In Netflix's never-ending quest to destroy the theatrical film model once and for all, they put forward a lot of movies in hopes of garnering some Academy hardware. In addition to the two International Feature submissions they put their marketing heft behind (Chile's In Her Place and the massively overblown exercise in missing the point … Continue reading DownStream – TUDUM! Part Three – Narrative Features
News flash, I'm a nerd. I know, you're stunned. But yes, I have dabbled in geeky entertainment for pretty much my entire life, and that includes science fiction and being a Trekkie. My all-time favorite episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation is one from Season 2 called "The Measure of a Man." Far and … Continue reading Counter Programming – The Creator
Two thirds of the year is officially in the books, and with the changing of the seasons for the planet comes the changing of the seasons for the multiplex. The Summer Blockbuster period is over, and starting now, we're into Awards Season. Normally this would be kicked off with the Emmy Awards, but the various … Continue reading This Film is Not Yet Watchable – September 2023
There's something to be said for sticking to a successful formula. When certain elements work, it's natural to want to go back to the well and try it again. I totally get that. And there are plenty of filmmakers who've relied on tried and true methods to come up with an entertaining product, be it … Continue reading The Department of Redundancy Department – Amsterdam
The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unfathomable effect on every aspect of our lives, and for one out of every 1,000 Americans, ended them entirely. In the much less significant arena of cinema, the pandemic disrupted the entire business model of the studio and theatre system, perhaps permanently. One of the biggest consequences of this … Continue reading Put My Thing Down, Flip It, and Reverse It – Tenet
I saw 111 new films in 2018 between the theatre and streaming services. Eleventy-one movies, eleventy-one reviews, either stand-alone or in groups. Eleventy-one chances to thrill, to laugh, to cry, and to outright despise. It's been a hell of a run this first year, and we're still not done. There are still plenty of movies … Continue reading The Best (and Worst) of 2018
In the continuing quest to get as much advance knowledge as possible before next year's Oscar Blitz begins, we now have the nominees for the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Like the Golden Globes, they're divided into movies and TV, and we only care about the movie side here. You can find the entire announcement at … Continue reading Insert “Sagging” Joke Here – Screen Actors Guild Nominations Announced!
I hope you enjoyed my weeklong streak of reviews, and if not, I hope you enjoyed the week off you had from my ramblings. I was on vacation, visiting my family in upstate New York, introducing them to my girlfriend, and meeting my newborn nephew. He was due this week, but he came early on … Continue reading Gaga on Dick – Golden Globe Nominees Announced!
Normally I only care about the Oscars when it comes to Awards Season. I certainly reference the other major ceremonies and union shows because they can portend the results on the Academy's biggest night, but for the most part, I don't really pay that much attention. But now that I'm doing this blog, and we're … Continue reading Independent Spirit Nominees Announced for 2018
Reinaldo Marcus Green is a young director and producer, mostly known for shorts and some TV work. His latest, Monsters and Men, marks his feature-length debut, and was screened in competition at the Sundance Film Festival before being commercially released this week. Featuring a cast of mostly unknowns, Green has put out an amazing first feature, … Continue reading Stuck in the Middle with Truth – Monsters and Men
I Actually Paid To See This 