The Hechtman Blog
Explore Max Hechtman's blog for insights on filmmaking, film lists, reviews, and industry updates from a professional filmmaker, editor, and videographer.
Two Worlds Next Door: My Film Review of “Brotherhood: A Cinematic Musical”
Last night, I was in the room for the New York City premiere of Brotherhood: A Cinematic Musical, and I walked out sure of one thing: this is a five-star film. It’s an independent movie musical made for the times we’re living in. At its core, it asks a question that feels more urgent every year: what does it actually mean to love and understand your neighbor? As an independent filmmaker, I usually watch movies with one eye on the screen and one eye on the seams. With Brotherhood, I stopped looking for the seams pretty quickly.
My Top 5 2020s Movies That Should Become Broadway Musicals
This decade has been filled with movies that pushed the boundaries of their genres, and several of those films feel ripe to have their emotions amplified and their stories transformed into vivid musical theater experiences on the Broadway stage in the near future. Here’s a list of my top five films from the 2020s that I can imagine making the leap to Broadway, along with dream creative teams and casts who could bring their worlds and songs to life.
My Ballot For The New York Times Readers' 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century
Last summer, The New York Times invited readers to assemble their own ballots for a “Readers’ Choice” edition of its list of the 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century. For my ballot, I picked 10 somewhat random films from this century that I had watched (several of which have directly influenced my approach to filmmaking) and submitted them for consideration. A few of my choices ultimately appeared on The New York Times’ official list, while others received honorable mentions. Below are the ten films I selected, presented in alphabetical order, along with brief notes on why I consider each one to be among the standout films of the century.