Gareth’s Picks

The Immigrant (2013)

Underrated film from James Gray starring Joaquin Phoenix, Jeremy Renner, and the amazing Marion Cotillard.  Heartbreaking story of the life of immigrants in New York in the early 20th Century. Comparable to Paul Thomas Anderson’s best work.

Available on Tubi

Ball of Fire (1941)

Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck shine in Howard Hawks romantic comedy.  Learn more about how encyclopedias were made while delighting in the fantastic banter.  Stanwyck is phenomenal in this.

Available on Kanopy

Craig’s Picks

Nashville (1975)

Robert Altman’s love letter to…I don’t know…Nashville? The good ol’ US of A?? This is a sprawling film following 24 character through a few days in Music City. With perfect performances from Lily Tomlin, Henry Gibson, Keith Carradine, Karen Black, Ronee Blakley, Shelley Duvall, Jeff Goldblum, Ned Beatty and Barbra Harris. I mean the songs are memorable and performed about as well as you would expect, which is part of the charm.

Available to rent and buy on all the platforms.

Allegro non troppo (1976)

Legendary Italian animator Bruno Bozezetto’s response (30 years later, but hey…Italians, immirite?) to the Disney classical music/animation hybrid “Fantasia,” this film features a series of cartoon shorts set to the likes of Claude Debussy, Joseph-Maurice Ravel and Antonio Vivaldi. It’s weird and surreal in a way only the Italians in the 70s could be. 

You could buy a ridiculously expensive copy of a VHS or dvd on eBay or Amazon…or maybe, I don’t know…search for it on YouTube…