The Current
A magazine of film culture past and present, with new articles, interviews, and videos published every day
Recent Articles
“You Don’t Win, You Survive”: A Guide to Charles Burnett’s Shorter Films
Some of the LA Rebellion icon’s most politically and emotionally resonant stories can be found in his small-scale works, which have long stood in the shadow of his feature films.
How Jérémy Comte’s Oscar-Nominated Fauve Conjures the Nightmare of Boyhood
The director of this award-winning short film speaks with us about tapping into his childhood fears and fine-tuning the story’s white-knuckle atmosphere.
A Face in the Crowd: American Character
With the current rise of faux-populist demagogues around the globe, this incisive satire of media’s toxic influence on politics is as relevant as it’s ever been.
Harnessing the Entropy of Diamonds of the Night in One Static Image
The artist Sterling Hundley details his multilayered approach to evoking the slipperiness of time and memory for the cover art of Jan Němec’s war film.
A Great LA Auteur Gets Candid in a New Documentary Profile
Legendary independent filmmaker Charles Burnett joins fellow pioneer Robert Townsend for a walking tour of South Central Los Angeles, where Burnett’s most acclaimed movies were shot.
A Hidden Figure of the Czechoslovak New Wave Takes the Spotlight
In this excerpt from an interview on the edition of Diamonds of the Night, film programmer Irena Kovarova talks about the work of one of director Jan Němec’s key collaborators, Ester Krumbachová.
Love in Bloom: Jack Benny in To Be or Not to Be
In the one great film role of his career, the comedian and radio personality used his beloved, minimalist performance style to capture the silliness of human vanity.
Michael Imperioli’s Top 10
The Emmy-winning actor, best known for his work on The Sopranos, shares his list of Criterion favorites, lavishing special attention on three masterpieces by John Cassavetes.
Least Wanted—Film Noir’s Character Actors: Harry Morgan
In Frank Borzage’s Southern Gothic noir Moonrise, the actor captures a heartbreaking mixture of love and fear with his deeply empathetic (and very brief) portrayal of a deaf-mute.
Diamonds of the Night: Into the Woods
Injecting the Czechoslovak New Wave with postmodern rage and formal risk, Jan Němec’s debut feature is a merciless look at human consciousness under siege.
Lucid Dreams: A Conversation with Bi Gan
With a new film in theaters and two early works on the Criterion Channel, the Chinese wunderkind talks with us about the challenges he’s faced while forging his idiosyncratic path through cinema.
How Julie Taymor Found a Zest for Life in Cinema
The acclaimed stage and screen director joins us for the latest installment of Adventures in Moviegoing, our guest-curator program on the Criterion Channel.
Video
Spotlight
Studio Visits
In this series of video profiles, we drop in on some of the talented illustrators and designers who create the cover art for our editions.
