One of the more tragic things that's happened in recent cinema history is the decline of Clint Eastwood. One of the greatest actors and filmmakers of all time has sadly receded into a parody of himself, figuratively becoming the old man who yells at kids to get off his lawn after literally playing that figure … Continue reading There is a Bomb at Your Local Cinema; It Lasts 129 Minutes – Richard Jewell
The death penalty is always a touchy subject in this country, mostly because of deep-rooted biases in the states that still practice it. It isn't exactly racial bias, or a bias towards justice, or deference for law enforcement. There's no one, singular cause that the capital crowd fights for, but whatever their motivations, the issue … Continue reading Innocent Lives Matter – Just Mercy
Adam Sandler is obviously best known for his decades' worth of roles as an immature man-child, be it in goofball comedies with varying levels of success and quality (I'll swear by Billy Madison until my dying day, even though I know it's about as juvenile as all get out), or in something a little more … Continue reading This is How You Win – Uncut Gems
Tonight we continue with our look at the "Netflix 6," the six major releases that Netflix has staggered out over the course of the fall, both in theatres and on their streaming service, in an aggressive bid for next year's Academy Awards. Last year they nearly grabbed the proverbial brass ring with Roma, scoring the most … Continue reading DownStream – Netflix and Shill, Part 2
I've intentionally held off on this review for a week. For one thing, it's not like anything I say here will encourage or prevent anyone from seeing this movie. Star Wars is an international institution, and has been for almost 45 years. Even with franchise fatigue thanks to Disney not leaving well enough alone, there's no … Continue reading Attack of the Return of the Revenge of the Last Empire Phantom Hope that Awakens – Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Four years ago, Mark Ruffalo earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his work in Best Picture winner, Spotlight. In Tom McCarthy's brilliant procedural, Ruffalo was part of a team of journalists who helped to expose the Catholic Church and its calculated cover-up of sexual assault against children. Ruffalo's passionate performance, coupled with the … Continue reading Mark Ruffalo Takes the Spotlight to Expose More Cover-ups – Dark Waters
In the trailers for Queen & Slim, the feature directorial debut for Melina Matsoukas (known for music videos until now), a character known as Uncle Earl (Bokeem Woodbine) refers to the two title characters as "The Black Bonnie & Clyde," a reference to the couple being on the run from the law. However, there's a big … Continue reading The Long Arm of Murphy’s Law – Queen & Slim
I'm really running low on "doc" puns at this point. Anyway, tomorrow the Academy announces its shortlists for several categories outside the main ballot, including Documentary Feature. Since the list of submissions was announced, I've tried to find time to view as many that are available as possible. Sadly, at the moment I'm working two … Continue reading DownStream – Doc Around the Clock
At last we come to the end of our animated adventure. In this column I'll break down four more entries for next year's Oscar for Best Animated Feature. A grand total of 32 films were submitted, and I tracked down as many as I could, to the point that I've now seen 20 of the … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts: Toontown, Part 3
Shia LaBeouf has definitely earned himself some career rehabilitation this year. The first step was his absolutely wonderful performance with Zack Gottsagen in The Peanut Butter Falcon back in August. Now, he's followed it up with one of the best examples of art therapy in recent memory with Honey Boy. Written by LaBeouf and directed by … Continue reading Like Father, Like Shia – Honey Boy
I Actually Paid To See This 