Tomorrow is my birthday, so this weekend I decided I would celebrate a little bit by returning to the multiplex. Despite my financial woes, it is still my goal to stay as far ahead of the potential slate for next year's Animated Feature contest as possible. Also, in a bit of good news, I finally … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – Wheel of Four Toons
Two items of business to address right up front. First, my financial/employment situation has not improved, so as you've no doubt already noticed, coverage of new movies is down severely at this point, and will likely continue for the foreseeable future. I've only reviewed one film for July, and I have one more in the … Continue reading This Film Is Not Yet Watchable – August 2025
It's been said time and time again that great writers simply write what they know. If we extend the old adage to screenwriter Jason Fuchs, who penned Matthew Vaughn's latest, Argylle, then we're left to assume that all he knows is spy movie clichés. At minimum the basic ideas of "plot" and "character" may be … Continue reading Kitty Litter – Argylle
It's appropriate that I write this today on Groundhog Day. I mean, what could be more appropriate for a column such as this? It's a day where idiots cheer for the nonsensical prognostication abilities of a rodent, and in film form it's a day of torture for a guy named Bill. I mean, that's this … Continue reading This Film is Not Yet Watchable – February 2024
Less than two weeks ago, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences officially released their lists of eligible films in three specialty categories, including Animated Feature, which had a bit of controversy in the run-up. Movies like Marcel the Shell with Shoes On and Eternal Spring were initially going to be left out due … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – Animation Nomination, Part 1
There's a fine line to walk when a writer - and by extension a film - makes light of tropes and genre clichés. When done properly, it can lead to grand satires and parodies, most notably the likes of Airplane!, Hot Fuzz, and most recently, Knives Out. However, when executed poorly or haphazardly, like in … Continue reading There’s No Mystery Here – See How They Run
We're officially 1/4 of the way through the year! WOO! I guess. Anyway, now that the Oscar Blitz is complete and the book has been fully closed on 2021 (the Razzies even recanted their "prize" to Bruce Willis after he announced he had aphasia - but weirdly they didn't take back their "Redeemer" award for … Continue reading This Film is Not Yet Watchable – April 2022
The official Blitz starts tomorrow with a breakdown of the Documentary Feature category. However, we still have a few more movies to watch to actually be able to complete coverage. A couple days ago I posted Part 1 of this nine film mini-marathon, and now it's time for Part 2. Three more films to take … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts – Blitz Catch-Up, Part 2
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
One of the old jokes about the entertainment industry is how a TV show like Hogan's Heroes got green lit. The telling varies, but it basically boils down to imagining a pitch meeting where someone goes, "It's set in a Nazi POW camp... AND IT'S A COMEDY!" I was thinking about that gag a lot as … Continue reading The Reich Stuff – Jojo Rabbit
I Actually Paid To See This 