Seventh Row is a nonprofit Canadian film criticism publication and publishing house. We're dedicated to helping you expand your horizons by curating the best socially progressive films from around the world and helping you think deeply about them. This newsletter is run by Seventh Row (http://seventh-row.com) but features exclusive content not found on the website.
Joan Micklin Silver in 4K
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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 strikes me most when watching them today is how thoroughly modern they are. You forget Chilly Scenes of Winter was made in the '70s until one line sticks out because everything else still resonates today. Crossing Delancey's story of a woman realizing that what she thinks she wants isn't what she actually wants is timeless — and you can see versions of it playing out in shows like Looking and Gossip Girl. But until recently, her films were either impossible to see (Chilly Scenes got its first home video release two years ago and was only available on DVD/Blu Ray from Criterion) or hard to see as they were meant to be seen. (Crossing Delancey has never looked as good as its 4K restoration.) Episode 163: Joan Micklin Silver's Chilly Scenes of Winter and Crossing Delancey - from flop to hit (feat. Lindsay Pugh)Today on the podcast, Woman in Revolt Editor-in-Chief Lindsay Pugh joins me to discuss why we love Joan Micklin Silver, why her films have aged so well (and the few things that haven’t), and what makes her such a great filmmaker both as a visual stylist and a modern storyteller. We go deep on her biggest flop, the excellent Chilly Scenes of Winter (1979), and her biggest hit, Crossing Delancey (1988). Happy watching/listening! Alex
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Seventh Row
Seventh Row is a nonprofit Canadian film criticism publication and publishing house. We're dedicated to helping you expand your horizons by curating the best socially progressive films from around the world and helping you think deeply about them. This newsletter is run by Seventh Row (http://seventh-row.com) but features exclusive content not found on the website.
Sometimes, committing to one curated film a month can lead to unexpected shifts in how you see films — and yourself. That’s exactly what Hazel, a longtime member of Reel Ruminators, has experienced. In this week’s podcast episode, she reflects on what she’s taken away from a year of participating — and how that simple, consistent practice has shaped the way she approaches films. We talked about: What happens when you watch films that aren't suggested by an algorithm. Why gathering with film...
Early in this month’s Reel Ruminators film, the heroine declares: “I don’t want to meet interesting people, I want to be interesting.” That line gives you a sense of the film's tone: witty and searching, with something deeper always lurking beneath the surface. Join us this month for an effervescent trip to France for a film that’s bright, funny, emotionally rich, and full of restless energy. The film, which premiered at Cannes in Critics’ Week, is the first feature from a woman to watch,...
Some films change every time you rewatch them — not because they shift, but because you do. The mark of a great film is that it can meet you again — and offer more. Not just because your perspective has changed, but because the film is rich enough to hold what you couldn’t yet see. This year marks the tenth anniversary of Andrew Haigh’s 45 Years — and we’re celebrating it on the podcast because it’s one of the best films of the century. I’ve watched it at least once a year over the past...