My final film of calendar year 2018, Vice, presents a unique opportunity. Written and directed by Adam McKay, it provides another chance for McKay's rapier wit in explaining how the elite grab hold of the seats of power and fuck over the rest of us. He did it two years ago with The Big Short, and now … Continue reading What a Dick! – Vice
There are 15 films that have been shortlisted for the Documentary Feature Oscar. When the list was announced, I had seen a grand total of three. I have endeavored each of the last two years to see all 15 potential nominees before they're announced at the end of January, as it tends to be a … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – The To-Doc List
In 2010, a documentary called Marwencol chronicled the life and artwork of Mark Hogancamp, an artist from upstate New York who was beaten within an inch of his life because of some sexual personality differences. Unable to draw after his injuries, he instead created a fictional miniature town in his yard, populated by dolls that he … Continue reading Hello Dollies! – Welcome to Marwen
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
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
I've been racking my brain trying to find something to talk about when it comes to the costume drama Mary Queen of Scots, because in all honesty, I found the whole thing rather dull. The best I could come up with was to have fake representation outrage. HOW DARE THIS MOVIE CAST AN AUSTRALIAN AND AN … Continue reading If It’s Not Scottish It’s Crap! – Mary Queen of Scots
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
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
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
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
I Actually Paid To See This 