The Academy Award nominations are just under a week away, and as the final preview, we now have the list of contenders for the major Hollywood labor unions and the British Film Academy! There's a lot to sift through, and as the results trickle in over the next few weeks, we'll get a lot of … Continue reading Unions, Jack! – BAFTA and Guild Nominations Announced!
In my review of Richard Jewell, I mentioned that the Atlanta Journal-Constitution demanded the film contain a disclaimer that the events and characters within were mostly imagined for dramatic purposes, due to the film's harsh, sexist, ill-conceived, and almost certainly fabricated depiction of Kathy Scruggs, who's been dead nearly 20 years and has no way of … Continue reading The Existence of a Villain Does Not Make Heroes – Bombshell
I'm on record as very much NOT being a fan of the Golden Globes. The nomination process is a sham that borders on bribery, the entire ceremony is a glorified cocktail party so less than 100 journalists can rub elbows with celebrities and pretend they're part of the creative process, and the whole affair is … Continue reading Hey Netflix, Your Check Bounced – 77th Golden Globe Winners Revealed!
I've noted in this space multiple times that I do not care for remakes and reboots, because more often than not, they're just cynical cash grabs by the studios, taking advantage of an audience that doesn't care to notice. Every once in a great while I do enjoy them, though, and will watch them with … Continue reading Even the Saddest Moments Can Spark Joy – Little Women
The balls have dropped, my friends! And while I still have a huge backlog of reviews to do (plus year/decade retrospectives and upcoming Oscar coverage), you didn't seriously think I'd forget to put on my Hater O'Haterly hat for our monthly slog through shit, did you? Of course I can't let this slip away. January … Continue reading This Film is Not Yet Watchable – January 2020
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
I Actually Paid To See This 