The Turner Classic Movies Film Festival, better known as TCM Fest, celebrated its 16th year in style last weekend with an incredible lineup and slew of featured guests from the silver screen. Running for five days in the heart of Hollywood, TCM Fest brings classic movie lovers together to watch films of all genres. From discovery gems to celebratory anniversaries, the camaraderie experienced at TCM Fest is unlike any other. Below are some of our highlights from the festival.

Ryan

Suspicion (1941)

The festival opened with a film I had never seen before: Suspicion (1941), Alfred Hitchcock’s fourth feature. True to its title, the film delivered suspense in the director’s signature style—a pulpy, romantic mystery starring Joan Fontaine and Cary Grant. The story follows a shy young heiress who marries a charming gentleman, only to soon suspect he may be plotting to kill her. Introduced by TCM’s Jena Malone, the black-and-white print looked stunning on the big screen. Fontaine won the Oscar for Best Actress this year, too. While Hitchcock had previously collaborated with Fontaine on Rebecca, Suspicion marked his first of several collaborations with Grant, launching a partnership that would span four films together.

Hud (1963)

The second film I caught at the festival was Hud, starring Paul Newman. I was familiar with Newman from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Great Escape, but here he plays against type as a rebellious, hard-drinking, womanizing ranch hand. Newman’s portrayal of Hud carries a sharp “anti-establishment” edge, making the character feel distinctly ahead of his time. This screening was especially exciting as it featured the World Premiere of a newly restored print, showcasing the film’s Oscar-winning black-and-white cinematography, along with Oscar-winning performances by Melvyn Douglas and Patricia Neal. Introduced by Keith Carradine, this “revisionist Western” turned out to be a real discovery for me.

The Lady Eve (1941)

One of my favorite discoveries and first-time watches at the festival was The Lady Eve, a hilarious screwball comedy starring Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda, directed by Preston Sturges. Stanwyck plays a con artist who sets out to swindle a wealthy heir, only to unexpectedly fall in love with her mark. What stuck with me most, besides the rapid-fire dialogue and the incredible on-screen chemistry, is Henry Fonda’s brilliant physical comedy. His endless pratfalls, delivered with perfect deadpan timing, are pure slapstick gold. The Lady Eve is exactly the kind of hidden gem you hope to stumble upon at a TCM festival.

Morgan

Jaws (1975)

TCM Festival presented a 50th Anniversary screening of Jaws on Saturday to a sold-out theater. The event started with a Ben Mankiewicz-moderated Q&A with Lorraine Gray, who played Ellen Brody. After a humorous conversation, the lights dimmed, and we were transported to the beachside town of Amity Island, where John Williams’ iconic score suspensefully sets the stage for a killer shark wreaking havoc on an entire town. Personally, as a certified scuba diver and animal empath, I have my own opinions on the ethics of Jaws and how the story does a huge disservice to sharks. However, there is no denying the cultural impact of Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece, which became the top-grossing film of 1975. This fact is even more impressive considering he was only 26 years old when he directed it.

Based on Peter Benchley’s book of a great white shark stalking the waters and residents during the 4th of July weekend, Jaws stars Roy Scheider as the town’s new police chief, Richard Dreyfuss as an ichthyologist, and Robert Shaw as a shark-hunter.

Brigadoon (1954)

This Gene Kelly musical may not be the most memorable in the auteur’s otherwise impressive repertoire, but watching this Vincente Minnelli picture on the big screen is transfixing nonetheless. The film was initially dismissed by critics when it was released in 1954 because the obvious use of sets was more comical than convincing. Sure, the production may not transport audiences to the magical Scottish Highland village of Brigadoon, but it’s this lack of quality that is now seen as charming.

Brigadoon tells the story of two Americans, played by Gene Kelly and Van Johnson, who come across a magical village while on an international hunting trip. It’s a miracle they find the village at all, as Brigadoon only appears once every hundred years. Yes, it’s a bizarre concept that doesn’t fully make sense. Nevertheless, Kelly falls in love with Brigadoon’s beautiful Cyd Charisse. He must decide if he will give up his life to be with his true love, which includes living by Brigadoon’s unconventional rules. While there are still fundamental elements of the film that feel flawed, including the basic plot, Gene Kelly’s choreography is undeniably magnetic, as are the stunning costumes and Joseph Ruttenberg’s creative use of Ansco Color and Cinemascope.

Blade Runner (1982, the 2007 Final Cut)

When Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner premiered in 1982, the idea of a robot uprising was considered sci-fi. Watching the film now, with rapidly evolving AI and the like, Blade Runner feels much more like a horror film set in our current reality than it does imaginative fiction. Based on Philip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Harrison Ford plays the protagonist “Blade Runner” Rick Deckard. Deckard is a proven LAPD affiliate tasked with “retiring” four rogue replicants (bioengineered humanoids) who have infiltrated society. Rutger Hauer makes an unforgettable turn as replicant leader Roy Batty, as does Daryl Hannah as replicant Pris. Sean Young, who was in attendance, plays opposite Ford as Rachael, a replicant who believes she is human.

The two-time Oscar-nominated film blends neo-noir and cyberpunk genres to create a retro-futuristic Los Angeles that feels as palpable and energetic today as it did forty-three years ago.