22 February 2019

Skandiewrap, or More Than You Wanted to Know

What constitutes a "good" or "bad" year for movies? That the question is highly subjective goes without saying, but that doesn't mean I'm not foolhardy enough to try to quantify it somehow—especially regarding 2018, which many people seem to consider a recent high-water mark, but which I staggered through like a thirsty man in the desert, desperate for a drop. Didn't see a single film that I'd call genuinely great (i.e. rating 80+), which is unprecedented, or nearly so. (Had a similar experience in 2013 until Coherence, which I caught up with the following year, came to the rescue. Still possible that something similar will happen this year, or that e.g. a second viewing of Sunset will  vault it into PRO territory. But that wouldn't help as far as 2018 commercial releases are concerned, obviously.) Another telling metric is the number of my Best Picture votes that failed to place. I've never landed all ten of my choices (at least going back to 2006, the earliest year for which complete records remain), but there've been quite a few years in which eight or nine of them were consensus favorites, and only twice have I dipped below six. Just for fun, here's the rundown:

[Titles in parentheses are films for which I voted that failed to place. Some of these are truly embarrassing. Not for me—for the rest of y'all. I still can't believe The freakin' Host didn't make it.]

2006: 8 (Down in the Valley, Sleeping Dogs Lie.)
2007: 7 (Time, Day Night Day Night, The Host)
2008: 7 (Chicago 10, The Duchess of Langeais, The Secret of the Grain)
2009: 9 (The Headless Woman)
2010: 7 (Amer, Catfish, How Do You Know)
2011: 9 (Shit Year)
2012: 6 (The Imposter, Miss Bala, Only the Young, This Must Be the Place)
2013: 6 (First Cousin Once Removed, The Counselor, The Past, Drug War)
2014: 5 (Coherence, Bird People, Last Days in Vietnam, The Missing Picture, Proxy)
2015: 8 (Breathe, The Martian)
2016: 6 (Tower, Author: The JT LeRoy Story, Indignation, London Road)
2017: 7 (The Killing of a Sacred Deer, 4 Days in France, Félicité)
2018: 5 (The Last Race, Game Night, Thoroughbreds, Sorry to Bother You, Lean On Pete)

So last year ties my record low, with the August Voting Body concurring on only half of my faves. (And the other 5-film year could easily have been seven instead, as Bird People and Coherence placed 21st and 22nd, respectively, both of them missing by three points or fewer. Whereas none of my whiffs this year did better than #28.) The thing is, though, I can't get too worked up about it, since it's not as if I consider any of those films towering masterpieces and hence scandalous omissions. They're part of a large pool of pretty darn good movies that showed up in theaters last year, and just didn't garner quite as broad support as did a host of other pretty darn good movies from said pool.

And that's my point: With the sole quasi-exception of runaway winner Burning, there weren't really any 2018 releases that transcended "pretty darn good." In our collective opinion, that is. I track AVB enthusiasm throughout the year, using a variety of sources, and 2018 is the first year I can remember when not a single film—not even Burning—amassed real consensus numbers. As opposed to, say, 2011, when The Tree of Life won the Skandies but runners-up A Separation, Margaret, Certified Copy and House of Pleasures would each likely have finished first had they been released in almost any other year. (Probably not 2015, when Mad Max: Fury Road mowed down the competition in every critics' poll and survey known to man.) I expect all of those titles to figure heavily in our forthcoming survey of this decade's best films. Will any of last year's films? Roma likely has the best shot, actually, despite placing only 4th—the handful of folks who love it really love it. But I wouldn't be at all surprised if 2018 winds up being shut out entirely. There just wasn't much transcendence.

Performances were stellar, though. My own favorites (Rachel McAdams, Bill Heck, Kayli Carter) all placed 2nd or 3rd rather than 1st, but that's okay—I honestly didn't expect any of them to do anywhere near that well. Also managed to browbeat enough voters into seeing Blaze and Life and Nothing More to get Ben Dickey and Regina Williams onto the board at #12 and #9, respectively, which feels very my-work-here-is-done. Still a little weirded out by the wholesale diversion of Picture and Screenplay, though. Several of my Picture whiffs (Game Night, Thoroughbreds, Sorry to Bother You) had scripts that placed in the top 10, and overall the correspondence was barely over 50%: 11 out of 20. Director, by contrast, was 16 out of 20. Auteurists will say that's as it's should be (or that it should be 20 out of 20), but I'm still more likely to enjoy a film that's superbly written but indifferently directed than I am the...inverse? converse? [One quick google later.] Neither, apparently. Anyway, you get the idea. Maybe the issue this year was too few films that excel in both departments.

Okay, on to the number-crunching. (Many of you will want to check out at this point.) (Assuming you didn't check out long ago, that is.) (Which seems like a fair assumption, because otherwise how could you have read that sentence?) (Anyway.) What follows are the stats I used to send out to voters (via snail mail!) back in the '90s, which I still maintain for my own obsessive amusement.



HIGHEST AVERAGE RATING (1996–2018)
(includes only films receiving a minimum of ten votes)

01. 3.65 The Sweet Hereafter (1997)
02. 3.61 Being John Malkovich (1999)
03. 3.61 A Separation (2011)
04. 3.58 Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996)
05. 3.57 In the Company of Men (1997)
06. 3.56 Secrets & Lies (1996)
07. 3.53 La Promesse (1997)
08. 3.52 Yi Yi (A One and a Two…) (2000)
09. 3.50 From the Journals of Jean Seberg (1996)
10. 3.49 Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

It's nearly impossible for new films to make this list, due to a significant uptick in voter stinginess with high ratings since the '90s. Here's how it looks for the decade to date:

01. 3.61 A Separation (2011)
02. 3.49 Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
03. 3.48 Margaret (2011)
04. 3.46 Nocturama (2017)
04. 3.46 Phantom Thread (2017)
06. 3.45 The Tree of Life (2011)
07. 3.43 Certified Copy (2011)
08. 3.41 Holy Motors (2012)
09. 3.41 O.J.: Made in America (2016)
10. 3.40 House of Pleasures (2011)

As you might have anticipated given my rant above, no film cracked this list, either. Leave No Trace ranked highest, and its 3.31 isn't even in the ballpark. (This was a very rare year in which the #1 film by average rating fell outside the top 5 in Picture. Only other time that's happened was O.J., which was kind of a special case.)



