The Filmic 5: Throwdown On Sesame Street Edition
Your Weekly Film Superlatives By Critic and Film Scholar Jack Hanley
We are thrilled to be back after the short summer festival circuit! Let's talk film...
I. Indie Film Moment I Am Loving This Week
My partner, producer, and forever collaborator Shay Wescott just sent me this snapshot from the 2025 Arthouse Convergence in Chicago- where indie film auteur legend and recent Best Director winner Sean Baker (ANORA, THE FLORIDA PROJECT) brought out his four-legged co-editor Bunsen in support of Art House Theater Day.
“Parents, introduce your children to feature films in movie theaters, and you’ll be molding the next generation of movie lovers and filmmakers...and for all of us, when we can please watch movies in the theater and let’s keep the great tradition of the movie-going experience alive and well.”
HUGE thanks to Sean, Samantha Quan, and, of course, Bunsen for standing up for Arthouse Cinema- and the arthouse theaters that bring you the magic.
II. Film Icon Tribute I Am Thrilled About This Week
I was thrilled to see that the amazing folks at CINECON Fest in Hollywood were honoring cinematic legend Mamie Van Doren as a Hollywood Legacy Nominee for 2025. It reminded me that the marvelously witty and charming icon was once very kind and gracious to an upstart film critic who interviewed her for his interview series, "Twenty Questions and A Song Request with Jack Hanley".
CONGRATS, Mamie on the amazing honor- please enjoy a repost of our lovely interview where she waxes poetic on celluloid feminism, replicants, and the genius of Bjork.
Click here for 20 Questions with Mamie Van Doren!
III. Film Nerd Moment I Was Dying To Talk About
During my Festival break, the entire world seemingly took time out to vote for, argue over, and complain about the NY Times Top 100 Films of the 21st century rankings. Per the descriptive: "More than 500 influential directors, actors and other notable names in Hollywood and around the world voted on the best films released since Jan. 1, 2000."
Immediately, CHAOS REIGNED. Critics and casual fans went to war, cinephile nerds stared angrily at their loved ones, lions lay down with lambs- you get the picture. While the cultural moment may be waning, I proffer one last weigh in with cinephile extraordinaire Wesley Morris of Cannonball. Because if there is anything film nerds love more than ranking lists- it's reflecting snarkily about ranked lists. ;)
And for the record...
IV. Short Film Of The Week: Les Bêtes
I was so delighted to see that Michael Granberry's BEAUTIFUL and BEWITCHING stop-motion fever-dream short Les Bêtes was recently selected as a Short Film Of The Week by the amazing kids at ShortOfTheWeek.com.
"Granberry built the film during the pandemic, unearthing nearly two decades’ worth of puppets made for other projects – then shelved, forgotten, or never filmed at all. Of the nearly 250 puppets resurrected, some were deteriorating. Some were never animated, not even once. So he gave them a stage. A spotlight. One final dance before the rot."
I had the chance to first encounter this beautiful little short at the Telluride Horror Show last Fall- and I can promise you it was a crowd favorite.
ENJOY! CLICK HERE TO WATCH!
V. Cinematic Moment Of Zen Bringing Me Joy This Week
While on the road, I've been revisiting Matt Singer's LOVELY look at America's two most important critics, "Opposable Thumbs: How Siskel & Ebert Changed Movies Forever". After reading, I was compelled to follow up on an oft alluded to clip in which our venerable duo visited a very special neighborhood to teach the importance of film criticism.
I did indeed find it. You're welcome.
Jack Hanley is a film scholar, podcaster, and critic based in Boulder, CO. He is a programmer with the Chicago Underground Film Festival, Slamdance's Indies Awards, and the Boulder International Film Festival. He is one-half of Blindspotting: A Film Discovery Podcast and the founder of the Reel Horrors Short Film Festival. Find him at Kinophilia on Medium and at HanleyOnFilm.com