When the first Sonic the Hedgehog movie came out just over two years ago, a lot of flaws were forgiven because Paramount as a studio engendered a ton of goodwill by listening to fan reactions to the film's first teasers and delaying its release in order to fix Sonic's nightmare fuel design. The final product … Continue reading Power Bump – Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Normally I try to put out a review within 24-48 hours of seeing a movie. Sometimes my schedule gets in the way, but more often than not, I want to critique something while it's still fresh in my mind. That was not possible in this case. It's not that Everything Everywhere All at Once didn't … Continue reading Embrace the Chaos – Everything Everywhere All at Once
Going over the film trailers for the April edition of TFINYW, one jumped out to me so strongly that I just had to include it as this month's "Redemption Reel." Written and directed by Richard Linklater, Apollo 10 1/2 had that wonderfully odd, imaginative charm that has been at the forefront of Linklater's best films, … Continue reading A Moon Age Daydream – Apollo 10 1/2
Back in February, I named Studio 666, a new film by the vanguards of rock, Foo Fighters, as my "Redemption Reel" for that month's edition of "This Film is Not Yet Watchable." However, between my work and the Oscar Blitz, I wasn't able to get around to actually seeing it during its limited theatrical run. … Continue reading Dave’s Not Here, Man – Studio 666
In 2014, Graham Moore was relatively unknown. A novelist and writer for the short-lived TV spinoff of 10 Things I Hate About You, Moore garnered some attention a couple of years before for writing a screenplay adapted from a biography of Alan Turing, one of the pioneers of computer programming. That script eventually became The … Continue reading Pulling the Thread – The Outfit
Well folks, the last major hurdle of this year's Oscar Blitz is complete. With the viewing of Great Freedom last week, all films to view in and around the ceremony have been seen. I can officially close the book on the 2021 cinematic canon. We've still got two more weeks left of Oscar coverage, of … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – And the Rest… of the Blitz
Earlier this month, I took the rare step of including Pixar's latest movie, Turning Red, in the monthly "This Film is Not Yet Watchable" column. That almost seems like tempting the cinema gods, right? Saying that a trailer for a Pixar project looks bad? Pixar, the studio that's only had maybe three misfires outside of … Continue reading Panda Express Yourself – Turning Red
Well, everyone, mission accomplished. With the successful viewing of Austria's Oscar submission, Great Freedom, which opened in American cinemas this weekend, I have finally achieved a goal I've been trying to manage for several years. With this final entry in 2021's canon, I have watched the entirety of the Academy's 15-film shortlist for International Feature! … Continue reading The Brokeback Redemption, er, I Mean, Shawshank Mountain – Great Freedom
If you were to tell me in a vacuum that Robert Pattinson, Colin Farrell, Jeffrey Wright, and Paul Dano would be starring in a new movie directed by Matt Reeves, I would imagine that you'd be describing a cerebral, artsy exploration of the human condition through a distinctly animalistic lens. After all, ever since he … Continue reading The Knight is Still Young – The Batman
No Oscars category breakdown today, but I still have several films to add to the official 2021 canon with reviews before the process is truly complete. In a previous installment of "Back Row Thoughts," we looked at three movies where their leads were nominated for Best Actress. So why not continue recapping highlighted films that … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – The Make-Up Makeup Blitz
I Actually Paid To See This 