LOWEST AVERAGE RATING (1996–2018)
(includes only films receiving a minimum of five votes)

01. 0.20 Date Movie (2006)
01. 0.20 America (2014)
03. 0.50 Collateral Beauty (2016)
04. 0.58 Miss March (2009)
05. 0.60 Dragonfly (2002)
05. 0.60 The Last Face (2017)
07. 0.61 The Roommate (2011)
08. 0.67 3000 Miles to Graceland (2001)
09. 0.67 The Human Centipede III (Final Sequence) (2015)
10. 0.70 Beastly (2011)
10. 0.70 Left Behind (2014)

Nothing new here, either. Lowest was Gotti with 0.88.



MOST DIVISIVE FILMS (2018)
(std. deviation >= 0.75; minimum 2 votes 3.5 or higher, 2 votes 1.5 or lower)


  • Cam (0.99)
  • If Beale Street Could Talk (0.78)
  • Bad Times at the El Royale (0.76)
  • Mandy (0.75)
  • Won't You Be My Neighbor? (0.75)

    The Sallittists despise Barry Jenkins, for some reason. I'd expected Mandy to crack 1, had not expected the Mr. Rogers documentary at all. Assassination Nation was arguably the real champ here, with a whopping 1.20, but it only received one 3.5 vote and thus didn't quite qualify.



  • BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT
    (lowest-ranked film seen by at least 75% of respondents)

    1996: Twister (1.80)
    1997: The Lost World: Jurassic Park (2.33)
    1998: He Got Game (2.59)
    1999: Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (2.18)
    2000: Nurse Betty (2.31)
    2001: Vanilla Sky (2.20)
    2002: Storytelling (2.03)
    2003: The Matrix Reloaded (2.29)
    2004: The Village (2.30)
    2005: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2.49)
    2006: Little Miss Sunshine (2.52)
    2007: Ocean's Thirteen (2.52)
    2008: Milk (2.83)
    2009: The Hangover (2.35)
    2010: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2.71)
    2011: Midnight in Paris (2.47)
    2012: Beasts of the Southern Wild (2.37)
    2013: American Hustle (2.50)
    2014: Birdman, or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2.44)
    2015: While We're Young (2.67)
    2016: Knight of Cups (2.52)
    2017: The Shape of Water (2.48)
    2018: A Star Is Born (2.68)

    As the AVB grows older, fewer and fewer films are being seen by 75% of us. Hence the shift toward Oscar nominees in recent years. This really should have gone to Ready Player One or Unsane, but too many voters who once would never have missed a Spiel/Soderberg(h) skipped them.



    PASSIONATE MINORITY AWARD
    (lowest average among top 20 films in Picture voting)

    1996: Dead Man (2.94)
    1997: Crash (2.52)
    1998: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (2.68)
    1999: The End of the Affair (2.96)
    2000: Requiem for a Dream (2.73)
    2001: Amélie (2.71)
    2002: 8 Women (2.79)
    2003: The Good Thief (2.81)
    2004: I ♥ Huckabees (2.84)
    2005: Oldboy (2.68)
    2006: Manderlay (2.69)
    2007: Once (2.79)
    2008: Funny Games (2.83)
    2009: A Serious Man (2.83)
    2010: The Exploding Girl (2.75)
    2011: Shame (2.63)
    2012: Damsels in Distress (2.76)
    2013: Spring Breakers (2.72)
    2014: Goodbye to Language (2.64)
    2015: The Assassin (2.73)
    2016: Knight of Cups (2.52)
    2017: Downsizing (2.50)
    2018: You Were Never Really Here (2.86)

    Highest average for this "honor" since 1999. We may not have adored many films, but everything that placed was reasonably well liked. (I'm among the few dissenters on the Ramsay.)



    DAMNED WITH FAINT PRAISE
    (highest-ranked film by average rating not to place in Picture voting [10+ voters] )

    1996: Get on the Bus (3.29)
    1997: Forgotten Silver (3.36)
    1998: The Kingdom II (3.14)
    1999: My Name Is Joe (3.18)
    2000: Erin Brockovich (3.14)
    2001: No Man’s Land (3.19)
    2002: Roger Dodger (3.14)
    2003: The Weather Underground (3.18)
    2004: Bright Leaves (3.16)
    2005: Howl's Moving Castle (3.15)
    2006: The Devil and Daniel Johnston (3.18)
    2007: The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (3.25)
    2008: The Duchess of Langeais (3.20)
    2009: Night and Day (3.07)
    2010: Another Year (3.21)
    2011: Senna (3.07)
    2012: The Imposter (3.10)
    2013: Drug War (3.17)
    2014: National Gallery (3.25)
    2015: The Look of Silence (3.28)
    2016: I Am Not Your Negro (3.18)
    2017: Ex Libris (3.06)
    2018: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (3.10)

    First time since 2013 that this hasn't gone to a documentary. Also of note: high averages for the relatively little-seen Free Solo (3.19), Infinite Football (3.17), This Is Our Land (3.17), Who We Are Now (3.08), and The Wild Boys (3.08). That last one came close to making the top 20 thanks to the passion of just two voters; only four others saw it. (I watched the first 10 minutes and could not turn it off fast enough, frankly.)



