I've had a very hard time compartmentalizing my thoughts on Wicked Part One, which is the actual title of the film despite the endless dishonest marketing that just called it Wicked as if it was the whole story (including using the line, "Let me tell you the whole story" in the finished movie and trailer), … Continue reading Defying Brevity – Wicked Part One
We come to it at last. After several delays, it's finally time to tackle the disgustingly cynical double feature that studios and influencers tried to dub "Glicked" as a manufactured means to recreate the critical and box office magic that was last summer's "Barbenheimer" battle, but I have taken to calling "GladiWicketor" because a marketing … Continue reading I WAS NOT ENTERTAINED! – Gladiator II
The first Moana film was an undeniable triumph for Disney back in 2016. It featured a cool new heroine, had dazzling animation, featured a ton of great songs from Lin-Manuel Miranda, and gave audiences that alchemical blend of heart and humor that Walt Disney Animation Studios used to churn out with almost effortless regularity. The … Continue reading On the Row Again – Moana 2
Believe it or not, I'm almost all caught up on my review backlog. After this one, which is admittedly six weeks late (I know, I know, I suck), all that remain are the three November tentpole releases and I'm basically current. This is largely because everything I've seen in December up until the last 48 … Continue reading The Pie is a Lie – Heretic
When it comes to organized religion, I know I can be something of a contradiction. I don't particularly believe in the existence of any deity, nor do I approve of people using the construct of faith as a means to denigrate, persecute, or otherwise infringe on the civil and human rights of others. At the … Continue reading Pope Secret – Conclave
One of the challenges of Awards Season is simply keeping up. Between the International, Documentary, and Animation submissions being released, and the eventual shortlists from the Academy (coming next week), just trying to stay organized and on task is its own daunting odyssey at times. It's especially difficult this year, as the vast majority of … Continue reading A Quick Rush – Blitz
I've been sitting on this one for a while, as I saw Nightbitch over a month ago at AFI Fest. The latest effort from writer/director Marielle Heller (Can You Ever Forgive Me? and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood) debuted at Toronto back in early September, and the film made its rounds throughout the festival … Continue reading Doggy Style – Nightbitch
Last week, Oscar completists like myself got the first major announcement about the films vying for next year's prizes, a triad press release from the Academy listing the submissions deemed eligible for Documentary Feature, International Feature, and Animated Feature. As I do every year, I make it my goal to track down and view all … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – Animation Destination
I've always been a fan of Clint Eastwood, both as an actor and as a filmmaker. He's given some of the most electric performances in cinema history, and has directed some all-timers in the likes of Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby, The Outlaw Josey Wales, Letters from Iwo Jima, and Changeling. However, as he's gotten on … Continue reading Presumed Guilty – Juror #2
Yeah, I know I'm way behind on this one. That's the nature of the beast during Festival Season. I've got quite the backlog to get through, but I promise I'll catch up in time. Anyway, the eighth feature from writer/director Sean Baker (The Florida Project, which I despised, and Red Rocket, which I loved), and … Continue reading After Midnight – Anora
I Actually Paid To See This 