I love a good revenge fantasy. When done properly, it can produce righteous rage at the issue at hand, pulse-pounding thrills as the wish fulfillment is choreographed, and a sense of catharsis through the voyeuristic lens of the execution. When done poorly, it can simply come off as gratuitous. More often than not, Emerald Fennell … Continue reading The Doctor is Sin – Promising Young Woman
Taiwan's entry for the Academy Awards, A Sun (literal translation from Mandarin is Sunshine Illuminates Everything) is an interesting attempt at a poetic tale of a fractured family plagued by karmic tragedy. Directed and co-written by Chung Mong-hong, the film won the top prize at the Golden Horse Awards, which is the Chinese diaspora equivalent … Continue reading Throwing Shade – A Sun
Like the Simpsons episode that bears that title, you will not find this review on Disney+. I felt the need to do one super lame joke because by the time I was done watching The Father, I was desperate for any degree of humor. Directed and co-written by Florian Zeller adapting his own stage play, … Continue reading Stark Raving Dad – The Father
It's strange how in certain years, a slate of films can have a degree of connectivity that is rarely intended, but often fascinating. This is one of those years, as a good amount of the prestige fare has dealt with the American Civil Rights movement in one form or another. Two particular films made references … Continue reading The Passion of the Panther – Judas and the Black Messiah
The beauty of storytelling is its ability to transport someone to another place, another world, without moving from one's seat. And more than any other artform, it has shaped the destiny and progress of humanity. From the ancient epics to oral histories to the written word to music to the visual media of television, film, … Continue reading The Blood Moon Rises Once Again – Night of the Kings
It's always fun to fantasize about what the various greats in a wide array of fields would say to one another if they ever met. It's a great hypothetical that can be applied to just about any aspect of society or the arts. What kind of a conversation could have taken place had Dr. Martin … Continue reading Oh What a Night! – One Night in Miami…
I hope that's the worst joke you read/hear today. Five years ago, the first Shaun the Sheep Movie was nominated for Animated Feature at the Oscars, eventually losing to Inside Out. I had never seen the TV show before, but I was familiar with the world of Nick Park and the charming British claymation style. … Continue reading It’s Not Baaaaaaad – A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon
I apologize profusely for the headline reference. Anyway, one of the big contenders this Awards Season is at last available to be seen by the public, after it's scraped up a bunch of Golden Globe, Independent Spirit, and other nominations. Written, directed, produced, and edited by Chloé Zhao (The Rider), Nomadland has finally been released … Continue reading Life is a Highway – Nomadland
While Disney and Pixar will always get the largest heaps of praise when it comes to American cinematic animation, Japan's Studio Ghibli stands as an ever-constant reminder that the rest of the world exists, and can always compete with the best of them. From lighthearted children's fare like My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service … Continue reading Ghibli Enters the Third Dimension – Earwig and the Witch
The shortlists for this year's Academy Awards were released just over a week ago, which means I'm already in prime mode, trying to clear off as many potential nominees as possible before the official finalists are declared in just about four weeks' time. As ever, that includes the goal of clearing the shortlist for Documentary … Continue reading DownStream – Doc Stuffin’
