between classics and new releases, and unsure where...
19 days ago • 3 min read
Hello Reader, On Friday, I introduced you to Nancy and her journey with Reel Ruminators to discovering and enjoying international films she hadn't previously heard of — and heightening her appreciation of the individual films and film more generally. Today, I want to address something I hear often from people considering Reel Ruminators: "Why would I want to discuss movies on Zoom with strangers?" If you've thought this too, you're not alone. But here's what Reel Ruminators member Hazel wants...
21 days ago • 3 min read
Hello Reader, Meet Nancy. Just eight months ago, she faced some all-too-familiar struggles for movie lovers who are serious hobbyists but not trying to become a film professional: Where can I find good international films beyond the mainstream? How do I find films by and about diverse groups (e.g., women, LGBTQ+ people, Indigenous, people over 50)? How do I learn about how the technical aspects of visual storytelling affect my experience of a film — without learning how to make movies? How...
24 days ago • 2 min read
Hello Reader, Contrary to popular belief, when Oscar season ends, good movie season begins. The 3-4 month window after the Oscars and before summer movie season is when 90% of the year’s best movies get released. Today on the podcast, film critic C.J. Prince of Acquired Cinema joins Alex to look back on the wide variety of excellent international movies that have been released right after the Oscars during this window. We explain some of the attributes that define these films, which are...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader, Even if you don’t care about the Oscars, what’s considered Oscar-worthy deeply impacts what films you hear about. Because arthouse and international distributors divide films into two categories: movies they think can win Oscars and movies that can’t. Oscar movies get massive marketing budgets, come out in the fall, and screen for months. So you hear about them. The rest get dumped in the spring and summer, and they might not even tell the press the films exist, no matter how...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader, You are receiving this as a paying subscriber to The Globetrotting Watchlist (which includes Film Adventurer and Cinephile Members), a monthly newsletter that helps you expand your cinematic horizons through streaming recommendations for the bes'st socially progressive under-the-radar films worldwide. Your support helps us pay our expenses to keep Seventh Row, a non-profit, ad-free and online. What's Inside the Globetrotting Newsletter This month, I'm recommending: 20 years of...
about 1 month ago • 9 min read
Hello Reader, Two of my favourite Hamlets -- David Tennant and Cush Jumbo -- starred in a production of Macbeth last year at the Donmar Warehouse. Fortunately, thanks to the gods of recorded theatre, you can now watch a recording of the production in cinemas this weekend. Most major cities have screenings on Sunday. Some cities have additional screenings. Find screenings in your area here. Why this production Tennant is one of the great Shakespearean actors working today. He's given...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read