Contents CRITICS' CHOICE -- In our exciting new feature, first-rate film critics rate the current cinema crop (including notable restorations and reissues)--. Fragments * Jerusalem -- J. Hoberman of The Village Voice talks about a remarkable new documentary --READ IT HERE! Under the Skin -- Kathleen Murphy introduces Carine Adler, FC's Most Promising New Director for Jan-Feb--. The Avant-Garde in '97 -- a survey by Paul Arthur--. EDGAR KENNEDY -- the classic comedian (master of ''the slow burn'') and underrated character actor gets his due from Donald Phelps in an eloquent essay--. MARTIN SCORSESE interviewed by Gavin Smith on the occasion of Kundun -- SAMPLE IT HERE! ATOM EGOYAN -- Kent Jones takes the temperature of Canada's most pristine filmmaker, writer-director of the current The Sweet Hereafter--. Pordenone -- Italy's inimitable, invaluable annual festival entirely devoted to silent films is (re)visited by historian and super-fan Richard Koszarski--. MICHAEL WINTERBOTTOM -- an emerging modern master, hailed by Michael Atkinson --READ IT HERE! BEST OF 1997 -- Ten Bests from the editors and regular contributors, and of course ''Moments out of Time''--. Edmond T. Greville -- an enigmatic, sometimes brilliant, and unjustly overlooked figure from the French and the English cinema, reappraised by the great director, critic, and historian Bertrand Tavernier; plus an excerpt from Greville's memoirs, about the glories and headaches of directing Erich von Stroheim--. TITANIC movies -- from 1912 to James Cameron's 1997 world-beater, a comprehensive look by Titanic maven Frank Thompson --READ IT HERE! The Innocents -- Wings of the Dove? Washington Square? Per Donald Chase, the most spellbinding Henry James adaptation remains Jack Clayton's 1961 version of The Turn of the Screw--. Tabloid Documentaries -- Paul Arthur considers Heidi Fleiss, Paradise Lost, Aileen Wournos: The Selling of a Serial Killer, et al--.

Contents OSCAR PREDIX: eleven critics/editors/industry reporters take their best shots at scoping out the victors in ten key Academy categories-- CRITICS' CHOICE: ratings-at-a-glance of the current movie scene, from ten first-rate film critics-- Sundance '98: Gavin Smith on the best (and worst) of show, Rachel Rosen on the key documentaries, plus Kent Jones on Paul Schrader's superb Affliction-- WOODY ALLEN -- a sharp but appreciative evaluation by David Thomson-- Titanic vs. Jackie Brown -- apres le deluge (the Christmas releases, that is), Kent Jones takes stock of what really matters -- or should--. Kate Winslet: Post-Pre-Raphaelite by Nicholas Nicastro-- Fireworks aka Hana-Bi -- Dave Kehr looks at Takeshi Kitano's latest, and sees a masterpiece-- Amistad -- Oscar turned his back. Armond White doesn't-- ELMORE LEONARD -- America's most durable writer of high-class low-down character thrillers talks about nigh onto half a century of writing, directly or indirectly, for the screen; an interview by Patrick McGilligan-- MARY PICKFORD -- she not only invented movie stardom, she came close to inventing movie moguldom as well; an eloquent appreciation by Richard Corliss-- Guy Maddin -- the most independent of ''American independent'' filmmakers is a Canadian; by John Anderson-- 23RD ANNUAL 'GROSSES GLOSS' by Jeffrey Spaulding--. Why Denzel Washington (not Tom Cruise) Is the New Paul Newman by Leslie Simon-- Grishamovies: the hack jobs, the glorified hack jobs, and the furtively auteured -- movie adaptations of John Grisham novels, that is -- as seen by Mark Olsen-- and more...

