Back in May, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences unveiled their rule changes for next year's Oscars. Apart from a few cosmetic changes, like renaming the Documentary categories ever so slightly, the major news is that the eligibility guidelines are close to fully reverting back to their original, pre-pandemic state. No longer will … Continue reading DownStream – Spring Cleaning
There are many things about the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe entry, Thor: Love and Thunder, that made me feel justified in my declaration earlier this year that I was emotionally checked out of the franchise. After the horrid insult that was Eternals and the active punishment delivered by Multiverse of Madness, I was down to … Continue reading The Rebound – Thor: Love and Thunder
As I mentioned in this month's edition of "The Worst Trailer in the World" (currently hovering around 5,000 views; seriously, I love you all!), I really liked the original Despicable Me film. I enjoyed the idea of a villain learning to see the good in himself and apply that to other people once he became … Continue reading Despicable Pre – Minions: The Rise of Gru
I've been a fan of Jenny Slate for a long time. She's a tremendous actress, one of the funniest comedians in the world, and an almost unequaled voice talent. In particular, her work on Bob's Burgers, The Great North, and Big Mouth is just astounding. She has an almost unparalleled ability to breathe life into … Continue reading Great Thing in a Small Package – Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
Baz Luhrmann has directed six feature films over the course of his career to date. Of the previous five, the only one I really enjoyed was Romeo + Juliet, mostly because it was a novel concept at the time to put a modern spin on Shakespeare, blending the dialogue with a 20th Century backdrop. It … Continue reading A Hero to Most – Elvis
Scott Derrickson is a fairly accomplished filmmaker, spending the better part of the last 20 years establishing some serious credibility in the realm of horror. Between the Sinister series, Deliver Us From Evil, and The Exorcism of Emily Rose, the man knows how to reach fans of the genre. Curiously, though, his success led to … Continue reading It’s For You – The Black Phone
I'd say it's kind of hard to believe that we're already halfway through the year, but I understand how calendars work, so it's not like it's a surprise or anything. That said, the last several weeks have been exceedingly busy, so it does feel like time has flowed a bit faster than normal, especially when … Continue reading This Film is Not Yet Watchable – July 2022
Remember how earlier this month I was advocating for a cinematic universe of quirky, daft, lovable British disruptors? First we had The Duke, then The Phantom of the Open. Now we can add Brian and Charles to the list. Seriously, let's keep going with this. It's infinitely more clever and enjoyable than anything Marvel or … Continue reading My, Robot – Brian and Charles
Two weeks ago, I finally righted a wrong. There are very few regrets I have in my life, especially when it comes to movies. Even the worst films imaginable don't truly elicit a feeling of remorse or shame. But 29 years ago, I had one of those rare moments. I've mentioned this offhandedly before, but … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts: Everything is Correctable
Last year, I noted in my review of The Last Duel that a lot of goodwill in that film was squandered by an inappropriately manipulative bit of on-screen text. In that particular case, a story that delved into the nuance of personal perspective when it came to a serious crime that led to a duel … Continue reading Toy’s Story – Lightyear
I Actually Paid To See This 