Now that Adrien Brody has finally wrapped up his acceptance speech, we can bring you Episode 59 of Vintage Sand. And since it’s March, and the Oscars just passed, we’re right on time with our annual year-end review, which we call 2024: The Year of the Brutal. As seems to be the case over the last few years, we came away from the year in film with mixed feelings. The interesting thing is that we did not seem to agree on any of the major films of the year. Mike and I liked "Anora" a lot, and John did not. We also both liked "Emilia Pérez", which John actively disliked. John and I liked Garland’s "Civil War", which Mike didn’t like at all. John liked "The Brutalist", and Mike and I were underwhelmed. I was alone in loving both "Nosferatu" and "The Substance". Mike and John liked "Conclave" and "A Complete Unknown", both of which I found kind of conventional despite outstanding performances. And so on. It makes it difficult to come to a consensus on the year, but it makes, as you will hear, for an excellent episode; after all, what could be more boring than when the three of us agree? As for the Oscars themselves, we were pleasantly surprised at how good Conan was, and pleasantly not surprised how good the opening number from "Wicked" was. We were relieved at the absence of Malala vs. Cocaine Bear audience schtick (minus Adam Sandler), surprised at the politics-free nature of the evening, appalled at the James Bond “tribute”, amazed at how young Mick Jagger looks, and, as ever, disappointed in the In Memoriam section. And while we appreciated the Gene Hackman and Quincy Jones tributes, we were shocked that nothing special was done for David Lynch (something we plan to remedy in our next episode). Good on Sean Baker for winning four statuettes for "Anora", yet continuing puzzlement as to why Denis Villeneuve, among the greatest world-builders currently directing, can’t seem to get nominated for films that all seem to get nominated for Best Picture. In considering our eternal question of which of these films will be watched by anyone in 25 years, let alone show up the Sight and Sound poll in 2032, I can only imagine that "Anora" and "Nosferatu", in the contexts of their respective directors’ careers, might make the cut. It seems slightly possible that the Dylan film, "Conclave" and "The Brutalist" might have some legs as well, but it’s less likely. For me, 2024 will always stand out as the year featuring women in films that were social commentaries in the context of the horror genre ("The Substance", "Maxxxine", and "Blink Twice" being among the best examples). It suggests that a kind of brutality, often directed at women though not exclusively, has crept into American film, as it seems to have done in American life itself. So we urge you, intrepid listeners, to support the arts and humanities, go to movies in theaters, and keep fighting the good fight.