Across the Iron Curtain and Between the Sheets – Cold War

Three years ago, Polish director Pawel Pawlikowski won the Oscar for Foreign Language for his film, Ida, about a Catholic nun who wants to experience sexual relations before officially taking her vows, and who learns from her only living relative that her parents were actually Jewish. In keeping with the mid-20th century European aesthetic, the film … Continue reading Across the Iron Curtain and Between the Sheets – Cold War →

Shit Shittery, Shit Shittery, Shit Shit Shitty – Mary Poppins Returns

Let's get the main point out of the way first. By rights, this movie shouldn't even exist. As much as we all loved the original Mary Poppins film from 1964, as much as it informed our youths, the author of the books, P.L. Travers utterly hated the adaptation of her source material, to the point that … Continue reading Shit Shittery, Shit Shittery, Shit Shit Shitty – Mary Poppins Returns →

Hell is for Children – Capernaum

Last year, Lebanon earned an Oscar nomination in the Foreign Language category for the courtroom drama, The Insult, which depicted toxic masculinity against the backdrop of sectarian violence. Now, a year later, acclaimed writer and director Nadine Labaki makes a strong case for consecutive nominations with Capernaum (derived from the Arabic word for "chaos"), another intense drama … Continue reading Hell is for Children – Capernaum →

It Would Say, “See This Brilliant Movie!” – If Beale Street Could Talk

In his relatively short career, director Barry Jenkins has already proven himself a master of the artistic craft of filmmaking. Despite the snafu at the Oscars last year, he earned all the accolades for Moonlight, including a well-deserved win for Best Picture (I voted for La La Land, but I was still quite happy with the result). … Continue reading It Would Say, “See This Brilliant Movie!” – If Beale Street Could Talk →

Back Row Thoughts: Chillin’ with Netflix

As Awards Season kicks itself into high gear, there's an overwhelming glut of movies to watch, especially now, in the age of streaming services. Filmmakers and content creators from all over the world have more outlets than ever to get their work to the masses, and into consideration for the industry's highest honors. It's in … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts: Chillin’ with Netflix →

Trippy, Hilarious, and Surprisingly Heartfelt – Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Sony has owned the cinematic rights to Spider-Man since the turn of the century, and through its usage, we've gotten some pretty decent movies. I still love the Tobey Maguire trilogy and am more forgiving than most when it comes to Spider-Man 3 (it sucked, but it still had heart). But over the last decade, they've … Continue reading Trippy, Hilarious, and Surprisingly Heartfelt – Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse →

Short and Sweet: 91st Academy Awards Shortlists Announced!

For the first time ever, the Academy has revealed the shortlists for nine different categories all at the same time. Typically, this process is doled out over a few weeks to give each category a moment in the spotlight, but for our purposes, it's way more convenient. As ever, I will link to whatever reviews … Continue reading Short and Sweet: 91st Academy Awards Shortlists Announced! →