    DAMN THE REVIEWS, FULL SPEED AHEAD
    (lowest average among films seen by at least 10 respondents)

    1996: Twister (1.80)
    1997: Batman & Robin (1.28)
    1998: The Avengers | Stepmom [tie] (1.50)
    1999: Jawbreaker (1.14)
    2000: Pay It Forward (1.41)
    2001: Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (1.26)
    2002: Scooby-Doo (1.08)
    2003: Bad Boys II (1.60)
    2004: Exorcist: The Beginning (1.21)
    2005: Undead (1.29)
    2006: The Hills Have Eyes (1.65)
    2007: Smokin' Aces (1.64)
    2008: Jumper (1.54)
    2009: Gigantic (1.00)
    2010: The Last Airbender (1.05)
    2011: Vanishing on 7th Street (1.55)
    2012: This Means War (1.50)
    2013: Gangster Squad (1.29)
    2014: That Awkward Moment (1.45)
    2015: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (1.79)
    2016: Zoolander 2 (1.60)
    2017: The Assignment (1.77)
    2018: Vice (1.67)

    For those wondering, Bohemian Rhapsody averaged a much less dismal 2.28. Green Book fared better, too, with 2.07.



    SELECTION COMMITTEE ON CRACK
    (lowest average for a film that screened at the New York Film Festival)
    (post-expansion: Main Slate only, plus "Special Event" world premieres)

    1996: Flirt (2.20)
    1997: Kiss or Kill (1.79)
    1998: Voyage to the Beginning of the World (1.80)
    1999: Dogma (1.89)
    2000: Before Night Falls (2.31)
    2001: La Ciénaga (1.95)
    2002: In Praise of Love (1.95)
    2003: Chi-Hwa-Seon: Painted Fire (2.19)
    2004: Free Radicals (2.08)
    2005: Palindromes (2.15)
    2006: Rolling Family (1.83)
    2007: The Go Master (1.93)
    2008: Married Life (2.25)
    2009: The Windmill Movie (2.13)
    2010: Hereafter (2.05)
    2011: We Are What We Are (1.64)
    2012: Hyde Park on Hudson (1.69)
    2013: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1.92)
    2014: Child of God (2.00)
    2015: The Princess of France (2.42)
    2016: Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk (2.10)
    2017: My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea (1.96)
    2018: Wildlife (2.29)

    I originally had Capernaum for last year—we really hated that one—but of course that was Cannes Competition, not NYFF. The two often overlap, but not in this case. And I made it NYFF way back when because they mostly still have a "best of the other fests" lineup.



    ALONE AGAIN (NATURALLY)
    (suggested by Alex Fung; lowest average for a film that received a 4-star rating

    1996: The Stupids (2.30) | Bryan “Frankenseuss” Theiss (ret.)
    1997: Kissed (2.46) | Alex Fung
    1998: Psycho (2.11) | Erik Gregersen (ret.)
    1999: Twin Falls Idaho (2.28) | Milton Lawson (ret.)
    2000: Beautiful People (2.29) | Keith Collins (ret.)
    2001: The Road Home (1.88) | Erik Gregersen (ret.)
    2002: In Praise of Love (1.95) | Jeremy Heilman
    2003: Gigli (1.92) | Jeremy Heilman
    2004: The Passion of the Christ (2.18) | Victor J. Morton
    2005: The Brothers Grimm (2.29) | Bilge Ebiri
    2006: The Fountain (2.21) | Peter Reiher (ret.)
    2007: Southland Tales (1.88) | Dave Cowen; Jeremy Heilman
    2008: Jellyfish (2.36) | Daniel Waters
    2009: 12 (2.29) | Bilge Ebiri
    2010: Somewhere (2.41) | Nictate (ret.)
    2011: A Serbian Film (1.81) | Daniel Waters
    2012: Alps (2.43) | Don Marks
    2013: Maniac (2.50) | Jeremy Heilman
    2014: Vic + Flo Saw a Bear (2.43) | Victor J. Morton
    2015: The Tribe (2.43) | Daniel Waters
    2016: Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk (2.10) | Jeremy Heilman
    2017: Song to Song (2.24) | Jeremy Heilman
    2018: The 15:17 to Paris (2.07) | Jeremy Heilman

    Congratulations to Jeremy for his record-extending seventh victory in this category, including the past three years in a row. Nobody loves unloved movies like he does.



    MAJOR FESTIVAL PRIZE WINNERS: OUR VERDICT

    Cannes Palme d'Or

    1995: Underground (#15, 1997)
    1996: Secrets & Lies (#2, 1996)
    1997: Taste of Cherry (#15, 1998)
    1997: The Eel (did not place)
    1998: Eternity and a Day (did not place)
    1999: Rosetta (did not place)
    2000: Dancer in the Dark (#10, 2000)
    2001: The Son's Room (did not place)
    2002: The Pianist (did not place)
    2003: Elephant (did not place)
    2004: Fahrenheit 9/11 (did not place)
    2005: L'Enfant (The Child) (#6, 2006)
    2006: The Wind That Shakes the Barley (did not place)
    2007: 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (#1, 2008)
    2008: The Class (did not place)
    2009: The White Ribbon (did not place)
    2010: Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (#9, 2011)
    2011: The Tree of Life (#1, 2011)
    2012: Amour (#6, 2012)
    2013: Blue Is the Warmest Color (#8, 2013)
    2014: Winter Sleep (#15, 2014)
    2015: Dheepan (did not place)
    2016: I, Daniel Blake (did not place)
    2017: The Square (did not place)
    2018: Shoplifters (#19, 2018)

