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
If there's a positive way to spin the events of this year to date, it would be to consider 2025 to be about facing new challenges and persevering. After 13 months without work, I have today completed my training period for my new job, and the powers that be have decided to keep me on. … Continue reading This Film Is Not Yet Watchable – October 2025
When I was a kid, I did my best to learn as much as possible about everything I could. My grandmother even had a full set of Encyclopedia Americana that I pored over from time to time. I took the old slogan of "knowledge is power" to heart. But I also remained blissfully unaware of … Continue reading Hail St. Nick! – One Battle After Another
I Actually Paid To See This 