Have I mentioned yet that there are 35 official entries for Animated Feature this year? Because there are. Thirty-five fucking movies, even though several high-quality films were left off! As of right now, it looks like I'll end up taking in 32 of them, which is far from shabby. I'm just miffed that once again … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – Take Me to Church
As we enter the final days of 2025, the viewing schedule kicks into overdrive. We're just over three weeks from Oscar nominations being announced, and there's still so much to see. Among mainstream contenders, I still need to watch Wicked: For Good, Marty Supreme, Bugonia, F1, and probably Weapons, to say nothing of all the … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – Visa Denied, Part 2
I can honestly say that I didn't intend to do a third installment of this miniseries. I figured the two batches I'd already done would be sufficient to see out the fall months. But then the Academy released the list of accepted films for the Animated Feature contest, and I saw that there were a … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – Animation Autumn-ation, Part 3
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
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
The annual quest to complete the Animated Feature category before it starts is a goal I've come painfully close to achieving for years now. Every time that I've attempted the feat, I've fallen just one or two films shy of totality, usually because a foreign entry only got a one-week Academy qualifying release, and I … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – Ani-Maybe?
Tomorrow is my birthday, so this weekend I decided I would celebrate a little bit by returning to the multiplex. Despite my financial woes, it is still my goal to stay as far ahead of the potential slate for next year's Animated Feature contest as possible. Also, in a bit of good news, I finally … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – Wheel of Four Toons
It's the middle of April, so why in God's name am I already doing batch reviews of animated films? Well, there are a few reasons. First is that I'm already super stoked for next year's Oscars. The Academy will be debuting its new category for Casting, and just to keep aficionados like me super hyped, … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – Animation Mythologization
I Actually Paid To See This 