TODD HAYNES

Documentaries about Julia Child, “Black Woodstock,” the pandemic and The Velvet Underground and acclaimed international films like Japan’s “Drive My Car,” Iran’s “A Hero” and Norway’s “The Worst Person in the World” just got a little closer to scoring Oscar nominations.

Associated Press Film Writers Lindsey Bahr and Jake Coyle have named their picks for the best movies of 2021.

The long-awaited documentary about the Velvet Underground is very good, but we had reason to expect more.

Todd Haynes’s documentary about the classic band spotlights how sound can challenge—and change—society.

The most often-repeated thing said about the Velvet Underground is Brian Eno’s quip that the band didn’t sell many records, but everyone who bought one started a band.

Movies from 77 countries will screen at the 2021 London Film Festival, as Britain’s leading cinema showcase welcomes mass audiences back to movie theaters after a pandemic-disrupted year.

A year after depending on drive-in and virtual screenings, the New York Film Festival, one of the premier destinations of the fall festival circuit, will return to in-person premieres at Lincoln Center this September, with vaccination proof required for all attendees.

You won't hear that line in Todd Haynes' documentary “The Velvet Underground,” nor will you see a montage of famous faces talking about their vast influence. You won't even really hear a fairly full Velvet Underground track until nearly an hour into the two-hour film. You sense that even Lou Reed would be pleased by how “The Velvet Underground” refuses the obvious. “The Velvet Underground” is most singular in how it resurrects the 1960s downtown New York art scene that birthed and fermented the group. I don't know where that is.”“The Velvet Underground” is Haynes' first documentary.

The most often-repeated thing said about the Velvet Underground is Brian Eno’s quip that the band didn’t sell many records, but everyone who bought one started a band.

On Tuesday, the Cannes Film Festival will reopen.

The Cannes Film Festival on Thursday unveiled a lineup of films from big-name auteurs — including Wes Anderson, Asghar Farhadi, Mia Hansen-Løve and Sean Penn — for its 74th edition in July.

The wait for “A Quiet Place Part II” has been as long as the pandemic.

This cover image released by Columbia Records shows "Letter To You" by Bruce Springsteen. The album will be released on Oct. 23. (Columbia Records via AP)

(Columbia Records via AP)Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week. Edgier than the (also great) Gwyneth Paltrow version, Anya Taylor-Joy takes on the role of the matchmaker extraordinaire this time. — Billie Eilish was on the road for just three days before she had to cancel her worldwide tour due to the coronavirus pandemic in March. But thankfully on Saturday the Grammy-winning star will host her first global livestream concert. “Essential Heroes: A Momento Latino Event” uses music, comedy, short documentaries and celebrity appearances to explore the Latino experience.