Family Feuds – Shazam! Fury of the Gods

I really liked the first Shazam! movie from a few years ago. It was delightfully low stakes, Zachary Levi was tremendous as the titular original Captain Marvel, and honestly it was nice to see one of these superhero movies set in Philadelphia and largely not succumbing to cheap jokes and insults about the City of … Continue reading Family Feuds – Shazam! Fury of the Gods →

Come Slay Away – Death on the Nile

I didn't watch Kenneth Branagh's 2017 remake of Murder on the Orient Express, for two main reasons. One, the original 1974 adaptation by Sidney Lumet is, to me, one of the greatest mystery films ever made, and Albert Finney's performance as Hercule Poirot was absolutely flawless. Two, while I am a fan of Branagh's, the … Continue reading Come Slay Away – Death on the Nile →

This Film is Not Yet Watchable – November 2021

We're in the thick of it now. Awards Season is officially underway, with the first submission deadlines come and gone for next year's Oscars. The studios are making their major moves, planning their releases as well as their For Your Consideration campaigns. In most years, this would also be the point where checks would start … Continue reading This Film is Not Yet Watchable – November 2021 →

The Best (and Worst) of 2020, Way After the Fact

Let's just state the plain and honest truth. 2020 was the shittiest year any of us have experienced. Everything closed, Donald Trump tried to lead an insurrection, and 1 out of every 1,000 Americans died from a virus that could have been mitigated - if not contained - if we had a competent government response … Continue reading The Best (and Worst) of 2020, Way After the Fact →

I Wish for a Better Sequel – Wonder Woman 1984

As I mentioned a couple of days ago with the review of Tenet, the reaction to the so-called "tentpole" films of 2020 was not so great once people got to actually watch the movies without a highly-coordinated marketing campaign in the months leading up. The multiple delays, lack of ad campaigns, and subsequent releases on … Continue reading I Wish for a Better Sequel – Wonder Woman 1984 →

Disney Uses IP to Address the Meaning of Friendship – Ralph Breaks the Internet

In 2012, Wreck-It Ralph was my favorite movie of the year. I knew it only had a chance to be nominated for Animated Feature at the Oscars - which it did, losing out to Brave - but it hit very close to home for me. I was in a pretty dark place at the time (lonely, miserable, self-loathing), … Continue reading Disney Uses IP to Address the Meaning of Friendship – Ralph Breaks the Internet →