‘Nope,’ ‘Elvis,’ ‘Avatar’ and ‘The Woman King’ Among AFI Awards’ Best Movies of the Year

It seems this time of year every critic is going to weigh in with their 10 Best List for something or other. It is what we do at the end of the year, and 2022 is no different. And as I always do , I cheat. So, sue me. In what has turned out to be a very good year I think for movies, considering the sad state of box office success for the more ambitious and adult-aimed films out there, it has actually been heartening in this still pandemic-affected era to see the Hollywood studios so heavily in the game of producing quality crowd pleasers that also are good enough and deserving enough to make any of these lists, unless that is you are one of those grumpy critic-types who only go for the most obscure anti-entertainments out there. That ain’t me. I like to cheer on what I call movie movies, and I don’t penalize any of them for making some money along the way and bringing back audiences. If they are good, big or small , they are worth championing and so this annual ritual is just another cog-in-the-wheel of doing just that. Now for the “cheating” part.

As New York City emerged from Covid facing challenges from economic flight to rising crime, Mayor Eric Adams put filmed entertainment at the center of a comeback. His Blueprint for Recovery released in August (read it here) created a film council with a seat at the table for studios, producers, unions and trade groups and mandated film industry liaisons at every city agency — in tandem with a major hire, Chicago’s well-regarded film chief, Kwame Amoaku. The new Deputy Film Commissioner reports to Anne del Castillo, head of the Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment (MOME), whose sprawling portfolio also encompasses theater, music, publishing, digital media, workforce development in the creative industries, press credentials, and the Office of Nightlife.

Holiday hoops! Pete Davidson treated his younger sister, Casey Davidson, to a night out at Madison Square Garden for Christmas.

Coming out of its second weekend, James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water has banked an estimated $855.4M globally through Sunday. The sophomore session added $168.6M at the international box office in 52 markets for a $601.7M running cume.

Plenty of history. King Charles III is set to give his first Christmas speech as England’s monarch on Sunday, December 25, at the same site of his mother Queen Elizabeth II’s memorial service earlier this year.

Taylor Sheridan looks like he has another hit on his hands with “1923,” the second prequel series to his TV sensation “Yellowstone.” And there are even more “Yellowstone” prequels on the way: “6666,” set in modern-day Texas, and “1883: The Bass Reeves Story.” But the most exciting upcoming Sheridan project may be one no one knows about: a show he’s shot secretly with some huge movie stars.

Return to Seoul“A gorgeous portrait of a messy life, “Return to Seoul” is simultaneously dazzling and delicate, intimate and immense. First-time actor Park Ji-Min turns in a truly stunning, tour-de-force performance as Freddie, a young French woman who leaves her loving adoptive family to dig up roots in South Korea.

UPDATED, 11 AM: Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party has set its talent lineup for the upcoming NBC special. Joining Miley Cyrus and co-host Dolly Parton are singer-songwriter Fletcher, rapper Latto, Los Angeles rock band Liily, hip-hop duo Rae Sremmurd and Grammy Award nominee Sia.

JX’23, an event to celebrate Japanese innovators and leaders in the entertainment industry, is being held in Los Angeles at the Grammy Museum on February 9, 2023. 

Every Tuesday, discriminating viewers are confronted with a flurry of choices: new releases on disc and on-demand, vintage and original movies on any number of streaming platforms, catalog titles making a splash on Blu-ray or 4K. This twice-monthly column sifts through all of those choices to pluck out the movies most worth your time, no matter how you’re watching.

Every Tuesday, discriminating viewers are confronted with a flurry of choices: new releases on disc and on-demand, vintage and original movies on any number of streaming platforms, and catalog titles making a splash on Blu-ray or 4K. This twice-monthly column sifts through all those choices to pluck out the movies that are most worth your time, no matter how you’re watching.

Greetings from the movies corner of the pop culture world. You remember movies, right? All of three years ago, the brightest and the best offerings shined on the big screen. (Your diverse 2019 offerings included universally acclaimed hits such as Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Knives Out and Parasite.)

Former CNN and NBCUniversal boss Jeff Zucker, private equity firm RedBird Capital Partners and Abu Dhabi-based International Media Investments have formalized plans for a joint venture.

and —illustrated the power and community of seeing an epic story play out on the big screen. From the visuals to the sound (and OK, the popcorn at the concession stand), they were a reminder that as much we like to stay in pajamas and cozy up on the couch, there's something rewarding about experiencing your local cinema in person.But that's not to take away from the fantastic movies that were just as enjoyable from the comfort of our own home this year thanks to streaming services. on Hulu and on Netflix are the kind of deeply personal and raw films probably best enjoyed with some privacy.

Now that we’ve started our process of looking back at the Best Films of 2022, it’s time to dig deeper into one facet that can make them so impactful—the mesmerizing work of their actors. Of course, every great film year leads to a surplus of great performances, and our favorites from 2022 are picked from quiet Sundance fare, auteur-driven blockbusters, future Oscar nominees, and much more.

One of the more prestigious stops on the Oscar-season circuit is always the annual AFI Awards Luncheon, and on Friday the American Film Institute revealed its list of Top 10 Movies and TV Programs for 2022 (see this post for TV list). Major studios dominated the movie list for a change, including some box office blockbusters. Streamers were AWOL for the first time since their emergence.

The American Film Institute has released its annual list of 10 top TV programs of the year, with FX, Apple TV+ and HBO landing two slots each and ABC’s comedy Abbott Elementary representing broadcast solo. AMC, Netflix and HBO Max have one show apiece on the list.

Iraqi filmmaker Ahmed Yassin Al Daradji picked up the Golden Yusr for Best Feature Film at the Red Sea Film Festival with his debut feature Hanging Gardens.

The people have spoken! Meghan Markle is a People’s Choice Awards winner, taking home the coveted honor for the top Pop Podcast of 2022 during the Tuesday, December 6, ceremony.

They thought “Titanic” was a disaster. “Avatar” was an expensive mess that would never make a profit.