    Venice Golden Lion

    1995: Cyclo (#14, 1996)
    1996: Michael Collins (did not place)
    1997: Fireworks (Hana-Bi) (#5, 1998)
    1998: The Way We Laughed (N/A, not theatrically released during window of eligibility)
    1999: Not One Less (did not place)
    2000: The Circle (did not place)
    2001: Monsoon Wedding (did not place)
    2002: The Magdalene Sisters (did not place)
    2003: The Return (did not place)
    2004: Vera Drake (#6, 2004)
    2005: Brokeback Mountain (#3, 2005)
    2006: Still Life (#18, 2008)
    2007: Lust, Caution (did not place)
    2008: The Wrestler (#13, 2008)
    2009: Lebanon (did not place)
    2010: Somewhere (did not place)
    2011: Faust (did not place)
    2012: Pieta (did not place)
    2013: Sacro GRA (N/A, not theatrically released during window of eligibility)
    2014: A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence (did not place)
    2015: From Afar (did not place)
    2016: The Woman Who Left (did not place)
    2017: The Shape of Water (did not place)
    2018: Roma (#4, 2018)

    Thus endeth a nearly decade-long drought.

    Sundance Grand Jury (Dramatic)

    1995: The Brothers McMullen (did not place)
    1996: Welcome to the Dollhouse (did not place)
    1997: Sunday (did not place)
    1998: Slam (did not place)
    1999: Three Seasons (did not place)
    2000: Girlfight (did not place)
    2000: You Can Count on Me (#3, 2000)
    2001: The Believer (did not place)
    2002: Personal Velocity (did not place)
    2003: American Splendor (#20, 2003)
    2004: Primer (#10, 2004)
    2005: Forty Shades of Blue (did not place)
    2006: Quinceañera (did not place)
    2007: Padre Nuestro (did not place)
    2008: Frozen River (did not place)
    2009: Precious (Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire) (did not place)
    2010: Winter's Bone (#2, 2010)
    2011: Like Crazy (did not place)
    2012: Beasts of the Southern Wild (did not place)
    2013: Fruitvale Station (did not place)
    2014: Whiplash (#20, 2014)
    2015: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (did not place)
    2016: The Birth of a Nation (did not place)
    2017: I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore (N/A, unlikely to ever be eligible)
    2018: The Miseducation of Cameron Post (did not place)



    Most Appearances in Top 20 (Actors)
    (ties for number of appearances broken by average placement)

    01. Philip Seymour Hoffman (15)

    1s. The Master
    3s. Charlie Wilson's War
    5. Capote
    6. Synecdoche, New York
    6s. The Talented Mr. Ripley
    6s. Almost Famous
    10s. Magnolia
    10s. 25th Hour
    11. Doubt
    12. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
    12s. State and Main
    15s. Happiness
    15. Owning Mahowny
    18. A Most Wanted Man
    19s. Mission: Impossible III

    02. Tilda Swinton (15)

    1. Julia
    4s. Michael Clayton
    4s. Snowpiercer
    5. The Deep End
    5. We Need to Talk About Kevin
    7. Only Lovers Left Alive
    9s. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
    11. I Am Love
    12s. Burn After Reading
    12s. Suspiria
    13s. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
    14. A Bigger Splash
    18. Female Perversions
    19s. Thumbsucker
    19s. Trainwreck

    03. Isabelle Huppert (15)

    1. Elle
    2. The Piano Teacher
    2s. 8 Women
    4. Gabrielle
    8. Abuse of Weakness
    8. The School of Flesh
    8. Things to Come
    12. White Material
    13s. I ♥ Huckabees
    13s. Amour
    15. La Cérémonie
    17. Time of the Wolf
    17. In Another Country
    19s. Claire's Camera
    19. Home

    04. Nicole Kidman (10)

    2. Eyes Wide Shut
    2. Dogville
    2. Margot at the Wedding
    6. Moulin Rouge!
    9. The Others
    9. The Hours
    11. Birth
    15s. The Killing of a Sacred Deer
    16. Rabbit Hole
    18. Birthday Girl

    (Was also an Actress nominee for To Die For in 1995, when the survey employed Oscar-style voting.)

    05. Kate Winslet (10)

    3. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
    8. Titanic
    9. Jude
    9s. Steve Jobs
    10. Revolutionary Road
    10s. Quills
    12. Little Children
    13. Holy Smoke
    16s. Hamlet
    17. Hideous Kinky

    (Was also a Supporting Actress nominee for Sense and Sensibility in 1995, when the survey employed Oscar-style voting.)

    Swinton and Huppert tie Hoffman's record with 15 appearances, though he retains his title for now due to higher average placement.



    Most Films Landed in Top 20 (Directors)
    (again, ties broken by average placement)

    01. Joel [& Ethan] Coen (10)

    1. Inside Llewyn Davis
    2. No Country for Old Men
    4. O Brother, Where Art Thou?
    5. The Man Who Wasn't There
    6. Fargo
    7. A Serious Man
    10. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
    11. Burn After Reading
    12. The Big Lebowski
    12. True Grit

    Did not place: Intolerable Cruelty; The Ladykillers; Paris je t'aime [segment]; Hail, Caesar!
    Ineligible: Everything prior to FargoTo Each His Own Cinema [segment]

    02. Richard Linklater (8)

    3. Before Sunset
    3. Boyhood
    4. Before Midnight
    7. Everybody Wants Some!!
    9. The School of Rock
    12. A Scanner Darkly
    15. Waking Life
    18. Bernie

    Did not place: subUrbia; The Newton BoysTapeBad News BearsFast Food NationMe and Orson WellesLast Flag Flying
    Ineligible: Everything prior to subUrbiaInning by Inning: A Portrait of a Coach

    03. Lars von Trier (8)

    1. Breaking the Waves
    1. Dogville
    7. Melancholia
    10. Dancer in the Dark
    13. The House That Jack Built
    17. Nymph()maniac Vol. I
    19. The Five Obstructions
    20. Manderlay

    Did not place: The Kingdom; The Idiots; The Kingdom IIThe Boss of It All; Antichrist; Nymph()maniac Vol. II
    Ineligible: Everything prior to Breaking the Waves; D-dag

