Putting a new spin on Hitchcock, no one does horror with the class of Brian De Palma. At the Hamptons International Film Festival this weekend, the man who gave us Dressed to Kill, Scarface, and The Untouchables, among other classics of American cinema, sat for a conversation with Alec Baldwin, an actor who has worked with many a director and could add his observations, anecdotes, and impersonations to liven up a discussion with a master about such topics as the choice of D.P. for various films. As a result, Baldwin’s comments come to the fore, and De Palma’s extensive career was elicited in waves. No matter, that was the best way to do it, said Piper De Palma, the director’s daughter, named after the actress Piper Laurie (so sinister as the mother in Carrie) who presented her father with the crystal award for Lifetime Achievement.

At the annual President’s reception at Stuart Suna’s East Hampton residence afterward, celebrants enjoyed the raw bar and vegetable wraps and Hilaria and Alec announced they were expecting a girl, their fifth child. These moments give the Hamptons festival its glittery yet hometown allure. And while many were simply enjoying the vast array of films that make up this festival’s main attraction, confident that they were seeing the movies that would make it to the Oscars, as in the past, the Hamptons combination of first-rate films and the beach, cannot be beat.

This year, my favorites included The Song of Names, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Parasite, The Two Popes, Marriage Story—these are just the big films that everyone will be talking about through the awards season. And then there are the films that may not yet be on your radar: Human Capital, Knives Out, Citizen K, and Three Days, Two Nights. My choices reflect an exuberant appreciation of this festival and a great season of film.