Things tend to get hectic this time of year. We're firmly into Awards Season, with the various studios all jockeying for position as they campaign to the Academy and outright bribe the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. The International Feature entries start seeping into theatres, both independent and mainstream. As the holidays approach, there's an absolute … Continue reading This Film is Not Yet Watchable – November 2022
The coming-of-age film is certainly nothing new. It's a well-worn bit of storytelling that can very easily fall into the trappings of cliché, but depending on your sensibilities, even the most tired moments can work because they ring true for the audience either hitting that point in their lives or reminiscing about bygone eras. Even … Continue reading I’m Gonna Run to You – Licorice Pizza
As I mentioned in the July edition of TFINYW, this has been a relatively weak year for animation so far. We've got one genuine hit in The Mitchells vs. the Machines and a passable-to-decent Disney outing in Raya and the Last Dragon, which has gorgeous artwork but a very subpar script. Meanwhile, we've had to … Continue reading Sleeping with the Fishes – Luca
If you're a follower of this blog, you've probably read a review or two where I criticized a film for not going far enough with its premise. Sometimes it's a prestige film that pulls it punches, and sometimes it's more escapist popcorn fare that only goes crazy in the dumbest ways rather than entertaining ones. … Continue reading iLoveIt – The Mitchells vs. The Machines
This week, AMC theatres began opening again at various locations nationwide, with more scheduled to open next week. Regal is also back, as is Alamo Drafthouse. To those of you who are now able to go back to the cinema, I congratulate you, and beg you to be as safe as possible when you do. … Continue reading DownStream – April Showers
The first Lego Movie was one of the most unique moments in modern cinema history. It was an absolutely shameless bit of corporate synergy that at the same time was a visual marvel filled with laughs, amazing animation, and an emotional gut punch of an ending that was surprisingly profound, taking us out of the animated … Continue reading Everything is Not Quite Awesome, But Still Pretty Fun – The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part
The debut feature from Henson Alternative, a new division of the Jim Henson Company specializing in adult content, The Happytime Murders was sold to viewers on the promise of a hard-nosed police buddy comedy that pulled no punches when it came to the raunchy and ribald nature of its humor. We even had Hollywood storybook moments … Continue reading Literally Coming to a Theatre Near You – The Happytime Murders
I Actually Paid To See This 