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I'm obviously biased as a regular contributor, but I think Sight & Sound has improved beyond recognition since the revamp last autumn - the extra 30+ pages have made a huge difference.

Sonmi451 wrote:Wasn't sure where to post this, so I figured I'd throw it in here. I'm looking to expand my cinematic horizons, and was wondering if you all might have some suggestions on good publications/sites to do so? Was thinking of possibly subscribing to a magazine such as Sight & Sound, or Film Comment; something along those lines. Is there much of a consensus on what is the best? Cheers

I like Film Comment, but for my money Cinema Scope is the most interesting film mag right now.

I think it probably depends on what you're looking for.

In my opinion, Sight and Sound has been very good for several years now in giving really comprehensive coverage of non-mainstream film in particular. This seems to have dated from the time when the major studios started cutting the time window between showing their films to critics and releasing them in cinemas, thus making it more difficult for magazines to cover major studio films unless they were just interested in writing puff pieces for the studios, which Sight and Sound has never been interested in. It's also been deliberate editorial policy to concentrate more on arthouse film since then, I think, and the recent re-vamping of the magazine has been superb, making it now a truly excellent magazine.

I think Cinema Scope is intentionally a more radical magazine, covering avant garde and more difficult arthouse cinema more comprehensively. The magazine is particularly supportive of directors such as Costa, Alonso, Serra and Weerasethakul and can form a great dislike towards certain directors, such as Sorrentino. In some ways, it reminds me a bit of the NME in the days of Paul Morley and Ian Penman, and I imagine the writers there would realise that this is meant as a compliment.

If you can afford it, I'd subscribe to both. I do and I haven't been disappointed so far.

Not a current film magazine, but for the last few months, I've been collecting issues of British film magazine Films and Filming which ran in its original incarnation from 1954-1980. The bulk of my collection is composed of a near unbroken run of Films and Filming from the 70's and the magazine then was excellent mix of reviews, articles and interviews (Ken Russell was a favourite it seems), including some excellent coverage on Eastern European Cinema, film festival screenings and a regular column about films playing on the London club circuit (did you know that Fando & Lis played in London as Tar Babies?). The Letters page makes for especially interesting reading - anyone with an interest in the film-going habits of the British public during the 70's would find the views and opinions of readers quite fascinating, not to mention the considerable amount of commentary which raged over theatrical runs of The Devils, Straw Dogs, Clockwork Orange and so on...

Oh yes, I have some "Films and Filming" issues from early '60s and late '70s. Really interesting magazine.

Interesting social history too - for many years it led a double life as a meeting point for Britain's still largely closeted gay community, as indicated by the disproportionate focus on male nudity in the picture sections and some fairly blatant code words in the classified ads at the back.

MichaelB wrote:Interesting social history too - for many years it led a double life as a meeting point for Britain's still largely closeted gay community, as indicated by the disproportionate focus on male nudity in the picture sections and some fairly blatant code words in the classified ads at the back.

Absolutely, in fact two films that were awarded covers were Pink Narcissus and a shot of two lovers grappling from Sebastiane...

I used to get Films & Filming for the last few years of its existence in the late 80s. In fact my name is in the last ever issue (in David McGillivray's Q & A column).

My Sight & Sound Back Issue Odyssey or good things come to those who wait?

After cancelling my iPad/iPhone subscription due to the fact, that I registered with the iPhone and was not able to transfer the issues over to the iPad for better readability, I purchased the latter issues at my local newsagent. As being a very fine publication this, I wanted to purchase back issues and mailed the subscription department

Mail to the subscription department on Nov., the 21st: list of all available ones?
Mail from bfi on Dec. 4th, 2012: no list, should tell them the issues I want
Mailed back: I'd like to have Issues 1-10/2012 & Issues 1-12/2011 (maybe this was not very english friendly)
Mail from bfi on Dec. 15th, 2012: "I am afraid we do not have these issues in stock."
Mailed back: "so you do not have any back issues available at all?"
Mail from bfi on Jan. 4th, 2013: "We do not have October 2012 or December 2011 in stock at this time."
Mailed back: "no problem. Please send me issues January 2012 till September 2012 and issues January 2011 till November 2011 and please get back to me about payment including shipping to Austria"

Never heard from them again. Since my first inquiry two months have passed. Is it me who is the problem? Please don't say so :-"

Just send the last email again with a covering note asking if they got it first time round. Since you're offering them money, I can't believe they'd be ignoring you deliberately!

