The Marvel Cinematic Universe began as an ambitious experiment in shared worldbuilding, a multi-year gamble that could have gone bust at any moment. The idea of creating a massive overarching narrative that allowed for cross-pollination, cameos, and a climactic showdown of dozens of superheroes was completely unheard of, and the fact that the entire plan … Continue reading Make Me Lose Control – Deadpool & Wolverine
Happy birthday, America! Or rather, Happy Barbecue and Fireworks Day, as the Supreme Court decided three days ago to essentially kill the republic by declaring the former President a monarch unaccountable to the law. Hey, we had almost 248 years. It was a good run. In that spirit, I have decided that for this month's … Continue reading This Film is Not Yet Watchable – July 2024
I like to think that, overall, 2022 was a better year than 2021. There were some down moments, to be sure - Billie Eilish won an Oscar before Lin-Manuel Miranda, I had to move my mother into hospice, Republicans retook the House, basically every celebrity we still cared about died, AMC charged us more money … Continue reading The Best (and Worst) of 2022
Florian Zeller shocked the world two years ago with the cinematic adaptation of his stage play, The Father. Through clever editing, poignant dialogue, masterful set design, and incredible performances from Olivia Colman and Anthony Hopkins (the latter winning the Oscar for Best Actor), the film presented dementia in the starkest terms ever seen on screen. … Continue reading Severe Daddy Issues – The Son
Laika Studios now have five feature films under their collective belt when it comes to stop-motion animation. The previous four (Coraline, ParaNorman, Box Trolls, and Kubo and the Two Strings) were all nominated for the Oscar for Animated Feature, and rightfully so. In addition to eye-popping animation and visual effects that continually breathe new life into a format … Continue reading Lighter Than Normal Laika Fare, But No Less Dazzling – Missing Link
The screenwriting categories are among my favorites, y'know, being a writer and all. And there's an interesting dichotomy in results between the Original and Adapted Screenplay awards. Since 2000, half of the Adapted Screenplay winners have gone on to win Best Picture. Conversely, only five Original Screenplay winners have won the top prize in that … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2018 – Adapted Screenplay
I Actually Paid To See This 