    04. Paul Thomas Anderson (7)

    1. There Will Be Blood
    2. Phantom Thread
    4. The Master
    7. Inherent Vice
    7. Magnolia
    8. Boogie Nights
    8. Punch-Drunk Love

    Did not place: Hard Eight
    Ineligible: Junun

    05. Martin Scorsese (7)

    1. The Departed
    2. The Wolf of Wall Street
    4. Silence
    7. Kundun
    9. Gangs of New York
    14. Shutter Island
    19. Hugo

    Did not place: Bringing Out the DeadThe AviatorShine a LightPublic SpeakingLiving in the Material World
    Ineligible: Everything prior to KundunMy Voyage to ItalyThe Concert for New York City [segment]; Lady by the Sea: The Statue of LibertyA Letter to EliaThe 50 Year Argument

    Von Trier returns at #3, knocking out Christopher Nolan.



    Where Are They Now?

    New-ish category! Actors who've had at least two appearances in the top 20, but haven't made the cut in the past ten years. We used to like them. What happened? (Actors who die will be removed a year following their last eligible performance.)

    Note: The two-nod minimum, which is meant to keep this list manageable (as there are many, many actors who've shown up only once, most of them in no way notable), also eliminates some very big names one might expect to be here. Both De Niro and Pacino, for example, have made the cut just one time, way back in 1997 (for Jackie Brown and Donnie Brasco, respectively).

    Each actor's most recent Skandie appearance is in [brackets]. New additions are in bold. Removed because they finally placed again this year: Steve Buscemi, Toni Collette, Tom Cruise, Paul Giamatti, Sissy Spacek.

    • Joan Allen [2005: The Upside of Anger]
    • Mathieu Amalric [2008: A Christmas Tale]
    • Daniel Auteuil [2005: Caché (Hidden)]
    • Alec Baldwin [2006: The Departed]
    • Eric Bana [2005: Munich]
    • Sacha Baron Cohen [2006: Borat Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby]
    • Kathy Bates [2002: About Schmidt]
    • Thora Birch [2001: Ghost World]
    • Helena Bonham Carter [2007: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street]
    • Michael Cera [2007: Superbad Juno]
    • Don Cheadle [1998: Out of Sight]
    • Maggie Cheung [2006: Clean]
    • Julie Christie [2007: Away From Her]
    • Patricia Clarkson [2005: The Dying Gaul]
    • Jennifer Connelly [2003: House of Sand and Fog]
    • Paddy Considine [2005: My Summer of Love]
    • Chris Cooper [2007: Breach]
    • Kevin Costner [2005: The Upside of Anger]
    • Brian Cox [2002: 25th Hour]
    • James Cromwell [1997: L.A. Confidential]
    • Penélope Cruz [2008: Vicky Cristina Barcelona]
    • Joan Cusack [2003: The School of Rock]
    • John Cusack [2000: High Fidelity]
    • Claire Danes [2005: Shopgirl]
    • Jean-Pierre Darroussin [2004: Red Lights]
    • Hope Davis [2003: The Secret Lives of Dentists American Splendor]
    • Judy Davis [1998: Celebrity]
    • Catherine Deneuve [2008: A Christmas Tale]
    • Johnny Depp [2003: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl Once Upon a Time in Mexico]
    • Zooey Deschanel [2006: Failure to Launch]
    • Emmanuelle Devos [2008: A Christmas Tale]
    • Cameron Diaz [2001: Vanilla Sky]
    • Illeana Douglas [1996: Grace of My Heart]
    • Robert Downey, Jr. [2008: Iron Man + Tropic Thunder]
    • Minnie Driver [1997: Grosse Pointe Blank Good Will Hunting]
    • Robert Duvall [2003: Open Range]
    • Aaron Eckhart [2008: The Dark Knight]
    • Anna Faris [2008: The House Bunny]
    • Bridget Fonda [1998: A Simple Plan]
    • Jodie Foster [2002: Panic Room]
    • Morgan Freeman [2004: Million Dollar Baby]
    • Jennifer Garner [2007: Juno]
    • Olivier Gourmet [2003: The Son]
    • Pascal Greggory [2006: Gabrielle]
    • Maggie Gyllenhaal [2006: Sherrybaby Stranger Than Fiction]
    • Marcia Gay Harden [2003: Mystic River]
    • Ed Harris [2005: A History of Violence]
    • Ian Holm [2002: Esther Kahn]
    • Danny Huston [2004: Birth]
    • Catherine Keener [2007: Into the Wild]
    • Val Kilmer [2005: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang]
    • Greg Kinnear [2002: Auto Focus]
    • Frank Langella [2008: Frost/Nixon]
    • Jude Law [2004:  Huckabees]
    • Valérie Lemercier [2007: Avenue Montaigne]
    • Tony Leung [2005: 2046]
    • Laura Linney [2007: The Savages]
    • Sergi López [2006: Pan's Labyrinth]
    • Kelly Macdonald [2007: No Country for Old Men]
    • Tobey Maguire [2002: Spider-Man]
    • John Malkovich [2008: Burn After Reading]
    • Rose McGowan [2007: Grindhouse]
    • Ian McKellen [2001: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]
    • Helen Mirren [2006: The Queen]
    • Alfred Molina [2004: Coffee and Cigarettes]
    • David Morse [2003: The Slaughter Rule]
    • Samantha Morton [2008: Synecdoche, New York]
    • Peter Mullan [2001: The Claim]
    • Bill Murray [2004: The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou]
    • Thandie Newton [2002: The Truth About Charlie]
    • Jack Nicholson [2002: About Schmidt]
    • Haley Joel Osment [2001: AI]
    • Joe Pantoliano [2001: Memento]
    • Rebecca Pidgeon [2000: State and Main]
    • Sarah Polley [1999: Go]
    • Christina Ricci [2007: Black Snake Moan]
    • Mickey Rourke [2008: The Wrestler]
    • Ludivine Sagnier [2008: A Girl Cut in Two]
    • Campbell Scott [2003: The Secret Lives of Dentists]
    • Kristin Scott Thomas [2008: I've Loved You So Long]
    • Chloë Sevigny [2000: American Psycho]
    • Tony Shalhoub [2001: The Man Who Wasn't There]
    • Michael Sheen [2008: Frost/Nixon]
    • Shu Qi [2006: Three Times]
    • Imelda Staunton [2007: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]
    • David Strathairn [2008: My Blueberry Nights]
    • Hilary Swank [2004: Million Dollar Baby]
    • Billy Bob Thornton [2003: Bad Santa]
    • Maribel Verdú [2006: Pan's Labyrinth]
    • Emily Watson [2002: Punch-Drunk Love]
    • Naomi Watts [2008: Funny Games]
    • Sigourney Weaver [1999: A Map of the World]
    • Forest Whitaker [2006: The Last King of Scotland]
    • Tom Wilkinson [2007: Michael Clayton]
    • Ray Winstone [2006: The Proposition The Departed]
    • Evan Rachel Wood [2006: Down in the Valley]
    • Jeffrey Wright [2005: Broken Flowers]
    • Steve Zahn [2007: Rescue Dawn]
    • Renée Zellweger [2003: Cold Mountain Down With Love]



