Earlier this year, Alex Garland's Men gave audiences a thoughtful, layered, and visionary approach to the concept of toxic masculinity, creating a story that blurred the lines of horror, fantasy, and reality, led by absolutely deft performances from Jessie Buckley and Rory Kinnear. It wasn't perfect, but it was a raw, visceral depiction of how … Continue reading Significantly Less Pleasantville – Don’t Worry Darling
There was a mild controversy this past weekend when Gina Prince-Bythewood's latest film, The Woman King, finally hit theatres. Concerning the movie's historical accuracy, there are some who raised a stink about how the Dahomey (the West African kingdom at the center of the action) are depicted with regards to the slave trade. There are … Continue reading William Wallace Meets Viola Davis – The Woman King
If there's one thing we can all agree on when it comes to David Bowie, it's that he was impossible to pin down. I mean, that was always sort of the point, wasn't it? He was eclectic, transformative, mercurial, and of course, a fucking genius. He could appear as a meek waif on the streets … Continue reading He Knows It’s All Worthwhile – Moonage Daydream
There's a fine line to walk when a writer - and by extension a film - makes light of tropes and genre clichés. When done properly, it can lead to grand satires and parodies, most notably the likes of Airplane!, Hot Fuzz, and most recently, Knives Out. However, when executed poorly or haphazardly, like in … Continue reading There’s No Mystery Here – See How They Run
I fully admit that I'm a Kevin Smith fanboy. From the moment I first saw Clerks in college (one of the first DVDs I ever bought, right after Fight Club and Reservoir Dogs), I was hooked. The humor, the observations on late Gen-X/early Millennial disillusionment, the overly abundant amount of stoner jokes, they all hit … Continue reading You Truly Can Go Home Again – Clerks III
In this month's edition of "This Film is Not Yet Watchable," I noted that I was torn about Zach Cregger's new horror film, Barbarian. Since its premiere at San Diego Comic-Con, the movie has gotten some very high praise from fans as well as respected creatives (I mentioned Edgar Wright in the column as an … Continue reading Welcome Home – Barbarian
While I've done my best to keep up with mainstream and independent cinema in the first full year back from COVID restrictions, there are two areas where I have been decidedly negligent, namely documentaries and foreign films. For the former, I haven't been able to make time for any this year, mostly because none have … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – Better Late Than Never
Apologies for the radio silence over the past couple of weeks. Things have been incredibly hectic since I hit the big 4-0. I finished up one gig, prepared for the next one only to see it fall through, panicked about my finances, and then went home for a few days that were heavy to say … Continue reading This Film is Not Yet Watchable – September 2022
I've been sitting on this review for a few days, trying to figure out the best time to write it, and today presented the perfect opportunity. As I mentioned in this month's edition of TFINYW, August can be something of a secondary dumping ground for the studios, unloading all the bad movies they think they've … Continue reading Rock of Sages – Inu-Oh
One of the biggest problems I've had with a lot of movies lately, especially those with assertive female leads, is that the protagonist comes pre-packaged perfect out of the box, and as such has no room to grow or have anything close to a relatable journey. This is particularly egregious as a leitmotif in Disney … Continue reading The “Grand” in “Grand Theft” – Emily the Criminal
I Actually Paid To See This 