Last year, Baz Luhrmann's Elvis became quite the hit, receiving several Oscar nominations and taking in nearly $300 million at the box office. The film attempted to show the whirlwind of money, music, and mischief that made up Elvis Presley's existence, filtered through Luhrmann's hyperactive and bombastic style. I was, to say the least, not … Continue reading Doll Parts – Priscilla
American audiences are more than aware of the threat that Kim Jong-un represents as the dictator of North Korea. We lived through the presidency of Donald Trump, where the first year or so was spent antagonizing the "Dear Leader" of the nuclear-armed regime, all but daring him to attack us, before cozying up to the … Continue reading The Escape Plan – Beyond Utopia
To say that there is social discord in the world is to make the understatement of the moment. Two hot wars are going on in Israel and Ukraine, authoritarianism is on the ascent, and this week the former President of this country - who is facing over 90 felony counts across four jurisdictions along with … Continue reading Family Therapy – Four Daughters
It's been a long time since we've had a truly great movie set at Christmastime that can be viewed as both a holiday treat and something to enjoy the rest of the year. A large part of that is due to the over-commercialization of the season, obviously. Year in and year out we get an … Continue reading A Roman Holiday – The Holdovers
On this week's episode of No Rest for the Weekend, Jason Godbey and I discussed some of the entries from this year's New York and Mill Valley Film Festivals. One of them is the upcoming animated film, They Shot the Piano Player, which explores the life of a jazz pianist who became collateral damage during … Continue reading I Can See the Music – Blue Giant
I've mentioned this a couple of times before, especially in recent weeks. For the most part, I am perfectly fine with long movies. I would appreciate it if Hollywood, or individual theatres and chains, could get back into the habit of using regular intermissions for anything over 150 minutes, but that's just a personal preference … Continue reading The Real Theft is of Your Time – The Delinquents
Martin Scorsese is the greatest living film director on the planet, and possibly the best of all time. I know it, you know it, gestating fetuses know it. He made his bones telling crime stories like Goodfellas, but his ability to take on basically any genre and turn it into gold is what makes his … Continue reading Blood for Oil – Killers of the Flower Moon
There's a moment in Dicks: The Musical (which was my "Redemption Reel" for September but I only got a chance to see it this past weekend thanks to two late delays in release) where you realize that just like Larry Charles' previous work (Borat, The Dictator, Religulous, etc.), absolutely nothing will be sacred, anything is … Continue reading Toxic Theatricality – Dicks: The Musical
Have you ever been on a date and wondered what the other person's thinking? Have you ever watched a rom-com and pondered what it is that women truly want? Have you ever asked obvious questions? Then have I got the film for you! In all seriousness, it's a legitimate issue that tons of people have … Continue reading Hearts and Minds – My Love Affair with Marriage
The Cannes Film Festival is arguably the most prestigious in the entire world. Filmmakers, artists, and academics from all over the globe attend the annual competition, capped off with the Palme d'Or as the top honor. Some of the greatest films of all time have claimed the prize, as well as some controversial picks over … Continue reading Make Up Your Mind – Anatomy of a Fall
I Actually Paid To See This 