Every Tuesday, discriminating viewers are confronted with a flurry of choices: new releases on disc and on-demand, vintage, and original movies on any number of streaming platforms, catalog titles making a splash on Blu-ray or 4K. This weekly column sifts through all of those choices to pluck out the movies most worth your time, no matter how you’re watching. 

The numerical value assigned to the past two weeks’ disc and streaming releases is up for some disagreement – there are nine new titles, to be sure, but one of them has three movies inside it, and the other has 39.

Continue reading The 9 Best Movies To Buy Or Stream This Week: ‘American Pickle’ ‘Lucky Grandma’ & More at The Playlist.

39 movies and 200 pages of words from Amy Taubin, Michael Koresky, So Mayer, Alexandra Hidalgo, Ginette Vincendeau, and Rebecca Bengal, accompanied by scores of photographs and decorated with a palette befitting of its honoree, still feels inadequate for celebrating the life, art, and beatific spirit of Left Bank icon and art world legend, Agnès Varda.

Continue reading The Essentials: Agnès Varda [The Complete Criterion Box Set Is Spectacular Tribute] at The Playlist.

With films and TV shows constantly disappearing from Netflix, Hulu, and even Disney+, and titles constantly changing streaming platforms as new ones come to take a piece of the Streaming Wars pie, physical media is more important than ever. And when it comes to physical media, there are few things better than a good Criterion Collection release, so it’s a good thing that they’ve just announced their August releases.

Continue reading ‘The Comfort Of Strangers,’ ‘The Complete Films Of Agnès Varda’ & More Join The Criterion Collection In August at The Playlist.

With the ubiquity of streaming platforms, the idea of purchasing physical media seems to be something that many people don’t understand. However, for cinephiles, especially those that get excited by Criterion Collection releases, the upcoming 15-disc release of “The Complete Films of Agnès Varda” is proof that not only is physical media alive and well, but that there’s still something special about owning a boxed set such as this.

Continue reading Criterion To Release The “Complete Films Of Agnès Varda” 15-Disc Set In August at The Playlist.

It’s very rare that a filmmaker is able to leave fans with a real gift after their death. However, in the case of legendary filmmaker Agnès Varda, even though her death was sudden and unexpected, the director’s final work, the documentary “Varda by Agnès” serves as a touching end and tribute to one of the best creators the industry has ever witnessed.

And in honor of “Varda by Agnès” arriving in theaters later this week, we’re thrilled to offer our readers an exclusive clip from the film.

Continue reading ‘Varda By Agnès’ Exclusive Clip: Agnès Varda Doesn’t Enjoy Being Her Own Film Subject at The Playlist.

Agnes Varda sadly passed away earlier this year at age 90, and this year’s New York Festival is not only dedicated to her but includes one of her films in the main slate. “Varda By Agnes” represents something few artists are lucky enough to have – the last word on one’s own career. Cobbled together from personal lectures, clips from her films, and some new material, “Varda By Agnes” summarizes the filmmaker’s sixty-plus years making art and reflects on her ideas and experiences in a playful, engaging manner.

Continue reading ‘Varda By Agnes’: A Charming Reflection On Life And Art [NYFF Review] at The Playlist.

Back in March, the film world lost one of its legends, with the passing of acclaimed filmmaker Agnès Varda. Having been such a huge part of the history of film over the last 50+ years, the filmmaker was an icon to many that enjoy the medium and stayed busy up until the very end. And fittingly, she premiered her latest film, “Varda by Agnès” just a month before her passing.

Continue reading ‘Varda By Agnès’ Trailer: Incredible Filmmaker Agnès Varda Turned The Camera On Herself For Her Final Film at The Playlist.

For the last few weeks, we have reported on rumors and speculation about what films will and won’t be at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Even though we’ve been talking about the prestigious event for weeks, today is the day that film fans can officially become excited about the upcoming festival. Why? Well, the folks at Cannes have released the official poster for the festival (seen below) and like every year, it signals the beginning of a very fun month to be a film fan.

Continue reading Cannes Film Festival 2019 Poster Honors French Filmmaker Agnès Varda at The Playlist.

Legendary French filmmaker Agnès Varda has passed away at the age of 90.

Varda is known as one of the prominent figures of the French New Wave, and is responsible for a string of incredible films, including the recent Academy Award-nominated documentary “Faces Places.”

READ MORE: Agnès Varda’s ‘One Sings, The Other Doesn’t’ Is A Giddy And Thoughtful Feminist Musical

A statement (via the Guardian) from her family reads, “The director and artist Agnès Varda died at her home on the night of Thursday, March 29, of complications from cancer.

