Nick Efter
@nickefter.bsky.social
Registered cinephile. Filmmaker. Film Department Faculty
Leo’s Carax’s wonderfully delirious, hypnotic and daftly screwball “Mauvais Sang” is a film of a major auteur coming into his own. It’s the outright pivotal film of the second French New Wave of the 80s.
August 7, 2025 at 10:53 PM
Leo’s Carax’s wonderfully delirious, hypnotic and daftly screwball “Mauvais Sang” is a film of a major auteur coming into his own. It’s the outright pivotal film of the second French New Wave of the 80s.
The other adaptation of Hemingway’s To Have And Have Not is Michael Curtiz’s woefully underrated noir masterpiece The Breaking Point. It was one of John Garfield’s final film roles and arguably his best. Curtiz rarely gets the recognition he deserves in the canon of classic Hollywood auteurs.
April 19, 2025 at 11:41 PM
The other adaptation of Hemingway’s To Have And Have Not is Michael Curtiz’s woefully underrated noir masterpiece The Breaking Point. It was one of John Garfield’s final film roles and arguably his best. Curtiz rarely gets the recognition he deserves in the canon of classic Hollywood auteurs.
The Insider is Michael Mann’s masterpiece. It’s a shame that Hollywood rarely makes these kind of political thrillers anymore. Especially considering the current times we live in.
April 2, 2025 at 11:46 PM
The Insider is Michael Mann’s masterpiece. It’s a shame that Hollywood rarely makes these kind of political thrillers anymore. Especially considering the current times we live in.
50 years later. Altman’s Nashville is still stupendous, still prescient, still groundbreaking as ever.
March 17, 2025 at 12:41 AM
50 years later. Altman’s Nashville is still stupendous, still prescient, still groundbreaking as ever.
It’s impossible to watch Eustache’s tour de force without thinking it must’ve had a major influence on the American indie cycle of slacker romance films of the 80s and 90s, as well as their descendants of the mumblecore movement a decade later.
February 21, 2025 at 12:51 AM
It’s impossible to watch Eustache’s tour de force without thinking it must’ve had a major influence on the American indie cycle of slacker romance films of the 80s and 90s, as well as their descendants of the mumblecore movement a decade later.
Orson Welles was at the threshold of realizing a whole new cinematic language with F For Fake. It was the last film he completed in his lifetime. He started his career with another little groundbreaking film called Citizen Kane.
February 13, 2025 at 1:10 AM
Orson Welles was at the threshold of realizing a whole new cinematic language with F For Fake. It was the last film he completed in his lifetime. He started his career with another little groundbreaking film called Citizen Kane.
I think Paddy Chayevsky’s “Network” - directed by Sidney Lumet at the height of his powers - states its case for greatest American screenplay ever produced. It’s about as strong a case for the “screenwriter as auteur” as you’ll find.
December 29, 2024 at 11:55 PM
I think Paddy Chayevsky’s “Network” - directed by Sidney Lumet at the height of his powers - states its case for greatest American screenplay ever produced. It’s about as strong a case for the “screenwriter as auteur” as you’ll find.
Kudos to Criterion Channel for releasing Nico Papatakis’ The Shepherds Of Calamity (1967) aka Thanos And Despina. It makes a strong case for greatest Greek language film ever made. A wonderfully batshit romp that’s a biting indictment of class warfare in Greece at the onset of the Junta.
December 24, 2024 at 12:18 AM
Kudos to Criterion Channel for releasing Nico Papatakis’ The Shepherds Of Calamity (1967) aka Thanos And Despina. It makes a strong case for greatest Greek language film ever made. A wonderfully batshit romp that’s a biting indictment of class warfare in Greece at the onset of the Junta.