    And finally. Back when I started the survey, I remember looking forward to the time, a decade or so later (i.e. now), when there'd be tons of accumulated data to wade through. In particular, I was excited about the prospect of being able to compare how various films from major directors had been received over the years. Granted, that process isn't exactly definitive—the AVB has mutated over the years and even the diehards tend to be stingier with their star ratings than they were back in the mid-'90s. But perhaps my favorite task after receiving the averages is updating my Directors' Gallery, plugging this year's films into various post-'94 oeuvres. Here are the entries that saw additions this year—every filmmaker who's ever placed in the Director top 20. 2018 films are in bold. Numbers in parentheses indicate how the film placed in Best Picture that year, if applicable; if the film title is in parentheses that means it received fewer than 10 votes and hence the result is a bit less meaningful. N/A (not applicable) means it was eligible but didn't even get five votes and so didn't make the main list.

    Wes Anderson

    Rushmore (2)                              3.45
    The Grand Budapest Hotel (2)              3.38
    Moonrise Kingdom (2)                      3.32
    Fantastic Mr. Fox (2)                     3.21
    The Royal Tenenbaums (8)                  3.03
    Isle of Dogs                              2.89
    The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (17)   2.89
    Bottle Rocket                             2.63
    The Darjeeling Limited                    2.40

    Jacques Audiard

    A Prophet (15)                            3.09
    The Sisters Brothers                      3.08
    (A Self Made Hero)                        3.06
    The Beat That My Heart Skipped            2.88
    Rust and Bone                             2.82
    Dheepan                                   2.69
    Read My Lips                              2.55

    Clio Barnard

    The Arbor (13)                            3.27
    The Selfish Giant                         2.90
    Dark River                                N/A

    Brad Bird


    The Iron Giant (11)                       3.24
    The Incredibles (8)                       3.13
    Ratatouille (14)                          3.08
    Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol     2.91
    Incredibles 2                             2.74
    Tomorrowland                              2.23

    Andrew Bujalski

    Support the Girls (2)                     3.24
    Computer Chess (13)                       3.10
    Mutual Appreciation (15)                  2.93
    Results                                   2.78
    Funny Ha Ha                               2.76
    Beeswax                                   2.75

    Laurent Cantet

    Time Out (5)                              3.30

    The Class                                 3.13

    (Human Resources)                         2.67
    (The Workshop)                            2.60

    Heading South                             2.22


    Lucien Castaing-Taylor


    Leviathan (11)                            3.14

    Sweetgrass                                2.87

    (Caniba)                                  2.17

    Hélène Cattet & Bruno Forzani

    Let the Corpses Tan (8)                   3.16
    Amer                                      2.79
    The Strange Color of Your Body's Tears    2.78
    The ABCs of Death                         1.69

    Damien Chazelle

    La La Land (6)                            3.11
    Whiplash (20)                             2.94
    First Man                                 2.80
    (Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench)        2.20

    Joel (& Ethan) Coen

    No Country for Old Men (2)                3.45
    Fargo (6)                                 3.31
    The Man Who Wasn’t There (5)              3.28
    Inside Llewyn Davis (1)                   3.26
    The Big Lebowski (12)                     3.03
    Burn After Reading (11)                   3.01
    True Grit (12)                            2.98
    The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (10)         2.97
    O Brother, Where Art Thou? (4)            2.94
    Hail, Caesar!                             2.88
    A Serious Man (7)                         2.83
    Intolerable Cruelty                       2.72
    The Ladykillers                           2.24
    Paris je t'aime                           2.24

    Alfonso Cuarón

    Y tu mamá también (2)                     3.26

    Children of Men (4)                       3.11

    Gravity (12)                              2.96
    Roma (4)                                  2.96
    Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban  2.76
    Paris je t'aime                           2.24
    Great Expectations                        2.09

    Claire Denis

    Beau travail (6)                          3.15
    Friday Night (14)                         3.09
    35 Shots of Rum (10)                      3.02
    White Material (19)                       2.93
    (Nénette et Boni)                         2.92
    Trouble Every Day (13)                    2.88
    Bastards                                  2.84
    Let the Sunshine In                       2.63
    The Intruder                              2.23