Continue reading Influential French Filmmaker Agnès Varda Dies At Age 90 at The Playlist.

Wondering why the Criterion Collection was tweeting out Spotify links to Roy Orbison this afternoon? Well, David Lynch loves the dearly departed blues rocker, his music is featured in several of his movies and “In Dreams,” the song in question, gets quite the spotlight in the director’s seminal 1985 masterpiece “Blue Velvet.” Yep, it was a tease, and “Blue Velvet” is coming to the boutique Blu-Ray DVD label this May.

Continue reading Criterion Adds ‘Blue Velvet’ & New Films To Claire Denis, Michael Haneke & More To The Collection This May at The Playlist.

When Agnès Varda’s delightfully gonzo song-studded paean to sisterhood “One Sings, the Other Doesn’t” opened the 1977 New York Film Festival, it landed in the middle of a differently fraught world for women’s rights issues. Abortion, which is a recurring theme in this newly restored and re-released classic, had only been legal in the United States for five years and in Varda’s native France, for just two.

Continue reading Agnès Varda’s ‘One Sings, The Other Doesn’t’ Is A Giddy And Thoughtful Feminist Musical at The Playlist.

There are arguably five or so peak weeks or periods during awards season.  We’re in the middle of one right now.  Even while diminished with a lack of world premieres AFI Fest has still been popping with galas for “Mudbound” and “Call Me By Your Name” and they still have “Disaster Artist” and now “Molly’s Game” as the closing night film, to go. Amy Adams was honored with the American Cinematique award with a star-studded ceremony on Friday night. 

Continue reading Jennifer Lawrence, Ava DuVernay, Steven Spielberg Salute 2017 Governors Awards Winners at The Playlist.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the recipients of honorary Oscars at the 2017 Governors Awards this afternoon and the selections covered a wide spectrum of the industry.

This year’s honorees included filmmakers Charles Burnett and Agnes Varda, actor Donald Sutherland and cinematographer Owen Roizman.

In a statement, new Academy president John Bailey remarked, “This year’s Governors Awards reflect the breadth of international, independent and mainstream filmmaking, and are tributes to four great artists whose work embodies the diversity of our shared humanity.”

Burnett is a pioneer in African American film having written and directed the classics “Killer of Sheep” and “To Sleep With Anger” the latter of which might feature the best work of Danny Glover’s career.

Continue reading Donald Sutherland, Charles Burnett, Agnes Varda Are Your 2017 Governors Awards Honorees at The Playlist.

Without Agnès Varda and the other filmmakers of the French New Wave — particularly the Left Bank auteurs — the essay film wouldn’t exist in its current shape and form. Perhaps best known for her classics of that period, the octogenarian director has displayed a renewed creative spirit — and found new audiences — with her personal essay films of the current century, “The Gleaners And I” and “The Beaches of Agnès.” Certainly, Varda hasn’t settled into the “late period” mode that typically seizes the elder statesmen and stateswomen of cinema.

Continue reading Agnès Varda’s Whimsical ‘Faces Places’ Is Endlessly Charming [Cannes Review] at The Playlist.

Watch: 9-Minute Video Essay On Agnes Varda’s Strong And Feminine Search For Meaning

Continue reading Watch: 9-Minute Video Essay On Agnes Varda’s Strong And Feminine Search For Meaning at The Playlist.

Exclusive: Jane Birkin Sings In Clip From Agnes Varda's 'Kung-Fu Master!'

Continue reading Exclusive: Jane Birkin Sings In Clip From Agnes Varda’s ‘Kung-Fu Master!’ at The Playlist.

Watch: Agnes Varda's New Short Film 'Les 3 Boutons'

Continue reading Watch: Agnes Varda’s New Short Film ‘Les 3 Boutons’ at The Playlist.

Continue reading Watch: Full 90-Minute Documentary ‘Great Directors’ With David Lynch, Richard Linklater, Todd Haynes And More at The Playlist.

Pawel Pawlikowski’s 'Ida' Wins Big At European Film Awards

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'Man With A Movie Camera' Tops Sight & Sound's List Of Best Documentaries Of All Time

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Watch: Celebrate 50 Years Of 'Umbrellas of Cherbourg' With 6-Minute Look At The Restoration, Clips & More

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10 Notable Filmmakers Who Work In Both Documentary & Fiction

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20 Great Debut Films From Female Directors

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