Blog Archives

Auteur of the Week: Rian Johnson

Rian Johnson is fairly new to Hollywood – his debut feature Brick was released in 2006 – but he’s definitely one of the great up-and-coming auteurs of his generation. Although I love Brick way more than his sophomore effort 2009’s The Brothers Bloom, it is in no way a sophomore slump. Both films are wildly original and filled with some of the more memorable characters of the last decade. I think he’s got a major talent and we’ve only seen the beginning of what could very well prove to be a brilliant career.

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15 Breakthrough Performers of 2009

2009 was a good year for cinema. So good I had to have a Top 15 instead of a Top Ten (and now, after I’ve seen a lot of the End of the Year fare, I feel like I’d need a Top Twenty). There were some newcomers who blew us away and some actors/actresses who have been kicking around Hollywood for years waiting for That Movie that makes them a household name, and for them 2009 was that year. I’m going to do this list in alphabetical order by last name.

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