    Arnaud Desplechin


    My Golden Days (16)                       3.11
    Kings & Queen (15)                        3.03
    A Christmas Tale (10)                     3.00
    Esther Kahn                               2.98
    Ismael's Ghosts                           2.64
    (My Sex Life…)                            2.60
    Jimmy P.: Psychotherapy of Plains Indian  2.47

    Jacques Doillon

    Ponette                                   2.90
    Raja                                      2.90
    (Rodin)                                   2.42
    Petits frères                             N/A

    Bruno Dumont

    Jeannette: Childhood of Joan of Arc (15)  3.07
    Hadewijch                                 3.00
    Flanders                                  2.96
    Slack Bay                                 2.86
    Camille Claudel 1915                      2.79
    Humanité (13)                             2.79
    Li'l Quinquin                             2.79
    Outside Satan                             2.60
    Twentynine Palms                          2.42
    (Life of Jesus)                           2.19

    Clint Eastwood


    Million Dollar Baby (9)                   3.06

    Letters From Iwo Jima                     2.82

    Mystic River                              2.81
    Sully                                     2.74
    Changeling                                2.70
    Space Cowboys                             2.63
    American Sniper                           2.58
    Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil   2.57
    The Mule                                  2.54
    Invictus                                  2.53

    Flags of Our Fathers                      2.52

    Gran Torino                               2.46
    Blood Work                                2.35
    Absolute Power                            2.32
    True Crime                                2.31
    Jersey Boys                               2.21
    The 15:17 to Paris                        2.07
    Hereafter                                 2.05
    J. Edgar                                  2.04

    Philippe Garrel


    Regular Lovers (9)                        3.07
    Frontier of Dawn                          2.91
    Jealousy                                  2.88
    Lover for a Day                           2.83
    In the Shadow of Women                    2.72
    A Burning Hot Summer                      2.58

    Debra Granik


    Leave No Trace (9)                        3.31
    Winter's Bone (2)                         3.24
    (Stray Dog)                               3.10
    Down to the Bone                          N/A

    David Gordon Green

    George Washington                         3.05
    All the Real Girls (15)                   2.93
    Stronger                                  2.88
    Pineapple Express                         2.71
    Joe                                       2.69
    (Manglehorn)                              2.58
    Undertow                                  2.56
    Snow Angels                               2.56
    Prince Avalanche                          2.50
    Halloween                                 2.43
    (Our Brand Is Crisis)                     2.19
    (The Sitter)                              2.00
    Your Highness                             1.89

    Robert Greene

    Bisbee '17 (20)                           3.15
    Kate Plays Christine                      3.03
    Actress (16)                              2.89

    Paul Greengrass


    United 93 (3)                             3.34

    The Bourne Ultimatum                      3.05
    Captain Phillips                          2.88
    Bloody Sunday                             2.58
    The Bourne Supremacy                      2.57
    Green Zone                                2.39
    Jason Bourne                              2.09
    22 July                                   N/A

    Valeska Grisebach

    Western (6)                               3.11
    (Longing)                                 2.92

    Luca Guadagnino

    Call Me by Your Name (3)                  3.31
    A Bigger Splash                           2.74
    I Am Love                                 2.71
    Suspiria                                  2.57

    Hong Sang-soo


    Right Now, Wrong Then (11)                3.24
    Woman on the Beach (13)                   3.10
    Night and Day                             3.07
    The Day He Arrives                        3.05
    On the Beach at Night Alone (16)          3.03
    Oki's Movie                               2.88
    In Another Country                        2.82
    The Day After                             2.80
    Woman Is the Future of Man                2.79
    Claire's Camera                           2.66

    Barry Jenkins

    Moonlight (8)                             3.14
    If Beale Street Could Talk (12)           2.98
    Medicine for Melancholy                   2.60

    Tamara Jenkins

    Private Life (7)                          3.25
    The Savages                               2.95
    Slums of Beverly Hills                    2.61

    Abbas Kiarostami

    Certified Copy (4)                        3.43
    Taste of Cherry (15)                      3.10
    The Wind Will Carry Us (11)               3.10
    Like Someone in Love (10)                 3.07
    24 Frames (11)                            2.87
    10                                        2.64
    A.B.C Africa                              2.18
    (10 on Ten)                               1.88

    Paul King

    Paddington                                3.09
    Paddington 2 (16)                         2.96

    Hirokazu Kore-eda

    After Life (13)                           3.26
    Still Walking (19)                        3.11
    Nobody Knows (18)                         3.07
    Shoplifters (19)                          3.06
    After the Storm                           3.00
    (I Wish)                                  3.00
    Our Little Sister                         2.92
    Like Father, Like Son                     2.79
    The Third Murder                          2.45
    (Maborosi)                                2.40

    Kiyoshi Kurosawa

    Tokyo Sonata                              2.81
    Creepy                                    2.77
    Before We Vanish                          2.71
    Bright Future                             2.37

    Yorgos Lanthimos

    Dogtooth (1)                              3.28
    The Favourite (5)                         3.09
    The Lobster (13)                          3.02
    The Killing of a Sacred Deer              2.72
    Alps                                      2.43

    Lee Chang-dong

    Burning (1)                               3.29
    Poetry                                    2.85
    Oasis                                     2.77

    Spike Lee

    25th Hour (1)                             3.42
    Get on the Bus                            3.29
    (4 Little Girls)                          3.14
    BlacKkKlansman                            3.02

    Inside Man (16)                           2.99

    (Passing Strange)                         2.94
    Chi-Raq                                   2.74
    The Original Kings of Comedy              2.73
    (Bad 25)                                  2.60
    He Got Game                               2.59
    Summer of Sam                             2.57
    Oldboy                                    2.46
    Red Hook Summer                           2.42
    (Girl 6)                                  2.28
    Bamboozled                                2.13
    Da Sweet Blood of Jesus                   2.13
    Miracle at St. Anna                       2.00
    She Hate Me                               1.32
    Jim Brown: All American                   N/A

