7½ Essential Iranian Films

New Iranian cinema came into being in the 70s and it was then that the cinema of Iran truly took off, becoming the most significant film industry in the middle east. Directors like Abbas Kiarostami and Mossen Makhmalbaf were at the forefront of this revolution and both made some of the most popular films in […]

7½ Essential Civil Rights Films

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, it seemed appropriate to focus on the important films of the Civil Rights Movement. While African-Americans were not the only group affected by racism and discrimination, the primary era of 1954-1968 were mostly focused on their attempts to end the racial divide that had existed in this […]

7½ Essential Hitchcock Films

There is no director who did suspense as well as Alfred Hitchcock. Having directed over 50 films, he proved time and again that he could craft masterpieces in several genres, including spy dramas, murder mysteries, and crime thrillers. I will not boast that I have seen every Hitchcock film, but I watched half of his […]

7½ Essential American Films of 2021

Having seen around 50 films this year, I think I can safely judge some of the films which were essential in this unusual year. These are not necessarily my favorite films, but each one projects some important message or philosophy with regard to representation in cinema. This particular list only includes American films as I’ve […]

Happy New Year

After neglecting this site for the last year and a half. I have returned with a new concept and the motivation to hopefully maintain it. In my film viewing of the past few years, I have discovered dozens of lists of films connected to a particular theme. These lists tend to be either 5 or […]