David Thomson, the author of The New Biographical Dictionary of Film, Have You Seen...?, Rosebud: The Story of Orson Welles, and many more, is one of the most prolific and influential writers about film and film history. He is also the favorite writer of Screen Drafts Legend Darren Franich. When the opportunity arose to speak with Mr. Thomson about his new book, A Sudden Flicker of Light, we insisted on taking it, and created a whole new show just to do so!

Please enjoy this very entertaining inaugural edition of The Sit-Down with Darren Franich, an as-needed venue for culture writer Darren Franich to have in-depth conversations with the most interesting minds in film and television.

David Thomson's A Sudden Flicker of Light: A Revisionist History of Movies is on bookshelves now!

Multi-hyphenate Hollywood legend Rob Reiner had a run of films from 1984 to 1995 that are amongst the best that America has ever produced. Many are defining examples of their genre. All are imbued with the wit and heart of their director. Ranking these 9 movies could very well be a fool's errand, but if so, we have just the fools for the job: The Screen Drafts Legends! Join Clay Keller, Ryan Marker, Billy Ray Brewton, Bryan Cogman, Darren Franich, Graham Skipper, Drea Clark, and Oriana Nudo as they attempt to rank, via competitive collaboration, THE REINER RUN.

The Legends will return in... MOVIES III: THE ROTTEN, only in the Screen Drafts Booster Club!

Visit www.patreon.com/screendrafts to join The Booster Club

Team This Had Oscar Buzz (Hall of Famers Joe Reid & Chris Feil) and Team Supporting Actresses (née Chasing Amy Adams, Hall of Famer Louis Peitzman & All Star Dane McDonald) return to the Draft Table to competitively / collaboratively rank the 10 films the won the Oscar for BEST ACTRESS in the 1990s!

Want more Screen Drafts? Become a Booster! For just $5 a month get ad-free Main Feed episodes, plus monthly installments of The Franchise mini-Super Draft, The Marathon, Speed Drafts, and the Cool Kids Criterion Club Corner. Visit www.patreon.com/screendrafts to join the Club and support the show!

It's Part Three of the ROBERT ALTMAN SUPER DRAFT, and Emily St. James (Podcast Like It's, Woodworking) joins Ryan to make picks 21-15 on the list of 35, crossing the threshold into the TOP HALF of the Draft! Back again is guest co-commish Alonso Duralde (Maximum Film, Hollywood Pride) to provide both support and admonishment, as necessary.

Want more Screen Drafts? Become a Booster! For just $5 a month get ad-free Main Feed episodes, plus monthly installments of The Franchise mini-Super Draft, The Marathon, Speed Drafts, and the Cool Kids Criterion Club Corner. Visit www.patreon.com/screendrafts to join the Club and support the show!

Legends Ryan Marker (The American Cinematheque) and Drea Clark (Maximum Film, Film Independent Spirit Awards, Bentonville Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival) meet at the Draft Table for a competitive / collaborative ranking of the films of award-winning documentarian STEVE JAMES!

Also joining us at the table is Screen Drafts Booster Joy Novak, representing the Official Sponsor of this episode, The Film and Media Archive at the Libraries at WashU in St. Louis, Missouri, permanent home of the Kartemquin Films Collection.

Visit https:/ https://library.washu.edu/news/kartemquin-sixtieth/ for information about screenings, events, and exhibits highlighting the past 60 years of groundbreaking documentaries produced by Kartemquin, including a free screening of Steve James' iconic film Hoop Dreams on June 28th at the Hi-Pointe Theatre!

Happy Pride! We're kicking off the month with director Angela Robinson (D.E.B.S., Professor Marston & the Wonder Women) author Mark Harris (Mike Nichols: A Life) and entertainment reporter Adam B. Vary ranking the 11 best GAY films released in the 1990s!

Rookie Month 2026 comes to a close with The New Flesh co-hosts Brett Arnold (Yahoo Entertainment) and Jesse Hassenger (The A.V. Club) ranking the 7 best franchise PART FOURS ever made!

Want more Screen Drafts? Become a Booster! For just $5 a month get ad-free Main Feed episodes, plus monthly installments of The Franchise mini-Super Draft, The Marathon, Speed Drafts, and the Cool Kids Criterion Club Corner. Visit www.patreon.com/screendrafts to join the Club and support the show!

Rookie Month continues! It's a wild night at the Draft Table as food and movie writer Vince Mancini and his Pod Yourself a Gun co-host, comedian Matt Lieb, rank the 7 best films set in RESTAURANTS!

Want more Screen Drafts? Become a Booster! For just $5 a month get ad-free Main Feed episodes, plus monthly installments of The Franchise mini-Super Draft, The Marathon, Speed Drafts, and the Cool Kids Criterion Club Corner. Visit www.patreon.com/screendrafts to join the Club and support the show!

Rookie month continues as film programmers Jourdain Searles (MIX NYC) and Maddie Whittle (Film at Lincoln Center) competitivley / collaboratively rank the 7 best movies ever made about WEDDINGS!

Want more Screen Drafts? Become a Booster! For just $5 a month get ad-free Main Feed episodes, plus monthly installments of The Franchise mini-Super Draft, The Marathon, Speed Drafts, and the Cool Kids Criterion Club Corner. Visit www.patreon.com/screendrafts to join the Club and support the show!

Rookie Month 2026 kicks off with Dear Movies, I Love You co-hosts Casey O'Brien and Millie De Chirico putting their friendship to the test over the single, definitive, Best Of list of the very normal feature filmography of director FRANK HENENLOTTER! Filling in for Ryan as co-commish is comedian, podcaster, and connoisseur of weird, Lucé Tomlin-Brenner!

Want more Screen Drafts? Become a Booster! For just $5 a month get ad-free Main Feed episodes, plus monthly installments of The Franchise mini-Super Draft, The Marathon, Speed Drafts, and the Cool Kids Criterion Club Corner. Visit www.patreon.com/screendrafts to join the Club and support the show!

It's a Booster Club Sneak Peek this week, as Clay and Ryan rank the 5 Best Picture nominees at the 1951 Academy Awards, honoring the films of 1950 (All About Eve, Born Yesterday, Father of the Bride, King Solomon's Mines, Sunset Boulevard). Joining them in Draftland are guest commish Bryan Cogman and the Quizard, Darren Franich!

Coming in May... Rookie Month 2026!

Want more Screen Drafts? Become a Booster! For just $5 a month get ad-free Main Feed episodes, plus monthly installments of The Franchise mini-Super Draft, The Marathon, Speed Drafts, and the Cool Kids Criterion Club Corner. Visit www.patreon.com/screendrafts to join the Club and support the show!