Madeline Ostdick

My personal favorite films with beautiful, over-the-top, and/or just plain stylish costume design.

Every time I visit a new city, my first priority is to check out the local movie scene: drive-ins? Indie theaters? Screenings in the park? I love them all, but my absolute favorite places to visit are historic old movie palaces, a handful of which are still in operation as working movie theaters after periods of restoration. Largely built in the silent film era (though built well into 1940s), these movie palaces represent a time when moviegoing first became a “destination” event for Americans (as movies changed from novelties to works of art), embodying a sense of glamour and excess that you just don't find in contemporary movie theaters. Seeing a movie in an old movie palace reminds you of why you fell in love with cinema in the first place: the stars! The glamour! The drama!

A few years back, my husband, a jazz enthusiast, developed an obsession with the “jazz kissa,” or: Japanese coffee shops / izakayas, popularized after World War II, which imported and played jazz records for its patrons (as many individuals could not afford to import their own records). Part audiophile music club, part nightclub scene, the “jazz kissa” endures in Japan to this day, though there are far fewer of them these days. We've never been to Japan, but I did throw him a jazz kissa themed birthday party a few years back, and remnants of that effortlessly cool still linger around our apartment. This list is inspired by the culture and iconography of the jazz kissa space!

As a city denizen (and unabashed night owl), there's nothing I appreciate more than a diner: the unlimited coffee, massive menus, instantly recognizable dishware, and cases of pie and cakes…it's all such a comfort to me! This list is inspired by my love of American diner culture, its iconography, and cultural role as a populist watering hole bringing all walks of life together.

If you're a foodie like me, you have a special place in your heart for movies about food—particularly movies that can somehow communicate the taste, touch, and smell of food through the screen. These are some of my favorite movies about food and food culture, which manage to make their onscreen offerings look so appetizing!

After catching A Complete Unknown (2024) this holiday season, I'm back on a real rock ‘n’ roll kick in the New Year and revisiting all my favorite Rock Movies. These movies turn a spotlight on rock and roll music: some are concert films or rock 'n' roll musicals capturing the moment that rock and roll became mainstream (and the most important genre in America); others are pastiche or tributes to that era. All of them should be played LOUD!

This time of year, seasonal depression hits me extra hard, meaning I need an extra boost of serotonin to help get me through to springtime. These chic, sun-soaked travel films are my favorite cinematic escapes, whisking me away to far more temperate spots in international, exotic locales.

As a native Texan expat who has opinions about just about everything, there's nothing I love more than a movie set in Texas that actually engages meaningfully with the wholly unique world that makes up the Lone Star State. Ever since Giant (1956) put Marfa on the map, Hollywood has been fascinated with the landscape and culture of Texas, and a number of celebrated filmmakers hail from the state, adding to the quality of films that cast the Lone Star State as its subject (or use its diverse topography as a backdrop). These are my absolute favorite movies about Texas actually shot on location in Texas.

It's the most wonderful time of the year: the halls are decked, the tree is trimmed, and sinister forces lurk somewhere in the shadows. These are film noirs set over the holidays, relishing in the contrast between the cheerful joy of the season and the darker themes of the (ridiculously entertaining) genre.