Contents Critics Choice -- make that Choice Critics, as ten top film commentators rate the current movie scene-- WOODY ALLEN, Take 2 -- Kent Jones writes David Thomson a friendly letter in response to his Mar/Apr article on The Woodman-- Shane Meadows -- Gavin Smith salutes our Most Promising Directorial Debut for May/June, on the occasion of TwentyFourSeven, starring Bob Hoskins-- BERLIN -- European Editor Harlan Kennedy checks out this year's Filmfestspiele -- READ IT HERE!-- Oscar Redux -- who won, who lost, who guessed the most right among our Oscar Predix crew----. Special Section: a tribute to MARTIN SCORSESE 25th Gala Honoree of the Film Society of Lincoln Center

Film Comment presents two new articles hailing Scorsese's career, as well as reprints of classic pieces from three decades of mostly amicable coexistence:

Michael Wilmington: ''The Wild Heart''

Andrew Lewis Conn: ''The Adolescents of Martin Scorsese''

Marjorie Rosen: excerpts from an interview regarding Alice Doesn't Live Here Any More (1974)

Manny Farber and Patricia Patterson on Taxi Driver (1976)

Martin Scorsese's Guilty Pleasures -- READ IT HERE

David Thomson on Raging Bull (1981)

Martin Scorsese on color preservation (1981)

Kathleen Murphy on GoodFellas (1990)

Gavin Smith: excerpts from three great interviews on the occasions of GoodFellas (1990), The Age of Innocence (1993), and Kundun (1998)--READ THEM HERE Digital Law -- Elliot Forbes reports on the legality, the history, and the likely future of appropriating celebrity images-- Alex van Warmerdam -- William Johnson scopes out a droll Dutch filmmaker-- Hong Kong books -- David Chute reviews two comprehensive and complementary new tomes on the world's highest-jumping cinema -- READ IT HERE! and more...

Contents Critics Choice -- make that Choice Critics--ten top film commentators rate the current movie scene-- Frank Sinatra -- this issue's cover story; an appreciation by Robert Horton-- Mary Astor --Dennis Drabelle analyzes the star as actress and author-- CANNES -- European Editor Harlan Kennedy checks out this year's festival -- READ IT HERE! along with other Cannes pieces by Richard Pena and Gavin Smith-- GODZILLA -- why the new version doesn't live up to the Toho classics, by Gregory Solman--READ IT HERE! Alvin Lu's view of the career of director Wayne Wang-- John Sparks' reflection on Truffaut's forgotten masterpiece, DAY FOR NIGHT--READ ABOUT IT HERE! Theo Angelopoulos-- an interview by Gideon Bachmann-- Fathers and Sons in American Cinema---a survey by Donald Lyons-- Stan Schwartz on Ingmar Bergman's new television film, IN THE PRESENCE OF A CLOWN--READ ABOUT IT HERE! and Harlan Kennedy on Whatever Happened to Ingmar Bergman? Dale Thomajan on books-- Paul Arthur on Disaster Pix and more...

Contents Saving Private Ryan -- this issue's cover story; written by Editor Richard T. Jameson-- Godard in the 90s: an interview, argument and scrapbook, by Jonathan Rosenbaum ---- Critics Choice ---ten top film commentators rate the current movie scene-- The Galway Film Fleadh -- Kathleen Murphy on this year's festival -- READ IT HERE!-- Les Vampires -- An appreciation of Louis Feuillade's series by Frank Thompson--READ IT HERE! Memory Tripping--Richard Schickel on the AFI 100 and other ephemera-- To Each His Own---On the Art of Mitchell Leisen,by Jack Shadoian-- Richard Corliss on Lolita--READ ABOUT IT HERE!-- Robert Castle and Stephen Donatelli on Full Metal Jacket, Kubrick's ulterior war--- and Elliot Stein on Come and See-- Quickies--Reviews of The Eel, Snake Eyes, A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries and Love Is the Devil--READ ABOUT THEM HERE! Kent Jones on Reclaiming the 70s-- Chris Chang on Todd Solondz-- Gavin Smith on new video releases-- and more...

Contents Douglas Sirk: This issue's cover story; written by Tag Gallagher.


Michael Atkinson on Film Enchante.


George Nelson's tribute to Sheldon Gunsberg, who helped popularize the film ''arthouse.''


Sadie Benning: Gavin Smith interviews the independent videomaker.


Film Festivals: Kathleen Murphy on this year's Toronto event; Murphy and Phillip Lopate on New York and Harlan Kennedy on Venice.


The New Paranoia: Jonathan Romney on the games pixels play.


Organic Machine: The world of Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki, by David Chute.


Ray Privett on Philippine Cinema.


Roy Rodgers and Gene Autry: An appreciation by Peter Hogue.


Critics' Choice: Ten top film commentators rate the current movie scene.


Robert Horton on Bertrand Tavernier.


Reviews: The Mighty, Central Station, Hurlyburly, A Simple Plan and Beloved.


Gavin Smith on new video releases.


Mark Harris on books and more...