Contents 1996 in Review: Moments Out of Time, Ten Best, et al.

Molly Haskell's Guilty Pleasures

James Woods interviewed by Gavin Smith

Raul Ruiz by Jonathan Rosenbaum

Armond White on Charles Burnett

The Kremlin Letter by Peter Richards

Frames by Kathleen Murphy

Kent Jones on Spike Lee

Kevin Brownlow and Bruce Goldstein on William K. Everson

Donald Lyons on Lost Highway

Also, William Johnson on John Garfield, Molly Haskell on Ransom and more.

Contents David Cronenberg interviewed by Gavin Smith The legacy of Indian filmmaker Ritwik Ghatak, explored by Jacob Levich Film Comment's Annual Oscar Predix Wim Wenders takes his 5-hour cut of Until the End of the World on the road, by Robert Horton Richard T. Jameson on Hard Eight The 22nd Annual 'Grosses Gloss' --surveying the 1996 box office, by Leonard Klady The art and theory of Saul Bass, by Jim Supanick William Johnson on Five Million Years to Earth An affectionate salute to the cinematic poetry of Kieslowski's White, by Annette Insdorf Rock 'n' Roll movies, by Howard Hampton That thing they don't: musicals (e.g., Evita) that fail to sing, by Armond White Underground filmmaker Ken Jacobs, by Paul Arthur Robert Altman's Kansas City, by Richard Combs Rescued: the earliest American feature film extant, by Beverly Walker Also, Reports from the 1997 Sundance Film Festival, by Gavin Smith and Rachel Rosen and more.

Contents The Film Society of Lincoln Center's gala tribute to Sean Connery by Kathleen Murphy (see excerpt at this website)... Star Wars pro and con: Gen X (Andrew Lewis Conn) and an only slightly elder statesman (Robert Horton) draw lines in the sand of pop culture... ''This Is Still Cinerama'': the curved screen rules again in Dayton, Ohio (by David Joachim)... ''Coming Attractions'': Richard Corliss savors exploitation-film trailers from decades gone by... Kent Jones on the cinema of Philippe Garrell... Film Comment May-June selection for most promising directorial debut: John Nossiter's Sunday (by Richard T. Jameson)... A latterday masterpiece from Michelangelo Antonioni: Peter Hogue on Beyond the Clouds... American independent Christopher Mόnch , as seen by Donald Lyons (read it at this website)... ''The Last Gangster'': a rollicking/raunchy/reflective interview with veteran character actor Marc Lawrence (The Asphalt Jungle, Key Largo, This Gun for Hire), by Lee Server... Reinventing movies: Lumiθre and Co., by Michael Atkinson... ''Harry Langdon: the fourth genius?'' -- an affectionate but not quite adulatory look at the silent-era comedian, by Frank Thompson (see article at this website)...and more.

Contents Cannes Film Festival - the fest on its 50th appraised by 25-year veteran Mary Corliss; plus a report on the powerful British contingent at Cannes by Harlan Kennedy The Lost World - Spielberg's latest expedition traced and trounced by Chuck Stephens Tsui Hark, ''the Spielberg of Hong Kong Cinema'' - a career survey by Howard Hampton, who also considers Tsui's invaluable collaborator Ching Siu-tung; plus Berenice Reynaud on the state of Hong Kong filmmaking on the eve of the handover to China The Searchers - a fresh look at an American classic, by David Thomson The Red musical - J. Hoberman on Communist tunefests of the Thirties and beyond Jazz on a Summer's Day - the definitive concert movie returns, appreciated by Dale Thomajan READ IT HERE Film Comment poll : a roster of superb foreign films lacking a U.S. distributor--READ THE COMPLETE POLL HERE Land of the Pharaohs - Richard Combs argues that Howard Hawks's odd-film-out is one of the director's most important achievements The grown-up world of Sidney Lumet - Phillip Lopate considers Night Falls on Manhattan READ IT HERE ''Straight to Film'': Gavin Smith on the evolving relationship between film and video Will (can?) the real Luc Besson stand up? - Chris Chang on The Fifth Element et al. READ IT HERE Master Iranian filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf - a career assessment by Godfrey Cheshire READ ABOUT THE DIRECTOR'S BRILLIANT NEW FILM HERE Frames - Kathleen Murphy's latest report on lively websites, new CD-ROM releases, etc. Books - Donald Lyons reviews Brownlow's David Lean and new books on Max Ophuls and Gone With the Wind Neil Labute's In the Company of Men - July-August pick for most promising directorial debut, by Ray Privett

Contents David Ansen on Delta, This Issue's Selection for Most Promising Directorial Debut Boogie Nights by Chuck Stephens Dave Kehr's Reflections on Godard's Contempt Katherine Dieckmann on Emir Kusturica Kathleen Murphy's Appreciation

of Director Lee Tamahori (The Edge) Kent Jones on Director Frank Borzage--

READ IT HERE Donald Chase on the career of Gloria Grahame--

READ IT HERE Fred Zinnemann, by Robert Horton Chris Chang on Errol Morris Alvin Lu on director Chen Kaige Gummo, reviewed by Paul Arthur--

Contents Critics' Choice: a ''quick-and-dirty'' rating of the latest releases.


Chris Darke on Will It Snow for Christmas? This issue's selection for Most Promising Directorial Debut.


Thoughts on Kiss Me Deadly by David Thomson.


Donald Lyons on L. A. Confidential.


Paul Schrader interviews Aleksandr Sokurov.


Andrew Sarris's appreciation of My Best Friend's Wedding.


Cover story: Gavin Smith's interview with Robert Duvall.


J. Hoberman on the filmmaker Jack Smith.


The New York Film Festival, by Robert Horton and Phillip Lopate.


Reviews of the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals, and more.