Gender and sexual identity has been a major source for Hollywood stories for the better part of the last three decades, and it would be fascinating to see the evolution of LGBT characters in film over that span. It's also instant Oscar bait for those involved, as sexual diversity is a big box check during … Continue reading God’s Not Here, But Your Son Is – Boy Erased
I had a lot of issues with the first entry in the Fantastic Beasts series two years ago, and the latest film sadly exacerbates them. I've been a Harry Potter fan since the first movie came out, and I've watched them and read the books obsessively for the better part of my adult life. This includes … Continue reading Accio My Money Back! – Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
Normally I only care about the Oscars when it comes to Awards Season. I certainly reference the other major ceremonies and union shows because they can portend the results on the Academy's biggest night, but for the most part, I don't really pay that much attention. But now that I'm doing this blog, and we're … Continue reading Independent Spirit Nominees Announced for 2018
In 1992, id Software released Wolfenstein 3D, a computer game that essentially created the first-person shooter genre of modern gaming. In it, an American spy escapes from the titular castle (the game being the third in the Wolfenstein series), shooting his way through Nazi hordes, traversing secret passageways, and ultimately destroying dangerous (fictitious) German military experiments, including an … Continue reading The Closest We’ll Get to a Great Video Game Movie – Overlord
Today is Veterans' Day (or Remembrance/Armistice Day if you're not in the U.S.), otherwise known as 11/11 (make a wish!). And you may think it's waaaaaaay too early for coverage of next year's Academy Awards. And you would be right. But I don't care. It's never too early to get started on the Blitz! If … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2019 – First Submissions Announced!
Dr. Seuss' "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" is a timeless classic of children's literature, and its 1966 TV cartoon adaptation a staple of holiday programming. In fact, for any of us over the age of 20, it's likely that the book and the TV special are the core exposures we've had to the story. It's … Continue reading How Illumination Stole Christmas – The Grinch
Melissa McCarthy has always been a frustrating figure for me. She's a brilliant comic actress and an insanely talented writer. When she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her work in the hilarious Bridesmaids, I even briefly held out hope that the Academy might finally give comedy its due. But unfortunately, ever since she made … Continue reading Yes, But Only if You Keep Doing This Stuff – Can You Ever Forgive Me?
I'll fully admit that I was a bit biased going into the new Queen/Freddie Mercury biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody, as I've been a fan of Queen my entire life. While they may not be the greatest band of all time, they are arguably the most artistic, bending genre and convention to their collective whim, and coming up … Continue reading Mercury Rises to the Pantheon of 2018 Cinema – Bohemian Rhapsody
The original Halloween, which debuted 40 years ago, is one of the greatest horror movies of all time, and it's certainly the best of the slasher subgenre. Director John Carpenter created a seminal character and film using the barest of elements, including a minimalist keyboard theme that still creeps me out to this day, and of … Continue reading Kenny Powers Delivers a Villain About As Scary as Austin Powers – Halloween
First off, my apologies for not posting these past few weeks. As previously mentioned, I was on a work assignment that took up an inordinate amount of time. As such, I have a bit of catching up to do, which is why the first review back is for a film that debuted three weeks ago. Bad … Continue reading Not Quite Jackie, Not Quite Bill, but Definitely Not Cheesy – Bad Times at the El Royale
I Actually Paid To See This 