There's a common phrase in the entertainment industry that you may or may not have heard before. I've used it a couple of times in this space, though I've never really done a deep dive on the concept or anything. It's called "Development Hell." It's when a project is passed through so many creative hands … Continue reading Slop – Animal Farm
Thirty years ago, the movie Michael was released. It was a shmaltzy bit of 90s tripe where John Travolta played a chainsmoking archangel who somehow taught a struggling country singer and a tabloid journalist how to love. Also, there was some bullshit with Bob Hoskins and a dog. It was pure, distilled 90s that was … Continue reading Sham On! – Michael
After the massive commercial success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie three years ago, a sequel was a guarantee, and with Nintendo's massive marketing machine behind the follow-up, it was impossible that The Super Mario Galaxy Movie wouldn't also be a smash hit. However, just like its predecessor, the critical response is miles away from … Continue reading Plug and Play – The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
There are a lot of reasons why The Martian was one of my favorite films of 2015, and why it ranks in my top five for the entire decade of the 2010s. It's smart, funny, visually spellbinding, and in one of the greatest miracles in cinema history, it made math actually seem cool. When Matt … Continue reading Yo Adrian! – Project Hail Mary
What's the opposite of a perfect storm? Whatever it is, I think that's what describes the circumstances surrounding the final two films from 2025 that I have yet to review, at least in this space. Usually I try to review something pretty much as soon as I see it, within 48 hours if I can … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – Womp Womp
We're a week away from the Oscars, and starting tomorrow, the Blitz enters the home stretch. Even though I published my first new review of the year yesterday, I still have five more films from 2025 left to cover. Two of them I'll hold until Saturday, as they kind of fit into their own separate … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – So Much Blitzing, Part 4
I will fully admit, I did not have high hopes for Pixar's latest feature, Hoppers. It was coming out in early March, which is a very iffy statement for the studio's confidence in the quality. The trailers were not encouraging, at times making the film seem like an updated version of the unwatchable G-Force, and … Continue reading Nice Beaver! – Hoppers
An odd thought occurred to me today. We're fully two months into 2026, and I still haven't seen a "new" movie yet this year. Sure, I've taken in a bunch as part of the Blitz, but nothing for the official 2026 canon yet. And I'm still working my way through the review backlog, with nine … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – So Much Blitzing, Part 3
As we get closer and closer to Oscar Night, there are moments when we take stock of the year that was in cinema as a whole. So much is ignored when it comes to Awards Season, so it's often difficult to remember and recognize the quality - or lack thereof - when truly assessing the … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – So Much Blitzing, Part 2
I do my best each year to see as many movies as possible, with a particular igniting of the proverbial afterburners as we get closer to Oscar season. I know I'll never have full feature completion by the time nominations come out and the Blitz begins, but most of the time I come within a … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – So Much Blitzing, Part 1
I Actually Paid To See This 