The greatest political dramas/thrillers. No particular order. Next up…
Punishment Park. 1971. Dir: Peter Watkins
Punishment Park. 1971. Dir: Peter Watkins
December 20, 2024 at 11:54 PM
The greatest political dramas/thrillers. No particular order. Next up…
Punishment Park. 1971. Dir: Peter Watkins
Punishment Park. 1971. Dir: Peter Watkins
The greatest political dramas/thrillers. No particular order. Next up…
Foreign Correspondent. 1940. Dir: Alfred Hitchcock
Foreign Correspondent. 1940. Dir: Alfred Hitchcock
December 18, 2024 at 3:26 AM
The greatest political dramas/thrillers. No particular order. Next up…
Foreign Correspondent. 1940. Dir: Alfred Hitchcock
Foreign Correspondent. 1940. Dir: Alfred Hitchcock
The greatest political dramas/thrillers. No particular order. Next up…
Fail Safe. 1964. Dir: Sidney Lumet
Fail Safe. 1964. Dir: Sidney Lumet
December 17, 2024 at 12:05 AM
The greatest political dramas/thrillers. No particular order. Next up…
Fail Safe. 1964. Dir: Sidney Lumet
Fail Safe. 1964. Dir: Sidney Lumet
The greatest political dramas/thrillers. No particular order. Next up…
All The President’s Men. 1976. Dir: Alan J Pakula
All The President’s Men. 1976. Dir: Alan J Pakula
December 16, 2024 at 1:36 AM
The greatest political dramas/thrillers. No particular order. Next up…
All The President’s Men. 1976. Dir: Alan J Pakula
All The President’s Men. 1976. Dir: Alan J Pakula
The greatest political dramas/thrillers. No particular order. Next up…
Missing. 1982. Dir: Costa Gavras
Missing. 1982. Dir: Costa Gavras
December 13, 2024 at 10:31 PM
The greatest political dramas/thrillers. No particular order. Next up…
Missing. 1982. Dir: Costa Gavras
Missing. 1982. Dir: Costa Gavras
The greatest political dramas/thrillers. No particular order. Next up…
Investigation Of A Citizen Above Suspicion. 1970
Dir: Elio Petri
Investigation Of A Citizen Above Suspicion. 1970
Dir: Elio Petri
December 12, 2024 at 12:24 AM
The greatest political dramas/thrillers. No particular order. Next up…
Investigation Of A Citizen Above Suspicion. 1970
Dir: Elio Petri
Investigation Of A Citizen Above Suspicion. 1970
Dir: Elio Petri
The greatest political dramas/thrillers. No particular order. Next up…
Seven Days In May, 1964. Dir: John Frankenheimer
Seven Days In May, 1964. Dir: John Frankenheimer
December 10, 2024 at 11:57 PM
The greatest political dramas/thrillers. No particular order. Next up…
Seven Days In May, 1964. Dir: John Frankenheimer
Seven Days In May, 1964. Dir: John Frankenheimer
The greatest political dramas/thrillers. No particular order. Next up
The Conformist. 1970. Dir: Bernardo Bertolucci
The Conformist. 1970. Dir: Bernardo Bertolucci
December 10, 2024 at 3:38 AM
The greatest political dramas/thrillers. No particular order. Next up
The Conformist. 1970. Dir: Bernardo Bertolucci
The Conformist. 1970. Dir: Bernardo Bertolucci
The greatest political dramas/thrillers. No particular order. Next up…
The Manchurian Candidate. 1962. Dir: John Frankenheimer
The Manchurian Candidate. 1962. Dir: John Frankenheimer
December 9, 2024 at 1:07 AM
The greatest political dramas/thrillers. No particular order. Next up…
The Manchurian Candidate. 1962. Dir: John Frankenheimer
The Manchurian Candidate. 1962. Dir: John Frankenheimer
The greatest political dramas/thrillers. No particular order. Next up…
The Battle Of Algiers 1966 dir: Gillo Pontecorvo
The Battle Of Algiers 1966 dir: Gillo Pontecorvo
December 8, 2024 at 12:51 AM
The greatest political dramas/thrillers. No particular order. Next up…
The Battle Of Algiers 1966 dir: Gillo Pontecorvo
The Battle Of Algiers 1966 dir: Gillo Pontecorvo
The greatest political dramas/thrillers. No particular order. Next up…
“Z” 1969 dir. Costa-Gavras
“Z” 1969 dir. Costa-Gavras
December 6, 2024 at 11:54 PM
The greatest political dramas/thrillers. No particular order. Next up…
“Z” 1969 dir. Costa-Gavras
“Z” 1969 dir. Costa-Gavras
The greatest political dramas/thrillers. No particular order. Let’s start with:
The Grand Illusion. 1937 Dir: Jean Renoir
The Grand Illusion. 1937 Dir: Jean Renoir
December 6, 2024 at 12:26 AM
The greatest political dramas/thrillers. No particular order. Let’s start with:
The Grand Illusion. 1937 Dir: Jean Renoir
The Grand Illusion. 1937 Dir: Jean Renoir