I've got this wonderful tingly feeling all over my body. Oh wait, no, that's hives. Anyway, I'm stuck in my room all weekend, so I might as well make the most of it with some batch reviews. A few days ago, the Academy released its shortlists for half the categories at next year's Oscars, including … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – Visa Denied, Part 1
It's the most wonderful time of the year. Oh, not Christmas, but the we're getting ever so close to the next Oscar Blitz! We're just over a month away from the reveal of the nominees, and today the Academy released their shortlists for half the categories in the field, 12 of the now 24! It's … Continue reading Santa’s Got Nothing on This – 98th Academy Awards Shortlists!
I admit I was a bit surprised when the first Zootopia film from 2016 ended up winning the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. It's not a bad movie by any means, but it was up against what I felt were far superior candidates in the forms of Moana and Kubo and the Two Strings. It … Continue reading Partners and Crime – Zootopia 2
Awards Season is firmly underway, and we're getting ever so close to the main event. The Independent Spirit Awards announced their nominees this morning, and the Golden Globes will reveal their list next week, though obviously I put far, Far, FAR less stock in the latter. A week after that, the Academy will release their … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – Animation Autumn-ation, Part 2
If you tuned in to the blog today hoping to see my review of Wicked for Good, all I can say is... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!*deep inhale*HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! All jokes aside, I will see it eventually, but given the eight month advertising blitz for the first half of the movie last year and the five month campaign for the … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – Animation Autumn-ation, Part 1
Over the course of a given year, I wind up providing coverage for a number of film festivals for my friends at No Rest for the Weekend. This includes the Brooklyn Film Festival, Tribeca, Slamdance, Mill Valley, and AFI Fest on a regular basis, and others like Soho, Newfest, Brooklyn Horror, and the New York … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – Late Doc Appointments
There are basically three types of so-called "popcorn movies." The first is the slew of mindless IP sequels, reboots, and other crass cash-ins, typically released during the Summer Blockbuster Season, which only exist to fill studio coffers and require almost no effort. There's nothing essential about them, and most are just downright garbage (see, or … Continue reading Catch Me if You Can – The Running Man
I have to say, as we approach Thanksgiving, there are years where it gets really hard to find anything for which to be thankful, because what the sentiment actually means is an acknowledgement of the good things in your life. This has been an incredibly difficult year for my family and me. We've suffered a … Continue reading This Film Is Not Yet Watchable – November 2025
We're firmly into Awards Season at this point, and over the course of the remaining weeks of 2025, theatres will be inundated with prestige fare in hopes of garnering hardware. The most blatant bait, as I've mentioned many a time in this space, is what I call "Actor Showcase" films, movies that specifically highlight a … Continue reading Standing Alone – Blue Moon
Filmmaking in Iran is at a crossroads at the moment. Despite the repression of the ruling regime in the Islamic Republic, for years its cinema was a cultural high point, with artists like Asghar Farhadi and Majid Majidi bringing prestige and acclaim from around the world. However, in recent years, the ruling authorities have cracked … Continue reading Prisoner Break – It Was Just an Accident
I Actually Paid To See This 