    David Lowery

    A Ghost Story (4)                         2.98
    The Old Man & the Gun                     2.87
    Pete's Dragon                             2.81
    Ain't Them Bodies Saints                  2.33

    Guy Maddin


    The Forbidden Room (7)                    3.26
    My Winnipeg (8)                           3.22
    Cowards Bend the Knee                     3.11
    The Saddest Music in the World            3.01
    The Green Fog                             2.97
    Dracula: Pages From a Virgin’s Diary      2.93
    Brand Upon the Brain!                     2.90
    Keyhole                                   2.56


    James Marsh


    Man on Wire (16)                          3.19
    Project Nim                               3.00
    (Shadow Dancer)                           2.70
    Red Riding: The Year of Our Lord 1980     2.58
    The Theory of Everything                  2.22
    The King                                  N/A
    The Mercy                                 N/A
    Wisconsin Death Trip                      N/A

    Lucrecia Martel


    The Holy Girl                             2.89
    The Headless Woman                        2.81
    Zama                                      2.78
    La Ciénega                                1.95

    Steve McQueen

    Hunger (6)                                3.10
    12 Years a Slave (17)                     3.04
    Widows                                    2.79
    Shame (19)                                2.63

    Verena Paravel

    Leviathan (11)                            3.14
    (Caniba)                                  2.17
    Foreign Parts                             N/A

    Pawel Pawlikowski

    Cold War (14)                             2.92
    My Summer of Love                         2.90
    Last Resort                               2.84
    Ida                                       2.81
    (The Woman in the Fifth)                  2.00

    Matt Porterfield

    Putty Hill (14)                           2.90
    (Sollers Point)                           2.60
    I Used to Be Darker                       2.50
    Hamilton                                  N/A

    Lynne Ramsay

    Ratcatcher                                3.12
    Morvern Callar (20)                       2.96
    You Were Never Really Here (18)           2.86
    We Need to Talk About Kevin (20)          2.85

    Gary Ross

    Pleasantville (19)                        2.81
    Seabiscuit                                2.48
    Ocean's Eight                             2.33
    The Hunger Games                          2.31
    (Free State of Jones)                     2.00

    Alan Rudolph

    The Secret Lives of Dentists (7)          3.03
    Ray Meets Helen                           2.67
    Afterglow                                 2.46
    (Trixie)                                  1.88
    (Breakfast of Champions)                  1.70

    Paul Schrader

    First Reformed (3)                        3.17
    Affliction (17)                           2.94
    Auto Focus                                2.32
    Dog Eat Dog                               2.20
    (The Walker)                              2.19
    (Dominion: Prequel to The Exorcist)       1.86
    The Canyons                               1.36
    Adam Resurrected                          N/A
    Dying of the Light                        N/A
    Touch                                     N/A

    Steven Soderbergh

    Out of Sight (1)                          3.37
    Traffic (5)                               3.24
    Erin Brockovich                           3.14
    The Limey                                 2.99
    Contagion                                 2.96
    (Gray’s Anatomy)                          2.94
    Ocean’s Eleven                            2.93
    The Informant!                            2.92
    Solaris                                   2.86
    Haywire                                   2.85
    Logan Lucky                               2.77
    And Everything Is Going Fine              2.75
    The Girlfriend Experience                 2.72
    Magic Mike                                2.70
    Schizopolis                               2.70
    Bubble                                    2.66
    The Good German                           2.66
    Full Frontal                              2.63
    Side Effects                              2.59
    Ocean's Thirteen                          2.52
    Ocean’s Twelve                            2.52
    Unsane                                    2.40
    Che                                       2.35
    Eros                                      2.15

    Steven Spielberg

    Saving Private Ryan (8)                   3.27
    Minority Report                           2.92
    AI (7)                                    2.91
    Munich (14)                               2.88
    Lincoln (19)                              2.86
    Bridge of Spies                           2.85
    Amistad                                   2.83
    War of the Worlds                         2.82
    Catch Me if You Can                       2.79
    War Horse                                 2.79
    The Adventures of Tintin                  2.78
    The Post                                  2.57
    The BFG                                   2.44
    Ready Player One                          2.43
    Indiana Jones…Crystal Skull               2.39
    The Lost World: Jurassic Park             2.33
    The Terminal                              2.10

    Gus Van Sant

    Paranoid Park (6)                         3.15
    Gerry (4)                                 2.93
    Good Will Hunting                         2.84
    Milk                                      2.83
    Last Days                                 2.79
    Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot     2.50
    Elephant                                  2.40
    Paris je t'aime                           2.24
    Promised Land                             2.15
    Psycho                                    2.11
    Finding Forrester                         2.10
    (Restless)                                1.94
    (The Sea of Trees)                        1.79

    Lars von Trier

    Breaking the Waves (1)                    3.43
    Dogville (1)                              3.22
    The Kingdom II                            3.14
    Melancholia (7)                           3.06
    The Five Obstructions* (19)               3.03
    The House That Jack Built (13)            3.00
    Nymph()maniac Vol. I (17)                 3.00
    The Boss of It All                        2.85
    Dancer in the Dark (10)                   2.74

    Manderlay (20)                            2.69

    Nymph()maniac Vol. II                     2.61
    The Idiots                                2.59
    Antichrist                                2.53

    * (with Jørgen Leth)

    Robert Zemeckis

    Cast Away (12)                            3.06
    Allied                                    2.91
    Contact                                   2.83
    The Walk                                  2.68
    The Polar Express                         2.65
    (Disney's A Christmas Carol)              2.61
    Flight                                    2.55
    Beowulf                                   2.47
    What Lies Beneath                         2.00
    (Welcome to Marwen)                       1.80

    Chloé Zhao

    The Rider                                 3.02
    (Songs My Brothers Taught Me)             2.75