When I was seven years old, the relatively new Disney Channel came out with a made-for-TV movie called Chips, the War Dog, about a German Shepherd who served in WWII alongside human companions. I loved the movie so much that when I finally got my first dog later that year (a beagle mix), I named it … Continue reading A Very Good Boy Fights the Very Good Fight – Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero
As Apollo 11 was heading towards history on the Moon, there was a terrible tragedy on the island of Chappaquiddick, in which Senator Ted Kennedy flipped his car off a small bridge with no railing, and into a pond. He escaped. His passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne, did not. For whatever reason, Kennedy didn't report the … Continue reading When You Pahk Yer Cahr at the Bahttom of a Pahnd – Chappaquiddick
I'm not even going to bother with the pretense of comparing Big Fish & Begonia - a Chinese animated film from 2016 finally being released in America thanks to Funimation - to the works of Studio Ghibli. It's not exactly a fair thing to do, as China is still relatively new to the animation game, and … Continue reading China Dives Head First Into a Sea of Animated Wonders – Big Fish & Begonia
Judd Apatow technically only gets a Special Thanks credit on the parent/teenager sex romp comedy, Blockers (illustrated with a chicken before the word in case you needed something to slap you across the face), but his fingerprints are all over it. The film is produced in part by Seth Rogen, there are dick jokes to beat … Continue reading Hugs, Drugs, and Butt Chugs – Blockers
You know it's an odd weekend when you have consecutive films that rely heavily on the sound designers to make them succeed. Whereas You Were Never Really Here assaulted and bombarded the audience with a cacophony of chaotic noise to show us just how tormented Joaquin Phoenix's character was, here in John Krasinski's A Quiet Place, silence … Continue reading Silence is Golden, Blood is Red – A Quiet Place
Written and directed by Lynne Ramsay (best known for We Need to Talk About Kevin), the harsh and traumatic You Were Never Really Here was one of the darlings of last year's Cannes Film Festival, where it earned a seven-minute standing ovation after its premiere (in an unfinished state), as well as Best Screenplay honors for Ramsay … Continue reading Phoenix Rises to Lay Some Devastating Smackdowns – You Were Never Really Here
Over the past year I've watched a lot of documentaries, mostly to get ahead of the Oscars whenever I got the chance. Even then I only saw 14 of the 15 shortlisted films (the last one comes out on DVD this week!). Anyway, the bulk of the docs were filled with some pretty heavy material: … Continue reading He’s a Fiddler and a Goof – Itzhak
Okay, right off the bat I feel I have to give away a major spoiler for Steven Spielberg's latest film, Ready Player One, based on Ernest Cline's best-selling novel (Cline also co-wrote the screenplay). Don't worry, I'm not telling you how it ends, just how it doesn't end. You see, it's a sci-fi film from Spielberg, but … Continue reading Future Gamers Go on a Cinematic Speed Run – Ready Player One
The films of Wes Anderson have been sort of hit and miss for me. I absolutely loved The Grand Budapest Hotel, and thought it should have won Best Picture. I got Rushmore, but apart from the lead performances, it really didn't resonate. I couldn't stand The Royal Tenenbaums. I enjoy his artistic style and snappy dialogue, but sometimes … Continue reading If I Had a Tail, it Would Wag the Whole Time – Isle of Dogs
In his 1994 debut, Clerks, writer-director-actor-my hero Kevin Smith started his most famous running gag. During a frank discussion about sex, Dante Hicks and his girlfriend Veronica have a fight because Veronica claims a moral high ground, as she's only had sex with three men as opposed to Dante's 12 women. However, the punchline is that … Continue reading Kevin Smith’s Signature Joke Becomes a Movie Premise – Flower
I Actually Paid To See This 