I've had several problems with my current subscription, and it's my experience too that many emails to customer service go unanswered, seemingly randomly. I'm sure the staff do their best, but they must have completely inadequate tools to work with.

MichaelB wrote:Just send the last email again with a covering note asking if they got it first time round. Since you're offering them money, I can't believe they'd be ignoring you deliberately!

Michael, I did as you suggested and I'm still waiting for an answer since January. At least they could've mailed me to fuck off.

So, to summarize, I wanted to order back issues (all available 2011 and most of 2012 to begin), mailed with like three different people @ the BFI and still received no back issues (yes, I DO want to pay for them, really!) and no responses for months. What really makes me mad is that I support the BFI in buying ALL of their (mind you, fabulous) Blu-ray releases (including Flipside) as soon as they are released and have never waited for discount offers and such. Michael, maybe when you have the chance, tell them what an unprofessional behavior this is. I've no other choice left than to become involved in internet crime and search shady websites for PDF copies next weekend. Sad.

I've had the exact same problems ordering back issues, and I've given up. Each time I've spoken to a very pleasant woman who apologizes for the delay and takes my order yet again, but to no avail, I've never been billed but I've never received anything either. I sometimes wonder if the cost of sending back issues overseas is worth the hassle to them.

On the other hand I'll echo Michael's comment further up thread that Sight & Sound has improved immeasurably with the redesign, and I'll happily keep subscribing.

Cineaste Spring edition just came out. There are some terrific articles. Some of the highlights are a George Cukor profile, interview with Paulo Sorrentino, an article about the new Romanian Cinema and a piece on two new Beatles docs. Well worth the read.

Not a recommendation, but I may as well ask this here: for those here with a subscription to Cinema Scope, when did you receive issue 58? I want to write something in response to something published therein (not a complaint or correction or anything, just a little comment) and it would help to have a rough idea of when the issue went out.

I think they mailed it out to subscribers early last week (haven't got mine yet).

I just received mine on Tuesday.

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I would add Little White Lies as well. By the way Bong Joon-ho is apparently going to be the Guest Editor of the next edition of Sight & Sound.

I'd also count Senses of Cinema as a great online resource.

Parasite wrote: Wed Jan 22, 2020 3:36 am Are Cinema Scope, Film Comment, and Sight & Sound still the best film magazines?

I've never read Cinema Scope but I don't think Sight and Sound or Film Comment in particular are as good as they used to be. I do think part of the reason is that the film industry has changed so much as well as how we view films over the last few years and that has forced a change of focus for the two magazines to some degree.

Also, aside from a couple of film critics I'm not invested in what most of them think. I get better informed opinions on this and other forums than I do from S&S and FC.

A friend of a friend was clearing out their garage and had a complete collection of 1994–2001 Sight & Sounds (plus some random 1970s issues and Film Comments, apparently) that they were happy to get rid of for nothing – not sure how, but I somehow managed to get first dibs and am going to have them dropped off at my place next week! My girlfriend isn’t going to be happy given we have no storage space, but it was an offer I couldn’t refuse, right?

I should probably clear out mine at some point - I’ve been all-digital for years now.

I have a collection of Sight and Sound from 1978 onwards, many copies of Cineaste and Film Comment and various other which anyone is welcome to as long as they have a small lorry and on a pilgrimage to the location of Wes Anderson's latest film

Little White Lies is a really fun magazine, but I’ve only seen it available in London. On trips to the Barnes and Noble it’s difficult to not want to pick up, or at least find a seat and browse through Film Comment, Cineaste, and Cinema Scope. Occasionally Film Maker does a really nice piece on the new faces of independent film.

I tend to hold on to my magazines too. I still have a nice collection of 90s era Spin and Sassy.