The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unfathomable effect on every aspect of our lives, and for one out of every 1,000 Americans, ended them entirely. In the much less significant arena of cinema, the pandemic disrupted the entire business model of the studio and theatre system, perhaps permanently. One of the biggest consequences of this … Continue reading Put My Thing Down, Flip It, and Reverse It – Tenet
The hardest love stories to tell are the ones that happen after the fall. It's so easy to show people finding one another and getting that triumphant moment of romance or familial rapport. But what happens once those relationships become routine, when one settles down and settles in for the long haul? That is the … Continue reading A Smooth Story with a Neat Relationship – On the Rocks
Much like Laika Studios, Irish animation house Cartoon Saloon has a small catalog of films, but each of them has been extraordinary in their own way, such that each of its previous products - The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, and The Breadwinner, have all been nominated for the Oscar for Animated Feature. … Continue reading Ah-hooo, Werewolves of Ireland – Wolfwalkers
A couple years ago, I worked on a game show called Mental Samurai. The basic premise of the show was to challenge the mental acuity of our contestants by asking them to solve 12 puzzles or trivia questions in the span of five minutes to win a decent chunk of money. The crux of the … Continue reading A Deadly Formula – Ava
WARNING: THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILER INFORMATION With very few exceptions, I go in to every film I watch hoping it will be good. I want to enjoy myself, as does anyone else watching a movie. No one really forks over their money with the intent of hating it, except in extreme cases like Cats … Continue reading It’s Shit, Sherlock – Enola Holmes
If you're a fan (or detractor) of the works of Aaron Sorkin, you know he keeps to some pretty well-established patterns. Call them trademarks or tropes depending on how much you like them. But throughout his career, both as a writer and director, you can always see his earmarks. His scripts are often witty, dialogue-heavy, … Continue reading The Newsroom, er, Courtroom – The Trial of the Chicago 7
By all accounts, Citizen Kane is one of the greatest films of all time, if not the greatest. Twice the American Film Institute has named it #1 on their list of the 100 best films. It's on numerous "best of" lists from renowned film critics. It's one of only three films to have a perfect … Continue reading Pay All Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain – Mank
For the longest time, it was a tradition in my family to avoid the massive crowds at the malls and stores during Black Friday, and instead take in a movie, typically one more tame than usual. We liked to go for a more family-friendly vibe in hopes that everyone could find something to enjoy, especially … Continue reading The Treacle Has Landed – Over the Moon
We come to it at last. After months upon months of theatres being shuttered to the point that there's no realistic hope of reopening this year (at least in Los Angeles), I've come to the end of my 2020 catch-up. There is still a plethora of documentaries to sort through, and I'll get to that … Continue reading DownStream – The Summer’s Gone
If you've followed this blog since its inception, and even if you haven't, you might well be aware that I have a personal rule regarding cinematic remakes. With very few exceptions, the basic line is, "fuck those cynical cash grab pieces of shit." However, there are times when even I'll violate my longstanding procedure, and … Continue reading DownStream – Halloweenies
I Actually Paid To See This 